2 Samuel 24:1 (NKJV) Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

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1 Introduction The chapter can be divided into three sections; David s sin (vv.1-9); the suffering of sin or the wages of sin (vv ); and sacrifice or the halting of sin; or judgment (vv.18-25). We rarely put the topics of sin and judgment at the top of our list of things we want to talk about. Yet we see the consequences of sin all around us. The chapter is filled with practical lessons. Some of the lessons include; Temptation takes place throughout our lives. We are not told when David was tempted to take this census;david is now advanced in age; he is not young or naive. We never outgrow the need to watch and pray so that we do not enter into temptation and sin so easily. Another lesson is that God gives His servants time to repent; the Lord gave David some nine months to deal with his sin and make the matter right. The principle in the Bible is Seek the Lord while He may be found (see Wiersbe s Old Testament Outlines; 2 Samuel pp ). Wiersbe lists six practical lessons; We never outgrow temptation God graciously gives us time to repent Sins of the spirit do great damage Our sins involve others True confession is a costly thing God will forgive and bring blessing The Sin Of Numbering The People (vv.1-9) 2 Samuel 24:1 (NKJV) Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. 1 Chronicles 21:1 (NKJV) Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. We are not told why the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel. Early in David s life Israel fought the Philistines and David killed a giant. I suspect later in life--the old adversary (Satan) the Philistines came back to fight. David was victorious in battle the first time, and the last encounter with the Philistines David won the battle again. We are most vulnerable--not after we lose--but after we win! Satan likes to set traps in our lives after we move forward and gain victories. 2 Samuel 24:2 (NKJV) So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people 1

2 God was angry--and so was David. David decided to number the people or take a census. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with taking a census. God commanded the people to be numbered twice while in the wilderness (Numbers chapters 1; 26). So why was it wrong for David to number the people? When God ordered the census it was for the matter of redemption money ; each adult Israeli was to give a half-shekel; the money was a reminder that the children of Israel were a purchased possession. Exodus 30:12 warns that God would plague the nation of the people ignored giving the redemption money; Warren Wiersbe suggests this in part may be why this has happened (see Wiersbe s OT OUTLINES p.300). It would appear that David wanted to number the people for all the wrong reasons. He wanted to know how many fighting men he had available for himself. Some scholars suggest David-- motivated by pride (a sin of the spirit) decided to do an audit of all his resources; so that he could trust those resources rather than trust the Lord. David wanted to see the extent of his empire; how great his wealth and resources and how powerful his army. In other words--pride. 2 Samuel 24:3 (NKJV) And Joab said to the king, Now may the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times more than there are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing? Joab gives David wise counsel; why would you want to do such a thing? Joab was saying; I hope your kingdom increases a hundredfold in your lifetime! David pulls rank and orders Joab to conduct the census. Did the Lord make David take the census and then punish him or did Satan? God allows Satan to test or temp David. The Bible makes it clear that somehow Satan placed the thought in David s mind. The real battleground for the Christian is the mind--our thought life. Our thought life becomes our real life. 2 Corinthians 2:11 (NKJV) lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. The word translated devices is also translated schemes and the root Greek word is related to the Greek noun mind. A paraphrase might read; we are not ignorant of his ability to get into our minds and direct our thoughts. And that is exactly what is happening to David. Satan nudged David in his private thoughts and said; Why don t you number these people? Let s evaluate and inventory how vast the empire! (see Chuck Swindoll s David; p.274). Joab warned the King but the word of the King prevailed. 2

