I Chronicles Chapter 21
Please read: II Chronicles 21 –
There are events recorded in the Old Testament where we see God’s holy hand come down in judgement against His people that we do not necessarily see under the New Covenant. We ourselves are living in the New Covenant and sometimes wonder why we do not see the hand of God coming down in judgement against the horrible sins we see all around us. In the New Covenant we live under the grace of God, but people have need to beware because the judgement of God will come, and I believe that it is coming very soon. And it is imperative that when that time comes that each person be covered by the redemptive blood of Jesus to escape the wrath that is to come.
David’s sin, recorded in this chapter, was giving in to the temptation to number the people. This was in direct violation to a commandment that God had given. David knew it, Joab knew it, yet David ordered it anyways.
Exodus 30:12 “When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the LORD when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them.
Let's Reflect
1. Why do you think God did not want David or any other king to take a census of Israel?
2. According to verse 6 Joab did not give a report of any census of the Levites nor of the tribe of Benjamin. It is believed that Joab did this because he wanted to save from judgement at least two of the tribes of Israel. How did Joab feel about the order to conduct the census?
3. When given the report of the census, David immediately felt the weight of his sin. According to verse 7, the Bible says that God did what? This was a sense of judgement from God that David felt coming over all of Israel. David confessed his sin and asked for forgiveness.
4. God sent a seer (or prophet) to deliver a message to David of what judgement would come for the direct disobedience. Only this was a bit different in that God asked David to do what?
5. David did not choose either of the first two because both would involve other people to deliver them from famine or to fight against them with the sword. He chose to have the punishment come directly from God. Why?
6. David was right, God does possess unbelievable great amounts of mercy. According to verse 15 what happened that shows God extended great mercy?
7. David deeply regretted the choice he had made. How did he express his remorse to God?
8. Just at the moment that the angel of God was told to stop his judgement, he was seen by Ornan and his sons while they worked their threshing floor. This angel apparently looked extremely fearful as he wielded a sword. What did Ornan and his sons naturally do when they saw the sword pointed in their direction?
9. David arrived at that same time and Ornan went out to greet and pay homage to David. According to verse 18 why had David come to see Ornan?
10. David purchased the threshing floor from Ornan (this payment was an exchange that was redemptive in nature). What does the Bible say about the angel once David had paid for the threshing floor? And what did David do with his new purchase?
“Abraham taught the fact of the sacrifice, while to David the reason of that sacrifice of Christ was explained. He was sacrificed to stay the plague – the plague of sin, the punishment of our iniquities.” [Spurgeon]
Devotionals
