Hebrews records the Lord disciplines the one He loves (12:6). In this study we ll examine the principle of discipline and judgment.

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview August 26, 2018 Disciplined Background: 2 Samuel 24: 1-25 Lesson: 2 Samuel 24: Motivation: CS Lewis once wrote: The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves, is only insoluble so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word love. Hebrews records the disciplines the one He loves (12:6). In this study we ll examine the principle of discipline and judgment. Examination: I. David s Census (1-9) A. Motivation The s anger burned against Israel again, and He stirred up David against them to say, Go, count the people of Israel and Judah (1) HCSB: p.538: 24:1 The particular sin that brought about God s wrath is not given. First Chronicles 21:1 credits Satan with enticing David, but no contradiction exists. Both verses are correct; God is able to use even Satan to accomplish His purposes (Jb 1:12; 2:6). Here, God allowed Satan to entice David to count the people, an act that, while acceptable under certain circumstances (Ex 30:12), here probably revealed that David was putting trust in his military power rather than in the s protection and guidance. Another possibility is that David failed to instruct his commanders to collect the half-shekel poll tax, bringing on the plague (Ex 30:12-13). In either case, God did not force David to make the wrong decision. 1 / 11

2 Believer s Study Bible p. 576: I Chron. 21:1, Cf. 2 Sam. 24:1. Men s actions which the Bible calls sin are complex in their causes and results. This may be seen in this verse taken together with its parallel. David s sin in numbering Israel was in some sense the product not only of his own fallen nature (vv. 8, 17) but also of the scheming of the Evil One, here called by the title which means Adversary. Satan is anxious to oppose the people of Israel by any means, because they are the channels through which God will redeem creation and display His own glory. The attempts of Satan to oppose God s plans, however, are futile, because in the infinite wisdom and mystery of God s will, although God in no way can be called the cause of sin (Ex. 4:21; Lam. 3:28; Rom. 8:28; James 1:2), every event, however good or bad, ultimately serves His purposes. (I Cor. 1:18-25; Jas 1:13) B. Message But why does my lord the king want to do this? (3) A census was not unprecedented (Nu. 1:1-2, 26:1-4) nor necessarily a bad thing. The issue was David s heart. Believer s Study Bible, p. 454: 24:3 Joab, who played something of a mixed role as villain on the one hand and advisor on the other, provided sensible counsel this time. Clearly Joab perceived in the heart of David a growing pride of accomplishment, which was not in harmony with David s profession of humble dependence upon God in his psalm recorded in Ch. 22. C. Method So Joab and the commanders of the army left the king s presence to register the troops of Israel. (4) This was obviously a military census to reassure David s confidence in his army and fuel his pride. D. Map Dan-jaan and around to Sidon. They went to the fortress of Tyre (6b-7a) HCSB: p. 538: 24:6 Some manuscripts read Dan, Ijon instead of Dan-jaan, referring to a second city near Dan at Israel s northern border Sidon, a Phoenician city, nonetheless may have had an Israelite garrison there (5:11). 24:7 Tyre was also a Phoenician city. The expression cities of the Hivites and Canaanites probably designates areas that David had controlled. Joab may have counted the foreign population as well, or merely the Israelite soldiers maintaining order in those regions. The Negev of Judah at Beersheba 2 / 11

3 completed their counterclockwise loop through the land, and Joab s delegation probably headed up the patriarchal highway through Hebron and back to Jerusalem with its census numbers. E. Measure There were 800,000 fighting men from Israel and 500,000 men from Judah. (9) Believer s Study Bible, p. 576 (I Chron.): 21:5 This report of David s census asserts that there were 1,100,000 men eligible for military service in all Israel, and that 470,000 were from the tribe of Judah. In 2 Sam. 24:9 the numbers given are 800,000 and 500,000 respectively. The first variation may be caused by different groups being counted. The chronicler may be including a standing army of 288,000 (27:1-15) which the author of Samuel (note he does not say all ) does not. The number from Judah seems to have been rounded by the chronicler. II. Confession David s conscience troubled him after he had taken a census of the troops. He said to the, I have sinned greatly in what I ve done. Now,, because I ve been very foolish, please take away your servant s guilt. (10) A. Conscience HCSB: p. 538: 24:10 David s conscience troubled him, revealing again the work of God in his heart was not in vain. He confessed his sin and waited on the s response. B. Census- David s motive of pride is clear in his statement. C. Confession: The Christian s bar of soap is found in 1 John 1: 8-10 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In David s Confession we find key elements needed in our confessions: 3 / 11