3 David was the King. We must be careful when we are King or Queen in our own lives. We must be careful when we are in positions of trust or authority. An unaccountable life is a dangerous life. Very few people can handle unquestioned authority. I am the boss do what I say. I am the Pastor do what I say. I am your father do what I say. I am in control, I am in authority etc. Be careful who you entrust to be advisor or counselor or friend; but make sure you have people who can serve as a backstop against disaster. We all need accountability. David was a man after God s own heart; but clearly he has weaknesses. Late in life--david once again finds himself out of touch with God and God s Holy Spirit. David does not pray; he does not seek God s will; in pride and arrogance and self-sufficiency he simply orders it done. David is out of touch with God. And David is unaccountable to anyone. The Consequence of Numbering The People (vv.10-15) 2 Samuel 24:10 (NKJV) And David s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly. Look carefully at the expression; And David s heart condemned him. David had a sensitive heart. This is one of the reasons David is called a man after God s own heart. The Hebrew term condemned or troubled means to be attacked or assaulted. It is the Hebrew expression nakah --it is a severe word. Sometimes it is a word that would be used to describe a city that has been sacked, burned, destroyed. It carries the idea of being wounded or crippled. David-- deep in his heart is in anguish over God s displeasure and anger--david knows he did a bad-bad thing. 1 John 3:21 (NKJV) Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. Some stubborn saints refuse to listen to God. Our conscience is the inner voice; a moral organ that motivates us to do what s right; do the right thing. It may be that David s conscience has taken on the voice of Joab; why are you doing this? Why am I doing this? What is motivating me? Pride? Have you ever been troubled in your walk with the Lord? Has God shown you there is something that needs to change in your life? Do you need to leave a sinful or unhealthy relationship? Do you need to honor God in some way that you have failed to honor Him? Like in the area of trusting Him? Or the area of giving to Him? Are you holding on to something that you know belongs to the Lord? Are you plagued in your conscience? Are you troubled in your heart? What have you done about it? Have you recognized the area of sin and asked God s forgiveness? Or have you attempted to ignore the voice all together? Have you ignored the Lord and continued in the wrong direction? Or have you done a dead stop and said, I was wrong. God is dealing with about this, and I know what He wants me to do about it (Swindoll p.276). 3

4 David realizes he has acted like a fool. 1 Chronicles 21:7 (NKJV) And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel. When we do wrong; when we sin; God is displeased. We may rationalize, justify, trivialize, pretend, excuse, but God is not happy. Our sin has consequences. It effects people s lives. 1 Chronicles 21:8 (NKJV) So David said to God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly. Look at the honesty in David s prayer. I was wrong. I was wrong and I know it. David is not just saying this to make the problem go away. The Lord God gives David choices about the consequences. This is very unusual. If there are other places in the Scripture where God gives a set of alternative judgments; I am hard pressed to find those examples. The choices include; three years of famine; three months of being pursued by David s enemies; or three days of plague. Any one of these three are very bad. How do you chose between very bad; very very bad; and very, very, very bad? God is not mocked. What we sow; we reap. You can t sow apple seeds not expect apple trees. You cannot sow seeds of pride, selfishness, rebellion, deception, theft, lies, and self-serving pleasure and expect to sow the peaceable fruits of godliness or righteousness. No matter what David chooses--the consequences are going to be horrible and devastating. But David at least chooses to place himself on the immediate and dramatic mercy of God. 2 Samuel 24:14 (NKJV) And David said to Gad, I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man. David is in great distress; the Hebrew word tsarar means tied up, or cramped, or restricted. David is sick in his stomach. Have you ever experienced a trial where it fell like someone punched you or kicked you in the stomach? We use the expression tied up in knots. David heard the judgment and could barely handle his feelings of overwhelming guilt. 1 Chronicles 21:13 (NKJV) And David said to Gad, I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man. Good choice David. In a very bad circumstance choose the Lord; chose His mercy. If you desire grace; if you desire mercy, allow yourself to fall into the hands of the true and living God; rather than the hands of human beings. David would rather have three days of the sword of the Lord; 4

5 rather than three months or three years in the hands of man. God s discipline is better than man s punishment. David is fully aware that his sin has caused their pain, their misery, their sorrow. The Lord God sent a pestilence upon the people. The wages of sin remain death. Sin has consequences. We hear the phrase so often it sometimes loses real power. It was about 9:00 PM. A man dashed into the doctor s office in a highly nervous condition and explained to the doctor that he had been in a very bad state all day. The doctor, in his best professional manner, asked if anything had happened to shock or upset his nerves. No, the man answered, unless it was a letter I received this morning. He showed the doctor a letter which stated in part, If you don t stop running around with my wife, I m going to blow your head off. The doctor answered, Well, that a comparatively simple matter. Why don t you just stop it? The patient s face fell as he said, But, Doctor, the fool forgot to sign his name! The man was the real fool....sin does not serve well as gardner of the soul. It landscapes the contour of the soul until all that is beautiful has been made ugly; until all that is high is made low; until all that is promising is wasted. Then life is like a desert, parched, and barren. It is drained of purpose. It is bleached of happiness. Sin then, is not wise, but wasteful. It is not a gate but a grave (Swindoll quoted from p.279; C. Neil Strait). David sees every ounce of payment sin demands. He sees its devastation, pain and horror. He is a broken man facing the responsibilities of his own sin; his own pride, his own wrong decisions. And he throws himself on the mercy of God. And God has a plan for David and for every person s sin, every person s transgression; all sin and every sin. The cross of Jesus Christ. Some might be tempted to think How does God kill people to prove a point to David? That is not the point. All of us deserve Hell. But many people do not believe in the enormity of their sin; they do not believe they deserve to go to hell. God does not simply allow people to die; he allows millions to live. Why does God stop at 70000? Why doesn t God simply give the nation; and every nation what it deserves? Because God is loving and merciful. He is slow to wrath. He is quick to kindness. The angel kills 70,000 in three days. 70,000 graves; 70,000 grieving families. Don t you think it would be a great idea to give people a preview of where sin leads them? Don t you think it would be great for God to play the film in the months and years after the divorce? After the fornication? After the theft? After you got drunk? After you stole the money? God s Provision For Mercy In A Future Sacrifice (vv.16-25) 2 Samuel 24:17 (NKJV) Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father s house. 5

