What are the consequences of cherishing sin, according to Job 20:12? Sin’s Seductive Sweetness Job 20:12: “Though evil tastes sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue,” • Sin can feel pleasant, even delicious, when we keep it “under the tongue.” • The image is personal and intimate—you savor it, roll it around, hide it from others, and refuse to spit it out. From Sweet to Bitter: Immediate Consequences Job 20:13-14 continues, “though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth, yet his food will turn to venom in his stomach; it will become the gall of cobras within him.” • What was sweet becomes poison. • The change happens inside, often before it shows outside. • Proverbs 5:3-4 echoes this: “the lips of an adulteress drip honey… but in the end she is bitter as wormwood.” Long-Term Fallout 1. Spiritual Barrenness • Psalm 66:18: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” • Cherished sin blocks prayer, fellowship, and assurance. 2. Emotional and Mental Turmoil • Guilt, fear of exposure, and loss of peace replace the initial thrill (Psalm 32:3-4). 3. Physical and Material Loss • Job 20:15: “He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach.” • What sin gains, sin drains. 4. Broken Relationships • Isaiah 59:2 shows sin separating us from God; it also fractures human relationships with mistrust and hurt. 5. Ultimate Death if Unrepented • James 1:14-15: desire → sin → death. • Galatians 6:7-8: sow to the flesh, reap corruption. Divine Justice Is Certain Job 20:16: “He will suck the poison of serpents; the fangs of a viper will kill him.” • God’s justice is not a metaphor: it is literal and inevitable. • No amount of concealing can outwit the Judge who “will bring to light what is hidden” (1 Corinthians 4:5). Protecting the Heart Today • Refuse to hide sin—confess and forsake it immediately (1 John 1:9). • Replace the sweet poison with the sweeter Word (Psalm 119:103). • Walk in the Spirit so you “will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Cherishing sin always ends in bitterness, loss, and judgment; cherishing Christ leads to life, joy, and freedom. |
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