David: Shaping a Godly Heart

A Senseless Census2 Samuel 24

Sermon for older members David is older now Only one alternative

to age Years may make us

wiser, but not always No immunity against

sin David: faithful but

fallible

2 Samuel 24:1-9 NIV Again the anger of the LORD burned against

Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah." (2) So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, "Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are." (3) But Joab replied to the king, "May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?"

2 Samuel 24:1-9 NIV (4) The king's word, however, overruled Joab and

the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel. (5) After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer. (6) They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon. (7) Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.

2 Samuel 24:1-9 NIV (8) After they had gone through the entire land,

they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. (9) Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.

Did God incite, or Satan? 1 Chronicles 21:1 NIV

Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

God and Satan can work through the same act

Job: Tested by Satan, but tried by God Job 2:3-7 NIV Then the

LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. ..."

Job: Tested by Satan, but tried by God Job 2:3-7 NIV (4) "Skin

for skin!" Satan replied. "A man will give all he has for his own life.(5) But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face."

Job: Tested by Satan, but tried by God Job 2:3-7 NIV (6) The

LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life." (7) So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Jesus: Led by the Spirit to be tempted by Devil

Matthew 4:1 NIV Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

Judas: Did God’s purpose when Devil entered him John 13:27-31 NIV As

soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. … (30) As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. (31) When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him.

Cross: Pilate’s power to do the Devil’s work came from God

John 19:10-11 NIV … Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" (11) Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

What’s wrong? Clue to wrong when

Joab balks Joab not generally a

good influence If it troubles even

Joab, then David ought to be concerned

Census not evil Numbers is devoted to

two censuses

Possibile wrongs: Presumption: No

command nor inquiry of God

Fostering division: Judah vis-à-vis Israel 2 Samuel 24:9 NIV Joab

reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.

Pride: simplest and best answer David had once for all

dealt with Philistines Kingdom at greatest

size and strength David looking for

expansion

Reasons for census Numbers: to assign fair

land divisions Here: no good reason 2 Samuel 24:10 NIV David

was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."

David didn’t include others in his guilt David knew how to

repent Not “we” but “I”

By contrast, Daniel joined in guilt of others

Daniel 9:1-9 NIV In the first year of Darius … (2) … I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.

By contrast, Daniel joined in guilt of others

(3) So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. (4) I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands,

By contrast, Daniel joined in guilt of others

(5) we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. (6) We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

By contrast, Daniel joined in guilt of others

(7) "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame--the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.

By contrast, Daniel joined in guilt of others

(8) O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. (9) The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him;

2 Samuel 24:11-17 NIV Before David got up the next morning, the word

of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David's seer: (12) "Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.'" (13) So Gad went to David and said to him, "Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me."

2 Samuel 24:11-17 NIV (14) David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let

us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men." (15) So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. (16) When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

2 Samuel 24:11-17 NIV (17) When David saw the angel who was striking

down the people, he said to the LORD, "I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family."

Incredible story Only time God ever

gave options of consequences for sin

Parents do this sometimes

Why David chose plague David knew it was like to

face famine He knew what it was like

to be a fugitive Both involve falling into

the hands of men David would rather fall

into the hands of God Greater calamity than

Bathsheba 70,000 died - terrible

price for sin

2 Samuel 24:18-25 NIV On that day Gad went to David and said to him, "Go

up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." (19) So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad. (20) When Araunah looked and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. (21) Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" "To buy your threshing floor," David answered, "so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped." (22) Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up.

2 Samuel 24:18-25 NIV Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are

threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. (23) O king, Araunah gives all this to the king." Araunah also said to him, "May the LORD your God accept you." (24) But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. (25) David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

2 Samuel 24:24 NIV But the king replied to

Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.

1 Chronicles adds detail 1 Chronicles 21:16 NIV David looked up and saw

the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem.

Then follows the detail about David’s intercession, the purchase of the site, and the offering of sacrifice.

1 Chronicles 21:27 NIV Then the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.

Significance of location: 1 Chronicles 22:1 NIV

Then David said, "The house of the LORD God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel."

Significance of location: 2 Chronicles 3:1 NIV

Then Solomon began to build the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David.

Genesis 22:1-14 NIV Some time later God

tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. (2) Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

Genesis 22:1-14 NIV (11) But the angel of the

LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. (12) "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

Moriah – where God stopped the knife before

Plague stayed Temple built On a hill not far away:

Golgotha – plague was stopped, but the knife was not

This tells us something about sin

Dangers in growing old

Beware of the danger of discarding humility Easy to lose sight of

the fact that God has been blessing you and to think “look what I’ve done.”

Arrogant old man is a greater tragedy than an arrogant young man – because he ought to know better – ought to know that God has blessed him

Beware of the danger of disdaining accountability

David felt he didn’t have to answer to Joab

Can your employees and children talk to you? Will you listen?

Church leaders: are you willing to listen to the body?

God used Joab to warn David, but he wouldn’t listen

Beware of the danger of displaying infallibility I don’t admire David’s

mistakes, but I do admire his willingness to admit them

Young tend to confess sins more than old

David is old, but he admitted sin

Husbands, parents, elders, preachers don’t confess sins because we think we lose credibility

David gained credibility by confessing

Same true of parents, husbands and church leaders

Real wisdom is not the ability to hide faults, but to admit them