6 The people have done wickedly. Perhaps David places far to much blame on himself. David assumes full responsibility for his sin. His family will be punished. Somewhere between God s holiness, God s justice and God s grace is the Cross of Jesus Christ. David s son. With David s obedience--the pestilence is over. Did David really see the angel? Clearly David is moved to confess his sin; to pray; to cry out; to beg the Lord to remove the hand of discipline and judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:31 (NKJV) that, as it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the Lord. (vv.18-24) David builds an altar of sacrifice in obedience to the instructions of the Lord through the prophet Gad. The Lord commands the altar of sacrifice be built on the very spot; the very site where the plague would be halted. The threshing floor of Ornan or Araunah the Jebusite. This is an important fact-because it will be the future site of the Temple (1 Chron.22:1). David personally purchases the property (vv.19-21). 2 Samuel 24:24 (NKJV) Then the king said to Araunah, No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. David insists on the basic principle for all worship and service; true sacrifice demands payment. David was unwilling to offer the Lord something that cost him nothing. David insists on praying for the property; and the animals. David acted quickly; bought the property; offered the substitute, the atoning sacrifice; through the Burnt Offering; and Peace Offering and the Fellowship Offering (see Lev. 1:1-17). The Lord accepted the substitute, the atoning sacrifice offered by David; the Lord forgave David s sins and answered the prayer of His servant; the Lord ceased and stopped the hand of chastisement, discipline, judgment (v.25). David refuses to give to the Lord that which costs him nothing! Some unscrupulous Bible teachers sometimes twist, torture and abuse this passage to teach give until it hurts. Sacrifice does sometimes include hardship and pain. Araunah offers to give the threshing floor to David; including the oxen and the cart and the yoke. Note--David the Pastor and David the Shepherd and David the King is the one making the sacrifice--not the subject--not the congregant. 6

7 What we give to God should come as a result of the labors of our hands. What we give to God should represent the best we have to offer; not the leftovers. To ignore sin s consequences is to reject God s truth. The Bible is filled with examples of people who experienced the consequences of their sin. Did you really think there would be a special exemption or dispensation for you? To fail to take God seriously is to deny His Lordship. If we approach the Lord through the substitute sacrifice of David s Son; the Lord Jesus Christ; God will forgive our sins. No matter how great, how wicked our sin. God will have mercy on us and deliver us from the ultimate judgment. Through Jesus Christ we have forgiveness because of his sacrifice, his cross, God will save us from sin and death and judgment. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father (Gal. 1:4). The Book of 2 Samuel closes with the purchase of this property; the place where the Temple will be built; and play such an important role in the life of Israel and the ministry of Jesus. Robert Bergen In making these sacrifices for his people, David foreshadowed the actions of Jesus, the ultimate son of David, who also gave sacrificially on a hill near Jerusalem for his people so that an even more tragic plague might be stopped. David s climactic sacrifice involved the use of wood and blood on a hill outside the city; so did Jesus sacrifice. David s sacrifice stopped a physical plague that had taken the lives of many Israelites; by Jesus s wounds the new Israel likewise has been healed (1 Peter 2:24) because he himself bore our sin in his body (1 Peter 2:24). Matthew Henry Christ is our altar, our sacrifice; in him alone we may expect to find favour with God, to escape his wrath, and the sword, the flaming sword, of the cherubim who keep the way of the tree of life. 7