Numbers 5:25-31 But what IF?

 25The priest shall take from her hand the grain offering for jealousy, wave it before the LORD, and bring it to the altar. 26Then the priest is to take a handful of the grain offering as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar; after that he is to have the woman drink the water.

27When he has made her drink the water, if she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, then the water that brings a curse will enter her and cause bitter suffering; her belly will swell, her thigh will shrivel, and she will become accursed among her people. 28But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, she will be unaffected and able to conceive children.

29This is the law of jealousy when a wife goes astray and defiles herself while under her husband’s authority, 30or when a feeling of jealousy comes over a husband and he suspects his wife. He is to have the woman stand before the LORD, and the priest is to apply to her this entire law. 31The husband will be free from guilt, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.”

But what IF?

These words seem to be excuses with a question mark added to make the excuses seem more important.

But what if the woman was guilty but loved him?

But what if the woman didn’t commit adultery?

But what if the husband is overly jealous?

But what if the husband committed adultery?

But what if.....fill in the blank?

“The rabbins say that the trial by the waters of jealousy was omitted after the Babylonish captivity, because adulteries were so frequent amongst them, that they were afraid of having the name of the Lord profaned by being so frequently appealed to!” (Clarke)

Sin is sin and it has consequences AND it causes everyone to drink their own bitter water. 

Let’s examine King David for his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and having her husband killed.  He drank the bitter water of his consequences.

2 Samuel 12: 11This is what the LORD says: ‘I will raise up adversity against you from your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to another, and he will lie with them in broad daylight. 12You have acted in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’ ”

David’s Loss and Repentance

13Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

“The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die. 14Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD, the son born to you will surely die.”

Thank God the Father who sent His Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 

We will still have to drink the bitter water 💦 of our consequences but those of us in Christ will not die the second death. Revelation 21:8

Blessings