Why Does the Bible Talk So Much About Sin?
Some people might wonder why the Bible spends so much time talking about sin. The simplest (but not the only) answer is to ask a question in return: “How else will we know what sin is?” We find as early as Genesis 3 that sin is harmful to mankind. Adam and Eve were warned against committing it; they failed to comply and were punished because sin is disobedience to God. Notice that He defined what sin was and declared ahead of time they would be punished for their disobedience if they chose not to listen. Sinning, even today, carries with it a penalty. If we want to please God, and avoid being punished, we must know what sin is. Therefore, the Bible supplies a comprehensive definition for us.
God lists literally hundreds of actions that constitute sin. Some are found in lists, such as Galatians 5:19-21; others are delineated throughout the historical narratives we have in the Old Testament, which serve to provide a context. We might, for example, see (even memorize) the Ten Commandments, as God gave them to Israel. One of those is, “You shall not commit adultery.” We might say, “Joseph knew that was wrong long before Moses was even born” (Gen. 39:9). Intellectually, we can agree with Joseph based on what we know will be part of the Law later on. Succumbing to the advances of Potiphar’s wife would be wrong. God said so in Exodus 20:14 and under the new covenant as well (Heb. 13:4).
But have we thought out the consequences? How long would the two “lovers” have been able to go on before being discovered? A month? 6 months? A few years? What if Potiphar’s wife got bored with Joseph, said that he overpowered and forced her to submit (we know she was not above doing so), had him imprisoned or slain, and then moved on to another slave or paramour? Or maybe Potiphar came in one day at an unexpected time and found them together. The jealous rage of a husband could easily have resulted in the death of Joseph—and maybe his wife as well. The possible consequences of sin can provide a number of reasons for not disobeying the commandment.
David’s son Amnon desired his sister Tamar so badly that he was willing to transgress God’s laws regarding sexual purity. Sure, God had provided prohibitions against violating a woman by force, but Amnon did not want to consider the consequences of his behavior. His number one commitment was, “I must have her.” That attitude caused him to lie and to deceive his father—not to mention Tamar. Afterward, he made her leave, having humiliated her. She bore her shame and lived in desolation. Maybe he thought that, because he was the king’s son, he would get away with his despicable actions. He did, briefly. But Tamar’s brother wanted vengeance. He patiently endured—and then struck when he thought he could get away with personal vengeance. A sin in a list is a sufficient reason not to sin, but a context provides more to ponder.