Mountains of Sacrifice 2 - David's Census

David’s Sacrifice

Wikipedia

the Temple Mount was originally a threshing-floor owned by Araunah, a Jebusite. The prophet Gad suggested the area to King David as a fitting place for the erection of an altar to Yawheh, since a destroying angel was standing there when God stopped a great plague in Jerusalem.[131]

Israel sinned

God angered

David commands

Joab resisted

David repented

God gave 3 choices

David selected God

Plague

God relents

altar

2 – Mountains of PROVISION (Sacrifice) or substitute

Moriah = What God DOES – GIVES

Part 2 of 3 – David’s Census

Summary:

A leader’s repentance can stop the damage even if it does not heal the loss.

2 Samuel 24:1–2 NIV84

1 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.”

Spiritual law is universal

· God’s Law applies to all – no respecter of persons

· Ignorance of God’s Law is no excuse –

· Personal ignorance does not exempt one from either the blessings of obeying God’s Law or the curse from disobeying God’s Law

Spiritual Laws to Remember

· Good is holy

· No matter who is in charge on earth, God never changes His standards from Heaven.

Four parties are involved.

Person

His responsibility

His reason

Israel

Sinned against God

Unknown – doesn’t matter

God

He incited David

Righteous anger against Israel

Satan

He incited David

Hatred of God’s people

David

He decided to take a military census

Pride or lack of trust in God

National sin removes God’s hand of protection from that nation

Sin gives the enemy opportunity to attack.

Stirred up. Instigated. Agitated. Incited.

influences do not relieve a person of moral obligation.

Everyone is responsible for his own choices.

Authority Requires Responsibility

· Flows – head down

Pride – Opens the Door to Sin

King David is the perfect example that pride can happen to anyone

Classic story – got too big for his britches, like his predecessor

When David was an unknown teenage shepherd boy, he leaned on God to defeat Goliath, even though there was an army present.

When David became the most powerful king in the world, he leaned on his army rather than God for protection.

David Spied out his own land

Too Big for britches.

David Pat self on back. Don’t ever put too much trust in man.

2 Samuel 24:9 NIV84

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.

1.3 million army. 3,000 years ago. Same as USA Today.

A leader’s decisions affect all those below him/her

Whether that person is leader of a country, company, family or ministry

Examples:

· Country – a country that passes a law contrary to God’s Word will suffer the repercussions of that law –

o president signing an executive order that is against God’s Word,

o congress passing an ungodly bill to become an ungodly law for all citizens to obey,

o a Supreme Court decision that rules against the statutes of God’s Word.

· Company policy – ungodly policy opens the door of curse upon them -

· Family by ungodly example – do as I say, even if it contradicts the Word.

· Ministry – ungodly teaching, heresy, doctrines, traditions of men

· Personal decisions

Selected – choices have consequences

Spiritual - root cause

Plague - like Passover. They now knew better

A spiritual condition cannot be treated with natural means

Examples,

· Ills of the body - some ills are spiritual, not medical in nature. Cannot treat a demon with medicine.

· Ills of society – hatred can only be cured by a change of heart, more than a change of mind.

· Man’s human nature naturally tries to rehabilitate through positive thinking and education, but true revival can only come but a new spiritual heart.

Sin is the Root Cause of Calamity

· even Joab knew – Balaam’s donkey – obvious

Sacrifice Requires Seriousness and Sorrow

– situation = curse

· Serious conditions cannot be ignored or excused – it will only get worse until dealt with

2 Samuel 24:10 NIV84

10 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.”

Conscience does not bother end time leaders.

Hard hearted Hard headed. Follow the science as long as it agrees..

Follow the constitution as long as it pleases.

This is why we need revival!

To change the hearts of leadership

Sin Demands a Sentence

· = Punishment

· God is not mocked – we reap what we sow

2 Samuel 24:17 NIV84

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.”

Personal responsibility- David did not shift blame

· Did the innocent pay? Did only soldiers die or civilians?

– Unborn, 9/11 office workers

A Sentence Demands a Sacrifice

2 Samuel 24:11–13 NIV84

11 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.”

Prophet

· Would not listen to heart, or commander. God turned up the volume.

· This was not the first time King David was confronted by a prophet. The prophet Samuel also confronted David when he sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba and then ordering the murder of her husband Uriah.

· There is nothing hidden that will not be exposed – and only a sacrifice can atone for them!

If we will not allow God to teach us, then life will

· Prophetic warnings today - drought famine, shortage, plague, war, riots, lawlessness, revenge, destruction

Punishment

· Famine, flee, foe

· Grace - gave choice - only time in Bible?

· Mercy - 70,000 / 1.3 million is 5%. Could have been much worse.

· Moses spies - 40 years for 40 days. One year for each day of spying.

· 9 months of David’s spies would have equaled 380 years of famine

2 Samuel 24:14 NIV84

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.”

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.”

2 Samuel 24:15 NIV84

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.

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.

Punishment fits crime –

· same cites surveyed were the same cities suffering

· Significance of towns listed?

· The targeted areas were singled out according to God’s agreement with David’s choices

· USA put faith in economy = world trade destroyed

· USA put faith in Military = pentagon attacked

· 3 days – similar to Abraham’s 3 day journey with Isaac for their sacrifice.

2 Samuel 24:16–17 NIV84

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. 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.”

David wanted to fall into the hands of HIS men (army) but not the enemy’s

Mt Moriah = place of sacrifice

2 Samuel 24:18 NIV84

18 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.”

Sacrifice – CAN change the present

· Since a Leader’s error got the nation into trouble, then the leader’s sacrifice will get them out.

2 Samuel 24:24 NIV84

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.

Sacrifice SATISFIES the Sentence

· Sacrifice STOPS the curse

· No one can change the past, but can limit the damage

· David’s plague was not reversed, but he cut the losses, or “stopped the bleeding”

2 Samuel 24:25 NIV84

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.

Alternate account from 1 Chronicles:

1 Chronicles 21:26–28 NIV84

26 David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. 27 Then the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. 28 At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.

Sacrifice is a Substitute for punishment

– David’s sacrifice substituted mercy for judgment

Temple Plans began

1 Chronicles 22:1 NIV84

1 Then David said, “The house of the Lord God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

True repentance brings a Lifestyle change!

The census was Never finished

1 Chronicles 27:24 NLT

24 Joab son of Zeruiah began the census but never finished it because the anger of God fell on Israel. The total number was never recorded in King David’s official records.

NT Solution – plead the Blood

Jesus is our sacrifice!