The Sins that Misshape Us

Saint Paul, in today’s epistle fires a serious warning to the unrepentant. He predicts God’s punishment for those who cling to their sins; they will die just as God punished unrepentant Israelis in the wilderness (Ex 14). Already, in this exciting fourteenth chapter of the Book of Exodus, the characteristic sins of the people of Israel begin to emerge. Characteristic sins? Each of us has them. A characteristic sin is a fault that, by dint of being repeated, shapes, or rather misshapes, one’s personality. A characteristic sin is the root of many other sins that both derive from it and feed it.

From the above reference (Exodus 14) one can easily identify four characteristic sins of the people of Israel: 1) lack of trust in God; 2) murmuring against God and against the leaders set over them; 3) rebellion and disobedience; 4) and, finally, idolatry. Note the sequences of theses sins. At the origin of them all is a lack of trust in God; this lack of trust manifests itself in fear. The lack of trust in God leads directly to murmuring against God Himself and against those who represent Him. Murmuring sets the stage for rebelliousness: a willful and malevolent expression of pride and disobedience. Rebelliousness opens the way to idolatry. Once one has rebelled against God and the authority constituted by Him, one is driven to erect idols in their place.

God was not well pleased with Israelis and overthrew them in the wilderness. These things, says St Paul, were our examples that we should not lust after evil things.