. . . And must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution for the wrong they have done. (Num. 5:7)
Expanded Passage: Numbers 5:5-7
We are afraid of confessing our faults and failures. Such vulnerability leaves us feeling exposed and under threat of destruction. We wonder, “If I confess, will it be the end of me? Will I be worthy of love? Will anyone stay once they know the truth?” Our fear of rejection, of not being enough, causes us to hide our shame, and shame thrives in the dark, keeping us isolated from one another and the healing only exposure to the light can bring.
God taught the Israelites the value of confession. He also commanded them to go beyond admitting their offenses against one another by making full restitution. Restitution is restoring what was lost or stolen. It is seeking as much as is within our power to make right what we have made wrong. It does not involve making excuses for sin by justifying wrong actions. It’s calling it like it is and doing the hard work of mending the broken. It is done primarily for the good of the one harmed, which means the wrongdoer must be sent away or cut off if doing so promotes healing.
The beauty of righting wrongs is that even though it may lead to painful consequences, it is how God heals those who have been hurt and those who have caused hurt because only by bearing witness to the truth are we set free.
Take one step today toward righting a wrong you caused.
Shaunna Sturgeon is the pastor of the Watershed Collective, a microchurch movement in rural Kansas. She loves helping people discover God’s purpose for their lives.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