4 1. Personal ownership- Confession begins when we stop blaming others for our sins. Notice the personal pronouns I I ve Your servant s guilt David had no one to blame but himself, therefore his confession was very personal. 2. Unvarnished truth- David confessed that he had sinned greatly and had been very foolish. We don t honor God s power to forgive by minimizing the evil that we ve done. 3. Specific plea take away your servant s guilt. Unfortunately, only hindsight is 20/20. If anyone was aware of the consequences of and accountability for sin, it was David (Psalm 51). III. Consequences (11-15) When David got up in the morning, a revelation from the had come to the prophet Gad, David s seer: 12 Go and say to David, This is what the says: I am offering you three choices. Choose one of them, and I will do it to you. 13 So Gad went to David, told him the choices, and asked him, Do you want three years of famine to come on your land, to flee from your foes three months while they pursue you, or to have a plague in your land three days? Now, think it over and decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me. 14 David answered Gad, I have great anxiety. Please, let us fall into the s hands because His mercies are great, but don t let me fall into human hands. 15 So the sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and from Dan to Beer-sheba 70,000 men died. (11-15) 4 / 11

5 A. Answer a revelation (11) HCSB: p. 538: 24:11 The s response came in the morning. The prophet Gad ministered during David s reign and committed certain events of David s life to writing (1 Ch 29:29), though these writings have not been discovered. B. Alternatives I am offering you three choices... (12) Unfortunately in all alternatives, others would have to suffer because of David s sin. Believer s Study Bible, p. 456: 24:13 Nathan is not mentioned again, but God always has his spokesman, even for kings. Gad was now the messenger of YAHWEH who visited David, letting him choose from among three punishments, one of which God would bring upon the land because of David s pride. David offered no particular choice, except that he did not wish to fall into the hands of men. Commendably, he trusted in the mercies of God (v. 14). C. Assurance because His mercies are great (14) J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible, vol. 2, p. 241: God gives David a choice of punishment. David s answer to the is remarkable. It reveals that he is a man who knows how to trust God. I have said it before, and I will say it again: David failed, it is true; he committed sin, but down beneath the faith that failed was a faith that never failed. Basically, David did trust God, as his answer to Gad reveals... David did not want to be subject to man. He was willing to fall into the hands of God because he knew how to trust God. How wonderful it is when you see David doing this. The decided to send a pestilence upon Israel. David knew he would be all right in the hands of God. This is the way you and I should feel when God punishes us. (Heb. 12:3-15) D. Assessment So the sent a plague (15) It is ironic that David s pride resulted in counting the people, while the resulting punishment decimated the population (15). We do not know why the s anger burned against Israel (24:1), but the severity of the judgment certainly seemed to surpass the nature of David s sin. (Nu. 11:33; 16:49; 25:9) IV. Compassion (16-17) Then the angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, but the relented concerning the destruction and said to the angel who was destroying the people, Enough, withdraw your hand now! The angel of the 5 / 11

6 was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the, Look, I am the one who has sinned; I am the one who has done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand be against me and my father s family. (16-17) A. Answer the relented (16) HCSB: p. 539: 24:16 When the angel whom God had sent to bring the plague extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, David s thinking proved correct. The relented and spared the city. The Jebusites, part of the original Canaanite population during the days of Joshua (Jos 24:11), held Jerusalem until David conquered them 2 Sm 5:6-8). Araunah apparently had continued to live in the area following David s conquest. B. Ask Please, let Your hand be against me (17) In verse 17, we see David s heart; Believer s Study Bible, p. 456: 24:17 A final look at the aged king provides again the portrait of a great man. An intercessory prayer rose up from his soul as he observed the intense suffering of the people. He asked for God s judgment to rest upon him, but he pleaded for the deliverance of the innocent sheep of his kingdom. Though David sinned, sometimes profoundly, his greatness inevitably appears, as it does here in two respects. First, though a reigning monarch, he never hesitated to confess his sin openly when he was convinced of wrong. Herein he differed radically from his predecessor, Saul. Second, David always loved the people, the sheep over whom God had placed him. This prayer of confession and intercession exhibits both qualities, those attributes which made him the most loved of all the kings of Israel. V. Contrition (18-25) Gad came to David that day and said to him, Go up and set up an altar to the on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite / 11

7 David went up in obedience to Gad s command, just as the had commanded. 20 Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, so he went out and bowed to the king with his face to the ground. 21 Araunah said, Why has my lord the king come to his servant? David replied, To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the, so the plague on the people may be halted. 22 Araunah said to David, My lord the king may take whatever he wants and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23 My king, Araunah gives everything here to the king. Then he said to the king, May the your God accept you. 24 The king answered Araunah, No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing. David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 20 ounces of silver. 25 He built an altar to the there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the answered prayer on behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel ended. (18-25) A. Command Go up and set up an altar to the on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. (18) Araunah is the same person as Ornan in I Chron. 15ff. Biblical Illustrator, (Summer, 2002) p. 42: Araunah was not a Hebrew or a king. His name appears frequently only in 2 Samuel 24 and I Chronicles. His name Ornan is non-semitic, and it suggests that the chronicler had difficulty with his name. He could be classified as a yeoman farmer but was a man of considerable property and possessions. He owned his own land in the Judean hills and had four sons. He produced cattle, grapes, and associated crops. He obviously had more than two oxen, for he had generously offered to give David out of his herd. However, the grains and associated crops would have been his chief means of livelihood. 7 / 11

