1 Chronicles 19-21

 

We left off our Study in 1 Chronicles with David being told that he couldn’t build the temple.

   [A privilege later reserved for his son.]

A) Reaction: David sulks – throw a pity party – quit {can’t do what I want I quit.

 

B) David decides – I will do what I can! – So we see in Ch.22 He gathers the materials needed to build

 

C) Ch.18 – He goes on the offensive – This was a first under the reign of David.

1) They had defended themselves – but here David goes on the offensive – Conquering – taking ground – potential enemies

 

D) Taking out those who might be a potential threat to the building of the temple.

 

E) SO Ch.18 is all about the expansion of David’s kingdom

1) The man of war is coming out in him – loud and clear

 

But that picture is suddenly contrasted by a tender moment in CH.19

It happened after this that Nahash the king of the people of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place. 2 Then David said, "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me." So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David's servants came to Hanun in the land of the people of Ammon to comfort him.

 

Now we are not sure when Nahash showed Kindness to David – most think it was during his fugitive yrs running from Saul

A) But when Nahash dies – This man of War stops and sends messengers to Comfort the kings Sons

 

B) The word comfort here is a tender word in the Hebrew {to strongly console.

1) I like this David doesn’t send a Hall mark card – He sent some or his guys – to come and strongly console the King

 

C) David I think had compassion on this young King Hanun – He knew what it was like lose a father

1) David had spent a great part of his life – separated from his father – from his family.

 

D) He knew what it was like to have that kind of vacancy in your life

1) Out of compassion he reaches out to Hanun.

 

Hanun gets some bad council.

3 And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun, "Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Did his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?"

 

A) You know some people have been so hurt in their lives – they can’t or don’t trust anyone.

A) Any act of kindness there is the suspicion of some ulterior motive behind it.

 

B) Whatever the motivation was here – these guys didn’t trust David at all!

 

4 Therefore Hanun took David's servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away.

 

This was the ultimate humiliation for the Middle Eastern man. A man’s beard was considered his greatest ornament.

A) To shave it in a sense was take away their manhood. {Basically they disgraced them

 

B) A Middle Eastern man would rather die than have his beard cut off.

 

C) I think there is a move in our society today to take away a man’s manhood

1) Media – Softer – more feminine men {Dads are Bozo’s / passive / non committal

 

That is not the picture of a man that we see in the Bible- Two men contrasted in the Bible Jesus and Adam

A) Adam was given a set of Responsibilities in the garden: A will to obey [God’s will – don’t eat the fruit] – A work to do [Cultivate the garden] and a woman to love [Eve]

B) Adam failed in every area - Men have been following his example every since

1) Began with his passive approach to temptation {Sat by while Eve talked with the enemy. –

 

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her or [who was accompanying her] and he ate.

 

A) Like Adam Jesus was given 3 specific responsibilities from the father – A will to obey [his fathers] a work to do [redeem the lost] – a woman to love [the church]

 

B) The men set forth as our examples in the scripture are men of compassion – tenderness – {but also tough –

1) Men of vision – men of action / men who step out in faith to lay hold of their God given responsibilities

 

King Phillip of France was dining w/ dignitaries when a messenger entered the royal chamber. He bore ill tidings.

The courier spoke softly to Philip / shielding the news from curious ears. As the king strained to listen, watchful guests detected a look of sadness in his eyes

 

Their interest piqued, but they said nothing. They knew that it was inappropriate to inquire of the king . Intrusion of his privacy. Minutes passed

 

Finally the king turned toward one of his close friends & said William Marshall the Earl of Pembroke has died. Silence fell upon all who were in attendance .

But slowly & Reverently they began to speak out in praise of William Marshall .

 

Their Admiration was devout & Sincere: it arose from hearts well acquainted w/ his DEEDS OF Bravery & the Content of his Character.

 

After several minutes of this the King summarized the groups sentiments: He simply said – William Marshall was in my Judgment the most loyal man & true that I have ever known, in any country I have ever been.

That is a powerful tribute for any friend . But what made this Compliment  so Powerful was that it was a tribute to an enemy.

 King Philip was a Frenchman, William Marshal was an Englishman. Stark enemies for most of their Life.

 

 

William Marshall was a man Known for his great Courage / Integrity – His life was marked by an intense Love for 2 things

A) He loved His Country { Brave & Loyal Warrior / He loved His Family

 

B) In an age that was largely indifferent to Children / Men were given to their cause & their Careers

1)Marshall was known as a Devout Family man who loved his Children dearly

C) Of his relationship w/ his wife Isabel biographer George Duby penned it this way.

