Day: July 15, 2021

1 Chronicles 19:1–21:30; Romans 2:25–3:8; Psalm 11:1-7; Proverbs 19:10-12

The Upright Shall See His Face
For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright. – Psalm 11:7

For the Lord is [absolutely] righteous, He loves righteousness (virtue, morality, justice); The upright shall see His face. – Psalm 11:7 AMP

What a great promise….for the upright!

It is Your Honor and Glory to Overlook a Transgression or an Offense
The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. – Proverbs 19:11

Good sense and discretion make a man slow to anger, And it is his honor and glory to overlook a transgression or an offense [without seeking revenge and harboring resentment]. – Proverbs 19:11AMP

Unto Them (the Jews) were Committed the Oracles of God
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. – Romans 2:28-3:2

Satan Provoked David
And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword. But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king’s word was abominable to Joab. – 1 Chronicles 21:1-6

Things were going well for David, but as we have all experienced, when things are going well, Satan tries to get in there. Satan incited David to number the people of Israel. In other words, David wanted to take a census. David put that task on Joab. Joab was totally against David’s plan but did as he was ordered. Joab counted everyone except the tribes of Levi and Benjamin. The Bible doesn’t say why he didn’t count these two tribes.

God is not pleased. David admits to God that he’s done a foolish thing and begs for forgiveness. God sends a message to David and tells him to pick a punishment. 1. Israel has to suffer three years of famine. 2. Israel has to have three months of enemy attacks. 3. There will be three days of God’s wrath and pestilence. David’s choice was number 3. So, God plagues the entire country, and 70,000 people die. Then God sends an angel to destroy Jerusalem. At the last minute, God reconsiders.

God ordered the angel to stop right as the angel is standing with sword drawn and ready to smite at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. David sees the angel and begs God to spare the people since he was the one who sinned. God’s angel tells David to make an altar there. So David asks Ornan to sell him the property. Ornan sees the angel too and tries to give David the land and everything we would need, including the sacrifice.

But king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost. – 1 Chronicles 21:24

So David paid 600 shekels of gold, and he built the altar. God was pleased, and God told the angel to put away his sword. Because of all that happened in that place, David decides this is the place to build a temple. But the Bible ends the chapter saying that because of the fear David felt at seeing the angel’s sword, he was afraid to worship there.

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What is the lesson here? Even if (or especially if) things are going well for you, listen to good counsel and inquire of the Lord before you act. Every action we take affects the Body as a whole. Every action!

Please help us all, Lord, to stop and inquire of You…and then listen to Your voice or the voice of those You send to speak into our lives and situations.