Walk of Judgement

WALKING WITH GOD. No.27

2 Sam 24:11,12 Before David got up the next morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: “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.’ “

The life of David is a veritable gold mine in terms of lessons about mankind and the way God deals with us. David was indeed a man after God’s own heart, yet he was also a man with feet of clay, so that from time to time he got it very wrong! Yet despite getting it wrong a number of times, he still lived to a good old age, still seeking and doing the will of God. Here in itself is a reassuring lesson, a reminder that for much of the time we who are Christians, who seek the will of God, do get it wrong, but in those times the Lord disciplines us and corrects us. Paul said of the Scriptures, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Tim 3:16) and recently we considered the need to be rebuked, but we wouldn’t need to be corrected or rebuked if we didn’t sometimes get it wrong. Our verses for consideration today are about a time when David got it wrong.

This episode begins at the beginning of the chapter with, “Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel” (2 Sam 24:1). What is strange is that the reason for the Lord’s anger is not given. Some suggest that it was because of the fact that a large number of Israel had sided with Absalom and risen against the Lord’s anointed. The way the Lord deals with this is by killing two birds with one stone. As well as Israel’s unfaithfulness to be dealt with, the Lord also sees that there is pride in David’s heart, and so He incites him to sin: “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’.” (v.1) Now the way the Lord does this is to let Satan play on David’s weakness, his pride, for we read in the parallel passage in 2 Chronicles, “ Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.” (2 Chron 21:1). Satan is God’s means of provoking David to respond to his area of vulnerability and sin. Did God make David sin? No He simply allowed Satan to prod David even further in an area where there was sin already (pride) to bring that out into the open to be dealt with.

So David gives orders for his troops to be numbered with the express intention of showing how big and powerful he was. Pride! However, immediately after the census has been taken, David realizes he has sinned: “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.” (v.10) This is quite a remarkable awareness in this man; he knew exactly what he had done and why he had done it and was not making excuses.

Before the night has passed, the prophet Gad gets a wake-up call from the Lord with an awesome message for David. Talk about punishment to fit the crime! Remember, the Lord is also looking for an opportunity to punish Israel for their unfaithfulness and perhaps shock them back into a right place with Him. A premature end of life is going to come to a number of the people of Israel . They are all going to die one day anyway, but there is going to be a premature end for many of these people who had rebelled against God when they had rebelled against David, but the Lord is going to take this opportunity to discipline David as well. The greater the closeness or intimacy with the Lord, the greater the responsibility and accountability to the Lord. The way the Lord is going to deal with David will be to deal with his heart in a devastating way. Gad’s walk to the king’s palace is a walk of both discipline and judgement. David is going to know discipline and Israel are going to know judgement!

David is given options. He is to choose the judgement on Israel. How terrible was that! David had shown again and again his shepherd-heart care for his men, and now he is being told to choose judgement for them. He will be devastated. He cries 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.” (v.14). He didn’t want the three months at the hands of his enemies because he knew what the sin of men could do – no restraint! No, he wanted God to do whatever had to be done, because he knew God was a God of mercy and might hold back – which happened. Nevertheless seventy thousand died.

There are some terrible lessons here. First, a godly nation with a God-appointed king, was accountable to God for their rebellion. God will not simply ignore it. Second, pride is a sin and God will deal with it, especially in those who are closest to Him. Third, often the way the Lord deals with it is to let Satan expose it and bring a temporary downfall of that person. Fourth, the downfall is God’s discipline but He will also work further to rid that person of that pride. These are serious lessons that those of us who would claim to walk with God need to learn, as painful as they may be. When Paul wrote of God changing us into the likeness of Jesus (2 Cor 3:18), this is one of the ways He uses to change us. Deal with the sin before He deals with it!  remember what we so often say: God loves you so much He accepts you just like you are, but He also loves you so much that He won’t let you stay like you are; He has something much better for you. However the latter aspect means that His love is expressed in the form of discipline. Again we often say in life, a father who never corrects or disciplines or trains his child, doesn’t love the child. Strong lessons for strong faith.