Sin of NUMBERING

 

Ecclesiastes 1:1-2

King James Version

1 The words of the Preacher, 

the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, 

vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

The world is in great sin.

This sin of pride, and vanity.

Wanting to know how many likers, followers, members.

This addiction to fans, and fame.

As if strength comes in numbers.

King David became susceptible to that, too.

Causing great wrath to come upon him, and Israel.

Here's the story:

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

21 And Satan* stood up against Israel, 

and provoked David to number Israel.

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

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.

The captain of hosts reaction:

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

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?

But David's word prevailed:

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed 

against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, 

and went throughout all Israel, 

and came to Jerusalem.

The number given:

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

5 And Joab gave the sum 

of the number of the people unto David. 

And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand 

and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: 

and Judah was four hundred threescore 

and ten thousand men that drew sword.

For Israel, that's 1,570,000 men fit for "military service".

For Judah, it's 470,000.

That must have pleased the king.

Still, Joab was not about to defy the LORD GOD:

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

6 But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: 

for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

GOD's reaction to David?

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

7 And God was displeased with this thing; 

therefore he smote Israel.

David realizes his error.

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

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's response:

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

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.

The punishment:

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

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.

What would you have chosen?

David's choice:

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

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.

The results:

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

14 So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel: 

and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

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.

David repents:

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

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.

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

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.

The angel speaks to the prophet:

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

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.

19 And David went up at the saying of Gad, 

which he spake in the name of the Lord.

The angel must have looked frightening, and yet magnificent:

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; 

and his four sons with him hid themselves. 

Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

David makes arrangements with Ornan:

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

21 And as David came to Ornan, 

Ornan looked and saw David, 

and went out of the threshingfloor, 

and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

22 Then David said to Ornan, 

Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, 

that I may build an altar therein unto the Lord: 

thou shalt grant it me for the full price: 

that the plague may be stayed from the people.

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

23 And Ornan said unto David, 

Take it to thee, and let my lord the king 

do that which is good in his eyes: 

lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, 

and the threshing instruments for wood, 

and the wheat for the meat offering; 

I give it all.

24 And king David said to Ornan, 

Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: 

for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, 

nor offer burnt offerings without cost.

25 So David gave to Ornan for the place 

six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

David builds an altar.

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

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.

Peace reigns.

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

King James Version

27 And the Lord commanded the angel; 

and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.

1 Chronicles 21:1-30

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.

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.

Many have no idea GOD's POWER.

But look what He can have ONE of His angels do:

2 Kings 19:35

King James Version

35 And it came to pass that night, 

that the angel of the Lord went out, 

and smote in the camp of the Assyrians 

an hundred fourscore and five thousand: 

and when they arose early in the morning, 

behold, they were all dead corpses.

That's 185,000 that perished in a night.

And that's from only ONE angel the LORD commands.

GOD is no respecter of persons.

He takes no favorites.

King, or commoner, we're all subject to GOD's laws.

May we refrain from this sin of pride, and vanity.

Especially of numbering.

The only thing JESUS cares to number are these:

Luke 12:7

King James Version

7 But even the very hairs of your head 

are all numbered. 

Fear not therefore: 

ye are of more value 

than many sparrows.

Luke 15:3-7

King James Version

3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, 

if he lose one of them, 

doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, 

and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

5 And when he hath found it, 

he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6 And when he cometh home, 

he calleth together his friends and neighbours, 

saying unto them, 

Rejoice with me; 

for I have found my sheep which was lost.

7 I say unto you, 

that likewise joy shall be in heaven 

over one sinner that repenteth, 

more than over ninety and nine just persons, 

which need no repentance.

Apart from that?

It's all vanity.

*NOTE:

The "Chronicles" book cited here says it was Satan who "provoked" David to number Israel.

The "Samuel" book says the LORD "moved" David to do so.

2 Samuel 24:1

King James Version

24 And again the anger of the Lord 

was kindled against Israel, 

and he moved David against them to say, 

Go, number Israel and Judah.

Which one do we follow?

That's the beauty of the Bible for a born again.

SPIRIT invites us to look deeper.

Which we already have an idea of.

But it will have to be for a future post.

Related material: 

On ANGELS

Sin AWARENESS

GOD's WRATH

GOD's numbers

Image: Clipart Library

The LAST emissary

 

Malachi 3:1

King James Version

3 Behold, I will send my messenger, 

and he shall prepare the way before me: 

and the Lord, whom ye seek, 

shall suddenly come to his temple, 

even the messenger of the covenant, 

whom ye delight in: 

behold, 

he shall come, 

saith the Lord of hosts.

We really have no idea GOD's love for us.

Perhaps, we have an inkling.

But it really hasn't set in.

Only through SPIRIT can we know.

We receive SPIRIT, when GOD makes us born again.

From which, wonderful things happen.

We get to know GOD's ways.

We get to know His wisdom.

We get to know His love.

Proof of that LOVE?

Let JESUS tell us a parable:

Mark 12:1

King James Version

12 And he began to speak unto them by parables. 

A certain man planted a vineyard, 

and set an hedge about it, 

and digged a place for the winefat, 

and built a tower, 

and let it out to husbandmen, 

and went into a far country.

Mark 12:2-3

King James Version

2 And at the season 

he sent to the husbandmen a servant, 

that he might receive from the husbandmen 

of the fruit of the vineyard.

3 And they caught him, and beat him, 

and sent him away empty.

Mark 12:4

King James Version

4 And again he sent unto them another servant; 

and at him they cast stones, 

and wounded him in the head, 

and sent him away shamefully handled.

Mark 12:5

King James Version

5 And again he sent another; 

and him they killed, and many others; 

beating some, and killing some.

When all else "failed", the lord of the vineyard sent his LAST emissary:

Mark 12:6-8

King James Version

6 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, 

he sent him also last unto them, saying, 

They will reverence my son.

How did the husbandmen treat this lord's LAST emissary?

Mark 12:7-8

King James Version

7 But those husbandmen said 

among themselves, 

This is the heir; 

come, let us kill him, 

and the inheritance shall be ours.'

8 And they took him, 

and killed him, 

and cast him out of the vineyard.

If you're born again, the symbolism is apparent:

Who is the LORD of the vineyard?

GOD.

Who are the husbandmen?

Us.

Who are the servants?

The prophets.

Who is that one, "wellbeloved" son, sent for last?

JESUS.

How have we treated the LAST emissary?

1 Corinthians 2:8

King James Version

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: 

for had they known it, 

they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

As you can well imagine, this is what the LORD of the vineyard will do:

Mark 12:1-12

King James Version

9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? 

he will come and destroy the husbandmen, 

and will give the vineyard unto others.

The LORD always sends us an invitation.

To dine with Him, to sup with Him, to receive His WORD.

Will we attend?

Will we receive Him?

Will we open our doors for Him?

I hope you do.

Related material:

JESUS

GOD's LOVE

GOD's WAYS

GOD's TRUTH

GOD's WISDOM

PARABLES of JESUS

The LAST emissary (blog)

Image: Free Bible Images