Buried but Not Gone | Judges 21:21-23

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Our text today is Judges 21:21-23.

If the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in the dances, then come out of the vineyards and snatch each man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin. And when their fathers or their brothers come to complain to us, we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously to us, because we did not take for each man of them his wife in battle, neither did you give them to them, else you would now be guilty.’” And the people of Benjamin did so and took their wives, according to their number, from the dancers whom they carried off. Then they went and returned to their inheritance and rebuilt the towns and lived in them. — Judges 21:21-23

Israel found a way to move on—but not to make it right. They buried the mess instead of confessing it. What started as a battle for justice ends in a festival of deception and abduction. It’s a tragic cover-up wrapped in religious ceremony.

They thought the problem was solved, but nothing was healed. They won the battle, but lost thousands of brothers. Their sin was buried—but not gone.

When we bury sin, it doesn’t disappear; it festers. We might hide it beneath success, busyness, or excuses, but buried sin always resurfaces. It’s like sweeping dirt under the carpet—sooner or later, someone lifts the rug, and everything hidden spills out.

We do this all the time. We ignore the conflict instead of confronting it. We hide our struggles instead of confessing them. We mask pain with performance, hoping time will heal what only repentance can restore.

But here’s the truth: you can’t bury what God wants to heal. Israel needed confession, not cover-up. They needed repentance, not rationalization. And so do we.

If you’ve been burying something—anger, bitterness, guilt, or sin—it’s time to uncover it before God. Confession doesn’t expose you to shame; it opens you to grace. God can only heal what you bring into the light.

So lift the rug. Let God sweep the room clean. Don’t live with lumps under your life—bring them to the One who can make all things new.

ASK THIS:

1. What sin or issue have I been hiding instead of confessing?
2. Have I mistaken covering up sin for moving on?
3. What “carpets” in my life need to be lifted before God?
4. How can I create space for honesty and healing this week?

DO THIS:

• Ask God to reveal anything you’ve been burying in your heart.
• Stop sweeping things under the rug—let grace do the cleaning.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, I’ve hidden what You want to heal. Expose my heart with Your light. Help me confess what I’ve buried and receive Your grace instead of guilt. Don’t let me live with sin under the carpet—cleanse me completely. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

“Come to the Altar.”