1)    He watched over her as over the most precious treasure in the world

 

D) Marshall was a man who accepted his responsibilities and was admired even by his enemies for doing so!!!!

 

David reacts with a vengeance to this: RD V.5-19

 

 

CH.20

It happened in the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the armed forces and ravaged the country of the people of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.

 

Now this section of scripture is familiar to most of you. – This is when the events of 2 Sam 11 took place – David – sins with Bathsheba

A)David is over 50 at this point – makes a critical error – “ I don’t need to be in the battle – ease up – {

 

B)In reality the safest place for him to be is in the battle.

1) Men note that – there is never a time to ease up –

 

C)How many of you are close to 50 or over?

1) Not a time to ease up – take a break – maybe when your 102

“Beware of moments and hours of ease. It is in these that we most easily fall into the power of Satan. The sultriest summer days are most laden with blight. . . . If we cannot fill our days with our own matters, there is always plenty to be done for others. . . . Watch and pray in days of vacation and ease, even more than at other times.” (Meyer)

 

“There is nothing more full of subtle danger in the life of any servant of God than that he should remain inactive when the enterprises of God demand that he be out on the fields of conflict.” (Morgan)

 

C) Beware the life of ease – Our whole society is geared around – ease and leisure – How soon can I retire

1) Blessed by some of you retired guys – still charging – serving – want to be involved -  trips to New Orleans – serving here- GREAT

 

D) But our culture is geared around ease - 

1) Go to 3rd world countries – every day is a struggle for survival –

2) NO time for porn – 900#’s – that sort of thing –

 

E) Their society is based on Survival – Ours is entertainment

1)It is a crime to me that a Policeman / fireman / Soldier can barely make enough to support his family – Actor / Ball player – makes more than he will ever need in 10 or 20  lifetimes –

A)We are so into entertainment and amusement

 

B) Interesting – muse = to not think – that is the Problem – we want to escape and so we seek amusement – that which distracts us – so we don’t have to think –

 

C)Run from the temptation to seek for an easy life

1)Prayer “ Lord don’t give me an easy life – give me a stronger back”

 

D) David at a time when he was seeking ease – should have been in battle ends up - committing adultery then murder – his life and the life of his family would never be the same from this.

 

But here is what I want you to note the Chronicler doesn’t mention this failure in David’s life – He leaves it out.

A)He passes right over it – why?

 

B) His purpose in writing this letter is to encourage the REMNANT – to trust in the Lord – remain faithful to the Lord

1) To stay dependent upon the Lord

 

C) SO His purpose is to illustrate how David did that

1) He is only going to point out one failure in David’s life – that failure has to do with His sin in the area of Trust Ch. 21 David’s #’S the people.

 

D) David sin with Bathsheba – He was giving into the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes

1) But when he sinned by # the people – He was giving into the Pride of life

 

E) It is that sin that moves us to act independently of God – we start thinking we can do it without him

1) SO that is the only failure in the life of David that the Chronicler is going to point out – because it serves his purpose – example of what not to do.

 

F) If this remnant was going to rise up and rebuild and restore – they were going to have to TRUST in the Lord – His strength not their own

 

2 Then David took their king's crown from his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it. And it was set on David's head.

 

 

This was some crown – a talent of gold would weigh around 75lbs { this king had a big head man! { HUGE FOOTBALL NECKS

A)Tradition Og of Bashon who was supposed to be 13 ft tall

 

B)Actually the idea of saying they put it on David’s head – { either they held it over his head – or it was some how attached to the throne

 

 

 

Also he brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance. 3 And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws, with iron picks, and with axes. So David did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

 

David again increases in might and in wealth, bringing the riches back to Jerusalem for the sake of later building the temple.

 

This example of extending Israel’s security with its neighbors fits in with the Chronicler’s broader purpose of showing how David prepared the way for his son to build the temple.

 

RD V.4-8

 

One thing I want to note here is we see some of David’s men – killing Giants

A)Some of them were not even born when David killed Goliath

 

B)But that was his influence – that was his legacy up to this point – David the man of faith – 17 goes against the Giant

 

C) That kind of faith is contagious – contagious affect on his men 

 

 

Ch.21 David’s greatest sin

Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.

A)Satan is still provoking political leaders today - 

 

B) In the life of the believer he cannot tempt us with out permission

1) Story of Job { Seen my servant Job ……….  Satan is only able to do to Job what God allows

 

C) Also Peter – Jesus said – Satan has desired you – asking permission –

1) Jesus was going to allow Peter to be tempted – BROKEN –

 

D) After you have been restored strengthen your brethren

 

So God allowed Satan to move – or provoke David to number the pp!

