1 Chronicles 21:1 Now satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. 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?" 4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.
Satan stood up against Israel. Satan is the one who tempts men with evil! David knew what he was about to do was wrong and purposefully walked in disobedience to God. He was not honoring His covenant. Joab pleaded with David, but the king’s word prevailed.
Exodus 30:12 "When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.
When there was going to be a census the law commanded that an offering be taken to remind Israel they belonged to the Lord. David, as moved by satan, had Israel counted from Beersheba to Dan.
1 Chronicles 21:5 Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israel [had] one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah [had] four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword. 6 But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king's word was abominable to Joab. 7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel. 8 So David said to God, "I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly." 9 Then the LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying, 10 "Go and tell David, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "I offer you three [things]; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do [it] to you." ' "
As the covenant of the Law declared the plague came. David recognized his sin and begin to repent. Through the man of God, God spoke to David.
1 Chronicles 21:5 Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israel [had] one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah [had] four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword. 6 But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king's word was abominable to Joab. 7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel. 8 So David said to God, "I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly." 9 Then the LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying, 10 "Go and tell David, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "I offer you three [things]; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do [it] to you." ' "
David picked his judgment with the knowledge that God was merciful.
1 Chronicles 21:16 Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. 17 And David said to God, "Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father's house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued." 18 Therefore, the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David that David should go and erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Now David does not just repent but humbles himself before God. After humbling himself David is commanded to build an altar.
1 Chronicles 21:19 So David went up at the word of Gad, which he had spoken in the name of the LORD. 20 Now Ornan turned and saw the angel; and his four sons [who were] with him hid themselves, but Ornan continued threshing wheat. 21 So David came to Ornan, and Ornan looked and saw David. And he went out from the threshing floor, and bowed before David with [his] face to the ground. 22 Then David said to Ornan, "Grant me the place of [this] threshing floor, that I may build an altar on it to the LORD. You shall grant it to me at the full price, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people." 23 But Ornan said to David, "Take [it] to yourself, and let my lord the king do [what is] good in his eyes. Look, I [also] give [you] the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing implements for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering; I give [it] all."
David offers to buy the land and the oxen to build the altar and the owner Orana offers to give it to David.
1 Chronicles 21:24 Then King David said to Ornan, "No, but I will surely buy [it] for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with [that which] costs [me] nothing." 25 So David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place. 26 And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on the LORD; and He answered him from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering.
David would not offer burnt offerings and sacrifices which had cost him nothing; he purchased the land and all that was needed to make the sacrifice. Then David built an altar and called on the Lord. God answered him from heaven by fire and received the offering on the altar.
1 Chronicles 21:27 So the LORD commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath. 28 At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. 29 For the tabernacle of the LORD and the altar of the burnt offering, which Moses had made in the wilderness, [were] at that time at the high place in Gibeon. 30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
This spot became the altar of repentance for the nation of Israel, it is said that Solomon built the temple of God from this spot.
1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
Like David we must honor the covenant we have been birthed in. No one should think themselves so strong that they can’t fall. It is only through the strength of the covenant we as men can live for God and fulfill His purpose for our life. Brother, sister you can make it. If you will lean on the strength of the covenant your altar will be acceptable to God and indeed, you do not have to fall in the hour of temptation. In fact, those with their eyes upon Jesus will find a way of escape from temptation and will be able to bear up under the pressures of temptations. The exclusive way of victory is found in the body and blood of Jesus Christ and there is no other way of escape. It is exclusively His blood that washes away the sin and it is His flesh that is life giving to the believer. Men have tried many ways to find victory over sin; however, it is faith in Jesus that save us, keeps us, and finishes the work in us. Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe. Sin has left a crimson stain; He washes white as snow.
Jesus is the faithful God
God is good all the time!
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