David was a shepherd boy, he loved God with his heart and soul from his early days of life. David as a young shepherd boy fearlessly brought down Goliath (Philistine), later he took over as the King from Saul. God gave David success in all the wars he fought, he was ruthless and fierce to win all the battles. David is a man of God’s heart, thats what Bible Says.
Acts 13:22 (NIV) 'After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’
There are many things to learn from David’s success, We should learn from David’s Failures as well. What were the Sins that David committed ?
Sins of Bathsheba - If you ask any one what was - David’s sins ? Common answer will be he committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband & killed him in Battle. Yes thats true, but the Sin that David committed had an impact on four people (all the four died) - Uriah, the baby that was born, Amnon and Absolam, we read on this in 2 Samuel 11-18)
Sins of Israel Census - There was a greater Sin that David committed where he commanded to “Go take census of Israel and Judah”, due to that Sin 70,000 people died.
Sins of Israel Census
1 Chronicles 21:1-2,5-8 (NIV) 'Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.” Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah. But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him. This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel. Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” '
Satan played a greater role in having David commit this Sin. 1 Chronicles 21:1-2 'Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”
David was very close to God, he loved God and depended on him every time he fought many wars, But we read Satan took over David to commit this Sin. Lot of lessons for us to learn from this, if David a man of God can be taken down by Satan, We who are mortals are nothing for Satan to be taken down.
Cost of this Sin by David invited God’s wrath on them to have 70,000 people die as it was evil in God’s eyes 1 Chronicles 21:7 (NIV) 'This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel. '
Why did God consider this census so evil and punished him so hard ?
What’s wrong with David on the Census taking ? God gave the command for Moses on Census Exodus 30:11-13,16 'Then the Lord said to Moses, “When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them. Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord . Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord , making atonement for your lives.” '
God wanted to use this atonement money from the Census - “Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord , making atonement for your lives”
What David did was - 1 Chronicles 21:1-2 'Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.” '
He missed the “atonement money from the Israelites”
The command to Moses is clear - Exodus 30:12 “each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them”
Even though Joab had warned David on this , he ignored that - 1 Chronicles 21:3-4 'But Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?” The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. '
When we read about David in Bible, he knew all the commands of Moses and kept them close to his heart, but how did he commit this Sin, that lead to death of 70,000 people ? the answer to that is in 1 Chronicles 21:1.
Pride as weapon against David
We read the word 1 Chronicles 21:1 'Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.
Here in David’s case - His mind was not deceived, he had his eyes wide open but rebelled against God. He had won a number of Battles with God’s help to advance kingdom of God.
Satan wanted to break the will of God, hence he made him rebel against God.
Satan uses two types of weapons to make us fall into Sin
Sins of Flesh - these are listed in Galatians 5:19-21 'The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. ‘
David committed sins of flesh when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, it impacted David’s sons and his family only.
Prodigal Son in Luke 15 was guilty of Sins of Flesh, the older brother was guilty of Sins of Spirit (Proud, critical, unbending)
Sins of Spirit Proverbs 6:16–19 - Sins of Spirit are Pride, Stubbornness, Gossip, Jealousy, competition, Fanatism, Hypocrisy, bragging about results etc.
Pride is a great weapon Satan uses to bring us down, Pride glorifies man and robs God of the Glory that he deserves
Process of how pride happens is described in Romans 1:21-23 'For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. '
They know that its from God, they don’t give the Glory to God and make their thinking futile to give credit to Humans (“exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human”)
The moment that happens, Pride comes into our heart Romans 1:24-25 'Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. '
Step 1 - God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts
Step 2 - They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator
When a person has Pride, they have a tendency to condemn others and become impatient with their faults. They are very selective in who can teach them.
David was having this pride for 10 months (9 months / 20 days), we read this in 2 Sam 24. Of what was recorded in 1 Chronicles 21. 2 Samuel 24:1,4,8,10 '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.” The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel. After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 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, Lord , I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” '
How did David get his pride, its from Satan 1 Chronicles 21:1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David
Lesson for Us
We are no match of Satan’s strong weapons of Sins of Spirit, Pride is the strongest weapon he uses to bring us down. Our flesh is no match to fight that with Satan.
Any one can get this pride, A pastor, a christian worker, a Sunday school teacher, a strong believer, any one who is a born again Christian are his prime targets.
We have to be at guard against this Sin, we may be righteous in Gods eye but if we enter the Sin of Pride / Sins of Spirit we will fail & Die. Ezekiel 18:26-27 (NIV) 'If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. '
These Sins can get us to a path like how Jesus described in Matthew 7 and end up in front of Lord’s Sight to say “Away from me evildoers !” in last days when we stand for Judgment in front of Lord. Matthew 7:22-23 'Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ '
The Holy Spirit of God is the only power to fight Satan back on his pride
Pride is weapon to break the will of God and make you feel independent that you are alone and remove the dependence of God so that the will of God cannot be completed.
When we are in God’s presence, we feel the Holy Spirit stronger and feel protected, but when we are in our normal day life (not praying etc..) we need that kind of a protection from Holy Spirit against Satan, its absolutely possible only by the Holy Spirit, when we yield to God he works in us to protect us. Philippians 2:12-13 'Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. '
“Work out your salvation” does not mean “Work for your own Salvation “
“Work out your salvation” means bringing your christian life to completion to accomplish in Character / Conduct of what God has planned for you.
For each person God has a plan and purpose, we have to cooperate with God to fulfil that plan Ephesians 2:8-10 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. '
Seek God and his Holy Spirit to discern any pride that you may have, many who are religious may have spiritual pride, they may not even know that the Spiritual pride is there in them. Ask God to discern and remove that. Only the Holy Spirit can remove this pride and bring the humility in us.
Ask God with a pleading heart no matter how close you are or how righteous your walk with God, pray like how David described in his Psalms so that he can refine you and burn down the pride and sins of spirit thats working against the will of God, so that you are refined as a silver and Gold and be pure and Holy. Psalms 66:3,10 (NIV) 'Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. '
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