A)David still had a choice – { Doesn’t mean Satan made him do it

 

B) Wife goes shopping – Just look – don’t buy – Comes home

1) Get behind me Satan – I did – Looked good from that view too!

 

C) We always have a Choice !

 

D) Satan provokes David – puts this idea in his head!

STOP – Satan is not OMNIPRESENT -  One place at a time – Big Fish

A)President Bush – Billy Graham – Chuck Smith

 

A) Some private on us – sharing time between a few 100 pp

 

B) But at this time in the History of IsraelDavid was the big fish!

1) Satan appeals to David’s Pride

 

C) Satan Knows about Pride – { thrown out of heaven…………….

 

D) David is having great success “Hey let’s see how great you have become

1) God forbade the numbering of the People – because he didn’t want their strength to be in numbers / chariots / military might but the Lord

 

E) Critical mistake{ Trusting in the wrong thing.

 

F) Now Joab tries to stop David – Don’t do this

                              RD v.2-3

2 So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, "Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it."  3 And Joab answered, "May the LORD make His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?"

David doesn’t need to do this – His legacy isn’t going to be in how big his army is – Giant killer - / Lion / Bear / Giant / Philistines / Psalmist

A)Joab tries to warn him – bring guilt on Israel

 

B) Ignores wise counsel – No accountability !

William Barclay said,  “Pride is the ground in which all other sins grows and the parent from which all other sins come”

 

 

RD V.4-6 Abominable to Joab -  Joab knows now that David has feet of Clay

A)His perception of David has forever changed after the Uriah thing

 

B) Doesn’t number Levi or Benjamin –

 

C) Discrepancy from 2 Sam 24 by about 200,000

1) Answer -  2 Sam 24 Valiant men – 800,000 -  Here includes reserves and those not classified as the Valiant ones

 

RDV.7-8

A)God was displeased

 

B) David says – I am sorry – but it is never that simple there are always consequences

 

C) One of the things that Satan always does when he is tempting us and walking us into sin,  is to blind us to sins consequences. 

1) He will never show us what the sin will ultimately cost and make no mistake; there will always be a price to pay for sin. 

 

D) The Price for sin is always too high – The HS is always trying to open our eyes to that –

1)Satan tries to keep them shut – Don’t think about the consequences

 

E)If David knew that what it would cost him to give into his pride, he would have never done it.

 

“Sin does not serve well as a gardener to the soul. It landscapes the contour of the soul until all that is beautiful has been made ugly, until all that is high has been brought low, until all that is promising is wasted. Then life like a desert is parched & barren. It is drained of purpose. It is bleached of happiness. Sin then is not wise but wasteful, it is not a gate but only a grave!”

 

What we are going to see next is truly amazing, Only time this happens in scripture - God actually let’s David pick the consequence that he will have to endure. 

A) Not that this makes it any easier because what we have here are three hard choices,

 

Famine, Military defeat, and Pestilence.    RD V.9-17

Here David sees every ounce of payment that sin demands. He sees the ugliness; he sees its devastation & its horror

A) And he is a broken man facing the consequences of his sin – Cries out Lord why them – when it was me

 

B) That is the heart of the shepherd: “Spare the sheep”.

 

C)You might be thinking  “That is pretty heavy that 70,000 people should die for David’s sin”  Doesn’t seem Fair

 

D)NOTE: In v.1 of Samuel’s account of this story a very important perspective given to us.

 

2 Sam 24:1  And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel,

A)The nation had fallen into sin..... It was NOT just David.

 

B) Satan was the one who tempted David to number Israel. But God is the One who was angry with the nation of Israel as a whole.

 

C)What David did here was merely the means that God was going to use to deal not just w/ David but the nation as a whole

 

 

 

So Plague hits Israel from Dan to Beersheba – 70,000 perish

A) Comes to Jerusalem where David was – the Lord calls it off

 

B)David begs to be punished personally – v.17 let your hand be against me

 

Rd v.18-29 

 

Here we see that David’s sacrifice lifts the Plague

A) David makes an interesting statement to Ornan - I will NOT give to the Lord that which costs me nothing.”

B)  This is the Principle:  SACRIFICE always COSTS. Really if it doesn’t cost me something it is not a true Sacrifice

1) Cost: Time, resources, energy in ministry, ridicule

 

C) Ornan’s threshing Floor – place to build the temple – Place for Sacrifices to be offered in yrs to come

 

D) Ornan’s threshing floor – Mt Moriah – Abe – son

1) God will provide himself –

 

E) 2,000 yrs later He did – David’s one Sacrifice stopped the plague

 

F)When the world was Plagued – God said – I will give a Sacrifice

 A) Jesus – Gave the greatest sacrifice

 

2 Corinthians 8:9  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich.