Sin’s Noetic and Pervasive Effects

II Chronicles 10:12–19

“Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” The king answered them harshly. Rejecting the advice of the elders, he followed the advice of the young men and said, “my father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite. When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, Israel! Look after your own house, David!” So all the Israelites went home. But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them. King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.”

Sadly, when King Solomon fell from grace in his idolatry and adultery, it affected his family and Israel. Wisdom left him and his children because of unfaithfulness and so division ensued. In our day, with the New Covenant of Christ, God remains ever more faithful despite our failures (II Tim 2:13) and inability to hit the mark (Rom 3:23), that is just the character of God. “What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Absolutely not (Rom 3:3)!” And we can rest assured in Christ and continue to strive even when we struggle and fail at times, it’s a temporary setback, we can rise back up again, for our movement is always forward towards and into His loving arms, in prayer, loving obedience and an attitude of gratitude. In today’s verses however we get a glimpse of sin’s results, it is the clouding of good judgment (v. 13), it has, after all according to Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga, “noetic” effects, and so I pray with Living Life: “Father God, thank You for showing me the gravity of sin and folly and the consequences that they can bring. Help me to grow in wisdom and my love for holiness and increase my desire to obey You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”