April 9
2 Samuel 23-24
We have seen David as a mighty warrior, a great
king, a man who loves God, but also a man who makes some bad choices. David is
obviously human. He makes mistakes, he sins greatly, he faces consequences for
his sin, but he is also concerned for the welfare of his people. God does not
permanently remove his favor from David as He did Saul and his household,
because David is a man who willingly repents and turns back to God with a
broken heart when he is confronted with his sin.
The bible does not make clear why the census David
took was wrong. A common thought is David was relying on the power of his army
instead of on the power of God. David and his men had overcome incredible odds
through the early years as David fled Saul’s wrath and the early years of his
reign. God provided them victory when they were outnumbered and out manned.
Now, near the end of his ministry, David counts his men, he wants to know how
many men he has available for battle. It does not matter if God is with them.
Perhaps he wanted to know so he could make an account for his life. Once again
it does not matter as long as he walked in obedience with God.
God gave David a choice in punishments. David does
not make his choice clear other than to fall into the hands of God because God
is merciful. The plague comes, thousands die, but God is merciful and stops the
plague. David buys a plot of land and makes a sacrifice. If we sin, we can do
as David did. We can turn to God, seek his mercy, repent of our sin, and
surrender ourselves to God. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
We are reminded that there is opportunity for
deliverance no matter what we may face. God is merciful and He wants to bless
us. Denying our sin only makes things worse. David was called a man after God’s
own heart, not because he was perfect, but because he continued to turn back to
God and seek forgiveness with a sincere and broken heart. God is still in the
restoration business.
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