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YAG 16th Retreat : Session 3

Text: 1 Chronicles 21
26 October 2012

YAG 16th RETREAT                                                                                          Friday, 26 October 2012
(Time: 11.00am)
Message #3
Text:  1 Chronicles 21
Title: “Satan stood up against Israel”

 

HISTORICAL CONTEXT (REIGN OF KING DAVID)

1. He was established as king over all Israel                   1 Chronicles 18:14a

2. He administered justice in the land                            1 Chronicles 18:14b

3. He had a good military commander in Joab               1 Chronicles 18:15a

4. He had a recorder (historian)                                      1 Chronicles 18:15b

5. The priestly system was established                           1 Chronicles 18:16-17

6. David’s sons were assisting in ruling the country       1 Chronicles 18:17b

7. Their enemies were subdued

a) The Ammonites              1 Chronicles 19

b) The Syrians                     1 Chronicles 19

c) The Philistines                1 Chronicles 20

 

THE ATTACK

1. The target: it was an attack on the nation of Israel   1 Chronicles 21:1

2. This attack came through King David

 

THE SCHEME

1. To cause David to number the size of his army

2. This was a subtle attack against David and his pride

3. To humiliate David

4. To cause many to suffer

5. To weaken Israel ultimately

6. To spoil God’s blessings

 

SEEING THE DANGER

1. Joab understood the sin problem
This would cause “guilt” before God       1 Chronicles 21:3

2. He protested and sought to reason with King David

 

DECEIVED BY SATAN

1. David could not see the danger

2. He did not heed the words of his old comrade-in-arms, Joab

3. He insisted that his command be carried out

4. Joab did what he was told to do though he felt that this was abominable
1 Chronicles 21:6

5. Tally

a) 1,100,000 men who drew the sword (Israel)

b) 470,000 (Judah)

c) Joab did not count Levi and Benjamin    1 Chronicles 21:6

i) This was his way of expressing his protest

ii) He could have been charged with insubordination

 

ANGER OF GOD

1. Did Satan know that God’s anger would be aroused against David?
Apparently!

2. God had to chastise David

3. Israel suffered severely                      1 Chronicles 21:7

a) The nation and its leader are closely related

b) Bad leadership would cause untold hardship and suffering

 

REASONS FOR GOD’S ANGER

1. Dependence upon self rather than God

2. Glorying in self instead of giving glory to God for victories in battle

3. Lapse of a close relationship with God            (Deuteronomy 17:14-20)

4. The sin of pride is particularly abominable to God   (Proverbs 6:16-19; Obadiah)

 

THE CHASTISEMENT OF DAVID

1. Confession of sin by David                1 Chronicles 21:8 (Psalm 25; 32)

a) I have sinned greatly

b) I have done very foolishly

c) Take away the iniquity of Your servant

2. Three choices offered           1 Chronicles 21:12

a) 3 years of famine

b) 3 months to be defeated by enemies

c) 3 days the sword of the LORD (plague administered by an angel of the Lord)

3. David chose to fall into the hand of the Lord             1 Chronicles 21:13

a) He trusted in God and His mercy

b) He knew that he deserved to be punished for his foolish pride

 

GREAT SUFFERING IN ISRAEL

1. Plague on Israel

2. 70,000 men died                   1 Chronicles 21:14

3. The devastating plague was moving towards Jerusalem         1 Chronicles 21:15

4. Halting of the plague by God (His mercy)      1 Chronicles 21:15

5. Awaiting David’s response in this respite (mercy again)

 

REPENTANCE OF DAVID

1. Vision of an angel between heaven and earth   1 Chronicles 21:16

2. Repentance of David and his elders               1 Chronicles 21:16

a) In sackcloth

b) Fell on their faces

c) The elders (David’s Advisory Council)

3. David’s prayer          1 Chronicles 21:17

a) Admission of personal guilt

b) Willing to take full punishment for this evil

c) Praying that Israel may be spared from further harm

 

RESTORATION OF DAVID

1. A word from the angel of the Lord                 1 Chronicles 21:18

2. Through the prophet Gad to David

3. Restoration process                   1 Chronicles 21:19-26

a) To erect an altar at the threshing floor of Ornan

b) David asked to buy the threshing field

c) Ornan offers it to David

d) David refused and insisted on paying for the threshing field
“I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer burnt offering with that which costs me nothing”      1 Chronicles 21:24

e) Offering presented to the Lord

4. Restoration completed        1 Chronicles 21:27-30

a) The angel of the Lord sheathes his sword

b) The offering was accepted

c) There was a new-found fear of the Lord

 

VITAL LESSONS LEARNED

1. The danger of human pride

2. The deceitfulness of sin

3. The dreadful consequences of sin

4. Repentance and Restoration must be sought humbly

5. Fear of the Lord needs to be re-established