What are David’s choices?

Three years of famine

Three months of devastation by your foes, in other words 3 months of invasions and wars in which you lose.

Three days of the sword of the Lord, specifically pestilence.

Do you know why God is giving David 3 choices?

Because David wanted to take a census of his military.

In order for us to understand what is going on between God and David, we really need to look back at the previous chapters.

If you have been reading the selected passages in the Year of the Bible, within the last few days, you would have read about David’s good fortunes. How God made a covenant with him, promising David that he would make a kingdom out of his ancestors. You would have learned about David’s military victories over the Philistines, the Moabites, the Arameans, and the Ammonites.

It was while basking in these victories, that David, told his military chief, Joab to, "Go number Israel." In other words, David ordered Joab to take a census of his military troops. This certainly seems harmless. Didn’t God order a census to be taken back in the book of Numbers. So what is the problem?

The problem can be found in verse 1, "satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to count the people of Israel."

It was satan who was behind the head count.

"satan incited David to count the people of Israel."

Does this mean that satan forced David to take the census? Of course not. satan can no more force David to do something than he can force you or me to do something. satan merely tempted David with the idea and David acted out on the temptation.

Perhaps you are wondering so what is the big deal. satan tempted David to take a census. He didn’t break any of God’s commandments, so why must he be punished.

So what is God’s problem?

God’s problem is not with what David did, but his motivation for taking the census. satan in his very cunning way, does not appear to David, dressed in his red tuxedo with pointed tails and a pitch fork.

Instead, satan appears to David dresses as pride. David order the census to be taken, so he could take pride in the strength of his army. Ordering the census is an indication that David was beginning to trust more his military power than God.

As one commentary points out, "There is a fine line between feeling confident because you rely on God’s power and becoming proud because you have been used by God for great purposes."

God knows where this can go. There is great danger down this path which David is beginning to travel. Pride, which says look at me, look at what I have done, look at my accomplishments, forgets to give glory to the God, the giver of those abilities. Unchecked pride leads to a glorification of self and not God.

Pride, can lead to arrogance, which can lead to selfishness, which can lead to greed, and so on and so on.

It is true David’s census, broke no laws of God, BUT his reason for the census was wrong. Pride in his mighty army would make him forget that his real strength came from God. David’s pride was so great at this moment, that when Joab, questioned him and attempted to dissuade him from taking the census, David would not listen.

One of the notes in my Bible about this story read,
"God provided a way out in Joab’s counsel, but David’s curiosity was spurred on by arrogance. His faith was in his own strength rather than in God’s. If we feel self-sufficient and put confidence in ourselves apart from God, we shall soon fall to satan’s schemes. Sell-sufficiency pulls us away from God."

"satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to count the people of Israel."

Where does satan stand up today in our lives?

David’s sin is evident in all areas of life. People trusting their intellect, their skills, their power, their investments, to bring them peace and comfort.

We judge a church by the number of people in worship, by the size of it’s budget, by the number of programs it runs. Instead of judging the church by its faithfulness to the great commission,

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you."

Evidence of David’s sinful way of thinking in today’s world is found in the thinking that we are safe because we have great military power.

Evidence of David’s sinful way of thinking in today’s world is found in the thinking that happiness will come in winning the lottery.

If I was to say the one area of life that pride, greed, selfish, and arrogance enters into the life of each person, while not breaking any of God’s laws, it is money.

The American public trusts money more than it trusts God. We put more confidence in money to provide security, peace, and contentment. The story of the rich young man who obeyed every commandment of God, but could not part with his money, is repeated over and over and over again each day.

Money is one example, where we cross over the fine line of relying on God and relying on something else. This is challenge found in God’s Word this morning. Where do you place your confidence?

In your wealth, in your skills, in your intellect, OR in your God?

Where in your life, have you crossed over the line, the line between relying on God and becoming proud?

Where in your life, do you feel self sufficient?

Where in your life do you need to cross back over, to giving God the glory?

When David crossed over the line. He realized his sin and asked God for forgiveness. Let us remember that God will always forgive, BUT the consequences of that sin may have already been set in motion.

God gave David a choice as to which consequence he wanted.

You and I have a choice. But our choice doesn’t have to be which consequence. Our choice is to give God all the glory or to glory one's self or something else.

Which ever you choose, are you willing to accept the consequences?

AMEN

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