Bearing the Burdens of Others

This week I read the latter half of 2 Chronicles up to the end of Job. I'm actually using two different Bible reading plans right now, but the second one doesn't really count--I'm reading through all the notes in my study Bible using a 6-month reading plan. But this week both of my reading plans had something in common.

Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." We all carry our own burdens, either of difficult situations, trials and temptations, or just even the own sin in our hearts. Burdens are something we carry with us all the time, every day. They give us ample opportunities for learning endurance, patience, and forbearance. But in this verse in Galatians, it doesn't just say to carry our own burdens, but also those of fellow believers. Sometimes this means carrying the weight of another's sin and its consequences.

Hezekiah
This man began his reign over Judah after the nation had been corrupted by the ungodly leaders before him. The Bible tells us, however, that "he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done". The sin of the nation wasn't directly Hezekiah's fault, yet he took on the responsibility of it and commanded the people to reform their land. He reminded them that the wrath of the Lord was on them (and him) because of their wicked forefathers. "Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, in order that his fierce anger may turn away from us" (2 Chronicles 29:10). He was willing to take on the consequences of the people's sin and begin the process of repentance with them. He commanded the priests to sacrifice, and he led the Israelites in consecrated worship to the Lord. He gathered Judah and those who would come from Israel to once again celebrate the Passover, and Hezekiah prayed for them all. "And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people" (2 Chronicles 30:20)

Josiah
He was the third king after Hezekiah, and because the people had turned away from the Lord again, Josiah had a similar task to Hezekiah. After Hilkiah find the Book of the Law of the Lord in the temple, Josiah has it read to him. And then he realizes even more the great sin of the people in forsaking God. God reveals to Josiah through a prophetess that great destruction will come because of the people's disobedience, and only because of Josiah's humility before the Lord would he be spared the sight of this destruction of the land. Josiah takes on the results of sin and brings the people to repentance by reading the Book of the Law to them. "And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book" (2 Chronicles 34:31). Josiah saw relative peace while he reigned, and he died before Jerusalem was captured, burned, and her people exiled.

Ezra
After King Cyrus allowed the deported Jews to return to Jerusalem, many exiles returned to their homeland. Under Ezra's leadership the people fast and pray, and begin the reconstruction of their land. Ezra soon finds out that the Jews have once again intermarried with the pagan nations around them, breaking the commands of God and bringing judgment if they did not repent. Ezra identifies himself with the sin of the people and is struck with grief at their sin. He prays to the Lord admitting the guilt of the people and recognizing that they deserved judgment. "O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this" (Ezra 9:15). Ezra prays and makes confession, interceding for the people and taking on the weight of their sin, and the people responded in humility, separating themselves from the pagan foreigners.

Job
Perhaps this scene from Job is one we don't remember often. After all of Job's "friends" have given their "advice", the Lord answers Job and silences Job's questions, showing His infinite power even in the midst of suffering. He calls Job to trust Him even when he doesn't know the reason for his trials. And in his humility he acknowledges the greatness, majesty, and sovereignty of God in his life. God then turns his anger on Job's friends for their misrepresentation of Job's character and God's character. And though Job has suffered much mentally from these three men, he obeys the Lord and prays for them, interceding for them on behalf of their sin. "...and the Lord accepted Job's prayer" (Job 42:9).

Jeremiah
Knowing as the "weeping prophet", this man was sent to proclaim God's judgment on Judah. And though the nations sin was not his, he lives his life in humility and identifies himself with the sinners. In Jeremiah 10:24, he asks the Lord to bring correction and justice on himself and on the people for their sin. He places himself as one of the Israelites and takes on their sin, pleading with the Lord for mercy.

Moses
Though not in my week's reading, this man serves as another example of bearing the burden of another's sin. After Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments, he was greeted with the noise of the people worshipping and dancing around the golden calf that had apparently just appeared out of the fire (as Aaron intelligently reported). Moses metes out judgment on the people when he commands the Levites to destroy those who had turned from the Lord, and the next day day Moses says to the people "You have sinned a great sin, And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin" (Exodus 32:31). Realizing the folly of the Israelites and the greatness of their sin he pleads for forgiveness from God for this rebellious group. "But now, if you will forgive their sin--but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written" (Exodus 32:33). Moses' desire for the people's forgiveness is so great that he places the sin on himself, and says that if God could not spare them in His justice, he will be willing to end up in the darkness of eternity if only the Israelites would be spared!


These men willingly took on the sins of others in order to bring mercy on others, but yet see justice done to sin. But they were not faultless men themselves, and though many times they did bear the burden of sin that was not theirs, they only represented a Greater Intercessor who was to come. In order to perfectly fulfill justice for sin and give grace to the wrongdoer, a perfect atonement was needed, and that was only found in the sinless priesthood Christ. Only the One who came willingly in the faultless image of God could bear the sins of the world and, at the same time, bring judgment and grace.

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

(Isaiah 53:11-12)

Sometimes we, too, are called to wrestle with the sins of others and to bear its consequences, not because we're perfect, but because the body of Christ works to bear the burdens of others. We're to help the weak, encourage our fellow soldiers, and admonish the sinning. "We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak" (Romans 15:1), and this should be done with the knowledge that others are bearing our own weaknesses, as well. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16, KJV).