8 B. Compliance David went up in obedience to Gad s command, just as the had commanded (19) In a children s seminar, obedience was defined as doing what you re told to do, when you re told to do it with the right heart attitude. If we used this standard for obedience to God and God s Word, our lives would be less stressful and more fruitful. C. Complimentary My lord the king may take whatever he wants and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood (22b). Take it!...i give it all (I Chron. 21:23) Although he was a Jebusite, Araunah was well versed in the sacrificial customs of the Israelites. While his sons fled at the appearance of the death angel, Araunah kept on threshing wheat (I Chron. 21:20). Araunah s generosity was certainly aroused by the extent of the tragedy around him and the presence of King David himself. D. Commitment No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the my God burnt offerings that costs me nothing. (24) 1. Worship Carries Personal Responsibility I insist on buying it Araunah s generous offer was not refused because it was wrong; generally, gifts should be graciously received. The gift was refused because it did not match David s requirements for worship. For David to worship, David had to give! And yet, according to denominational research, 37% of adults who attend church at least once a month give nothing at all, only 8% tithe and the average Baptist gives only 2.3% of his/her income to the church. Jesus understood the hold that material things have on us; he mentioned material possessions in two-thirds of His parables and said more about money than about heaven and hell combined! Giving helps break the hold of material things on our lives (I Tim. 6:6-10) 2. Worship Involves Sacrifice for a price This account records the price differently than the I Chronicles account. Believer s Study Bible, p. 577: I Chron. 21:25 The place mentioned here involves a larger area than the threshing floor purchased in 2 Sam. 24:24. The threshing floor was the site where David built an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings (cf. 2 Sam. 24:24, 25), after he had purchased the floor for 50 silver shekels. The site mentioned by the chronicler (vv ) was larger, since it became the locale for the temple (cf. 1 Kin. 6:1, 2; 2 Chr. 3:1-4); thus, its cost was 600 shekels of gold. Traditionally, this was the spot where Abraham brought Isaac (Gen. 22:2, 8; John 1:29). 8 / 11

9 The principle of the tithe (giving 10%) is not equal giving but equal sacrifice. Jesus commended the widow for giving only about fifty cents, because she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on. (Luke 21:4b; 2 Cor. 8:9) Worship and sacrifice go hand in hand throughout the Old Testament. How can we New Testament Christians feel that God expects less out of us under grace than He did from His people under law? 3. Worship Involves a Cost I will not offer to the my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing. (24) We sing the hymn Jesus Paid It All, All to Him I Owe and Paul spoke of our entire lives as a living sacrifice. (Rom. 12:1). Randy Alcorn. ( The Treasure Principle, pp ): Our giving is a reflexive response to the grace of God in our lives. It doesn t come out of our altruism or philanthropy it comes out of the transforming work of Christ in us. This grace is the action; our giving is the reaction. We give because He first gave to us. The greatest passage on giving in all Scripture ends not with Congratulations for your generosity, but Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15). As thunder follows lightning, giving follows grace. When God s grace touches you, you can t help but respond with generous giving. And as the Macedonians knew, giving is simply the overflow of joy (2 Cor 8:1-5). Application 1. Sin exacts a price (Rom. 6:23). 2. Repentance leads to mercy and grace (Rom. 10:9-10; Eph. 2:8-9) 3. Worship involves giving (Malachi 3:8-10). Leader Pack Item 2: Outline of 2 Samuel; Item 11: Handout: Key Leaders in David s 9 / 11

10 Kingdom ; No Illustrator Article Notes: **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: g ; Dates: 8/29-11/14 Midlink; 9/3 Labor Day offices closed; 9/14-16 SPF Camp; 9/15 Men:Serve; 9/21 Marriage Matters; 9/23 LBS Fall Luncheon; 9/30 MIYCO; 9/30 SPF Family Camp Reflections in Oasis; 10/7 First Camp Reception 12:30 4:30; 10/14 Parent Commitment; 10/19-20 Women s Retreat; 10/27 Men:Serve; 10/31 Light the Night; 11/4 MIYCO; 11/8 Staff Hunt Retreat; 11/9 Re:Create Date Night; 11/10 Legacy 685 Appreciation Dinner; 11/11 Leadership Appreciation Lunch preschool; 11/14-17 Missions Conference; 11/ / 11

11 Thanksgiving Holidays; 12/1 Deacon s Christmas Party; 12/4-9 - Celebration Performances 6th-9 th ; 12/24 - Christmas Eve Services; 12/24-25 Christmas Holidays. 11 / 11