1 John 2:16
King James Version
16 For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh,
and the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life,
is not of the Father,
but is of the world.
This is a story about GOD, the Father; David, the king; Joab, the captain; Gad, the seer; God's avenging angel; and Ornan, the Jebusite.
David had sinned greatly against the Lord again.
We've written about his other sin committed against one of his faithful soldiers.
All because of lust.
Now, he sins because Satan caused him to sin.
This time, it's of pride.
1 Chronicles 21:1-2
King James Version
21 And Satan stood up against Israel,
and provoked David to number Israel.
2 And David said to Joab
and to the rulers of the people,
Go,
number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan;
and bring the number of them to me,
that I may know it.
To which, Joab replied:
1 Chronicles 21:3
King James Version
3 And Joab answered,
The Lord make his people an hundred times
so many more as they be:
but, my lord the king,
are they not all my lord's servants?
why then doth my lord require this thing?
why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
Nevertheless, he served the king, and had to obey.
But one thing Joab wouldn't do:
1 Chronicles 21:6
King James Version
6 But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them:
for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
It was abominable to Joab, for the tribe of Levi, were appointed priests by God. meant to serve Him.
The tribe of Benjamin, came from Jacob -- patriarch of the Israelites -- who God renamed Israel.
It shows how Joab's heart was right with the Lord, even as he served a king appointed by God.
So, how did God respond to David's numbering of Israel?
Exactly as Joab feared.
1 Chronicles 21:7
King James Version
7 And God was displeased with this thing;
therefore he smote Israel.
Repentant, David sought the Lord.
1 Chronicles 21:8
King James Version
8 And David said unto God,
I have sinned greatly,
because I have done this thing:
but now,
I beseech thee,
do away the iniquity of thy servant;
for I have done very foolishly.
God responded through Gad, the seer.
1 Chronicles 21:9-12
King James Version
9 And the Lord spake unto Gad,
David's seer,
saying,
10 Go and tell David,
saying,
Thus saith the Lord,
I offer thee three things:
choose thee one of them,
that I may do it unto thee.
11 So Gad came to David,
and said unto him,
Thus saith the Lord,
Choose thee
12 Either three years' famine;
or three months to be destroyed before thy foes,
while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee;
or else three days the sword of the Lord,
even the pestilence,
in the land,
and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout
all the coasts of Israel.
Now therefore advise thyself
what word I shall bring again
to him that sent me.
David just asked one thing:
1 Chronicles 21:13
King James Version
13 And David said unto Gad,
I am in a great strait:
let me fall now into the hand of the Lord;
for very great are his mercies:
but let me not fall into the hand of man.
God did as he asked.
1 Chronicles 21:14-15
King James Version
14 So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel:
and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it:
and as he was destroying,
the Lord beheld,
and he repented him of the evil,
and said to the angel that destroyed,
It is enough,
stay now thine hand.
And the angel of the Lord stood
by the threshingfloor of Ornan
the Jebusite.
Seeing the consequences of his sin, David repents, and appeals to God to spare his people.
1 Chronicles 21:16-17
King James Version
16 And David lifted up his eyes,
and saw the angel of the Lord
stand between the earth
and the heaven,
having a drawn sword in his hand
stretched out over Jerusalem.
Then David and the elders of Israel,
who were clothed in sackcloth,
fell upon their faces.
17 And David said unto God,
Is it not I that commanded the people
to be numbered?
even I it is that have sinned
and done evil indeed;
but as for these sheep,
what have they done?
let thine hand,
I pray thee,
O Lord my God,
be on me,
and on my father's house;
but not on thy people,
that they should be plagued.
This time, the angel speaks through Gad.
1 Chronicles 21:18
King James Version
18 Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad
to say to David,
that David should go up,
and set up an altar unto the Lord
in the threshingfloor of Ornan
the Jebusite.
Which David accomplished.
1 Chronicles 21:26
King James Version
26 And David built there an altar
unto the Lord,
and offered burnt offerings
and peace offerings,
and called upon the Lord;
and he answered him from heaven
by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
And God commanded His angel to resheath his sword.
1 Chronicles 21:27
King James Version
27 And the Lord commanded the angel;
and he put up his sword again
into the sheath thereof.
In repentance, David offers a sacrifice at the altar.
1 Chronicles 21:28
King James Version
28 At that time when David saw
that the Lord had answered him
in the threshingfloor of Ornan
the Jebusite,
then he sacrificed there.
But one thing David wouldn't do, for great fear, and possibly, shame.
1 Chronicles 21:29-30
King James Version
29 For the tabernacle of the Lord,
which Moses made in the wilderness,
and the altar of the burnt offering,
were at that season
in the high place at Gibeon.
30 But David could not go before it
to enquire of God:
for he was afraid
because of the sword
of the angel of the Lord.
God sends His angels to punish pride, and wickedness.
Nearly two months ago, we wrote of the destruction ONE angel is capable of, as commanded by God.
Angels serve God, and they are not to be worshiped.
One angel admonished apostle John, himself:
Revelation 19:10
King James Version
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him.
And he said unto me,
See thou do it not:
I am thy fellowservant,
and of thy brethren
that have the testimony of Jesus:
worship God:
for the testimony of Jesus
is the spirit of prophecy.
What do we get from this post?
-- GOD is REAL.
-- Sin is real.
-- Punishment is real.
-- Angels are real.
-- Angels have swords.
-- One angel can wreak great destruction.
-- Angels do the will of God.
-- We are to please God.
-- We are not to number His people.
As the LORD JESUS once told apostle Peter:
John 21:20-22
King James Version
20 Then Peter,
turning about,
seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following;
which also leaned on his breast at supper,
and said,
Lord,
which is he that betrayeth thee?
21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus,
Lord,
and what shall this man do?
22 Jesus saith unto him,
If I will that he tarry till I come,
what is that to thee?
follow thou me.
Pretty much how JESUS admonished his parents, when they looked for Him, and He was at the temple:
Luke 2:49
King James Version
49 And he said unto them,
How is it that ye sought me?
wist ye not
that I must be about my Father's business?
All tantamount to saying, we are not to be concerned with such things, which only the LORD should be concerned about.
We are simply to TRUST Him COMPLETELY.
In everything.
Related material:
The CONSEQUENCES of DAVID's sin
DAVID asks GOD for FORGIVENESS
(Image source: Wallpaper Better)
