David Took a Census. I Chronicles 21

 

I Chronicles 21 – David took a Census

 

“And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.”

This throws light upon David’s great sin. Joab opposed getting these statistics because he felt pride was involved in this.

God was not pleased when David took a census because David was not delighting in the Lord; he was delighting in his own might. So, the thing that motivated him to number the people was the awful sin of unbelief. David was trusting numbers instead of trusting God. David insisted on a census.

God is telling us here that He considers unbelief the most serious matter. Satan is always behind unbelief. He puts unbelief into our hearts and minds so that we will not trust God. He is always urging us to put our trust in men, in armies, in money, in anything but God. That is the sin of statistics.

David learned his lesson. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.  “For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Rom. 14:23.

The Lord put before David a choice of punishment.

David knows his God. He says to Gad, “Don’t let me fall into the hand of man. I want to fall into the hands of God.” David has learned that God is merciful. He is merciful in salvation.

All you must do if you want to be saved is to go into court with God, plead guilty, and then ask for mercy. He has plenty of mercy.

David takes full responsibility for his sin.

The Lord commanded Gad to tell David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the Lord in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

This man Ornan was very generous. This man offered the whole thing to David. David refused to offer to God that which cost him nothing. David paid the full price for the threshing floor. He makes a sacrifice to God. The fire from heaven indicated that God had accepted David’s offering.

Sin must be dealt with, God is also righteous, and He cannot save us simply by His mercy, or by His love. We are saved by grace through faith. Someone had to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus Christ came to pay our penalty, He is the propitiation, He is the mercy seat for you and me.

 

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