2 samuel 24a

1

Gospel Baptist Tabernacle781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741

Where the Love of God abounds, everyone is

welcome.

Children’s Church taught by Paul and Marsha

Davis during preaching.

www.rossvillechurch.com

November 10, 2013

2

2 Samuel 24 1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

This was already a desire in David’s heart, and God allowed him to pursue it.

James 1 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man:

3

2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.

David is wanting to know his military strength;

Is that where his might would come from?

4

From the far north to the far south.

The entire nation.

5

3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

Even Joab knew this was a bad idea.

Psalm 20 7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the Name of the LORD our God.

6

4 Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

Understand: God knew David’s heart, and knew that David would do this thing.

It was part of God’s Plan to punish Israel for their sins.

David did not heed their counsel.

7

5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer: 6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan ja an, and about to Zidon, 7 And came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba. ThoroughIt took them almost ten months to count the men.

8

8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

Already Israel and Judah had begun to think of themselves as two separate entities.

David is king of the whole nation, and Solomon will be also, but after that they split.

9

10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. ConvictionRepentan

ceWhat was David’s sin?

He had begun to trust in men and weapons, instead of trusting completely in His Lord God.

10

11 For when David was up in the morning, the Word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, 12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. 13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to Him that sent me.

11

14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for His mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

No good choice here.But David chose the one that would end the

quickest – three days of pestilence.

12

15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.

Remember: the nation had sinned; not just David.

13

16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented Him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing place of Araunah (uh ROO nuh) the Jebusite. 17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

14

70,000 dead to an incurable disease in three days.

David sincerely repented as their shepherd.

17b Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

15

David was taking pride and trusting in numbers.

This too can become an idol inside a church.

Whether there be 6, or 60, or 600, we must put

all our trust in God.

16

We see evidence in this chapter of the division that was overtaking the nation of Israel.

It began in chapter 19 after the defeat of Absalom when he tried to overthrow David’s throne.

2 Samuel 19 (TLB) 41 But the men of Israel complained to the king because only men from Judah had ferried him and his household across the Jordan. 42 "Why not?" the men of Judah replied. "The king is one of our own tribe. Why should this make you angry? We have charged him nothing -- he hasn’t fed us or given us gifts!"

17

43 "But there are ten tribes in Israel," the others replied, "so we have ten times as much right in the king as you do; why didn’t you invite the rest of us? And, remember, we were the first to speak of bringing him back to be our king again." The argument continued back and forth, and the men of Judah were very rough in their replies.

Petty jealousies of this sort as well as other unimportant differences have split many churches.

God is not pleased!

18

1 Corinthians 12 24 …. God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: 25 That there

should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

19

1 John 3 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His Commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23

And this is His Commandment, That we should believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us Commandment.

This is the way that we have a church that is fully pleasing unto our Lord, Jesus Christ.