”
… love covers over a multitude of sin” (1 Pe 4:8, NIV)
I
was listening to one of my friends the other day and he mentioned that he had
hurt his finger some how and there was some skin missing off of it. He went a few days complaining about it,
nursing it, and flinching when he would accidentally hit it against
something. Then he finally put some
liquid band-aid on it. At first he said
it really hurt, really burned when he applied the liquid. He then demonstrated how he could now hit it
against something with no pain. There
was a protective coating where the skin was missing, keeping out dirt and
bacteria, and cushioning the wound.
I
was reminded of the above verse. In
reference to it Strong’s Concordance says ‘to hide, veil, to hinder the
knowledge of a thing.’ In the Amplified
Bible this verse reads: Above all things have intense and
unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives
and disregards the offenses of others.) In my bible, beside this verse, in relation
to the word ‘covers‘, I have written “to wrap around as bark; skin, plaster,
shell, protective coating.” Love would
keep us from rehearsing sin to the guilty party, to others, and to ourselves. We would neither tell others about it, nor
hold it against the guilty party, but would help them to overcome it. We would protect them and their reputation,
while giving them help and hope for the future.
I
didn’t say this was a natural thing to do because it isn’t. Only the supernatural love that God puts in
us can enable us to walk this out correctly.
The effect of this is the difference between life and death, blessing
and cursing.
One
of Noah’s sons dishonored him, ridiculed
him, and told others of his
nakedness. The two other sons humbly
went in to their father and in honoring him refused to even look upon his
nakedness, and put a cover over him so that no one else would be able to look
upon his nakedness. The one son and his
offspring were cursed. The other two
sons and their offspring were blessed.
The
principles taught us in the Word of God, when applied to our lives result in
life and blessings for us and others.
Ignoring the same principles brings cursing, lack and death.
