“The Choice”

November 24, 2018

“The Choice”

Blessings folk!

David had sinned by numbering the people.
David repented.
The Lord sent His Word to David.

This is interesting…intriguing…look for the basic principles for us…

2 Sa 24:11-17

When David arose in the morning,
the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,

“Go and speak to David, ‘Thus the LORD says,
“I am offering you three things; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.”’”

So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him,
“Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land?
Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you?
Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land?
Now consider and see what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.”

Then David said to Gad,
“I am in great distress.
Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great,
but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time,
and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,
the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people,
“It is enough! Now relax your hand!”
And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, “Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s house.”

Whoa!

God gave David three choices…of punishment, of fruit of his sin.
1 - seven years of famine
2 - three month of fleeing before his foes
3 - three days of pestilence

David was in great distress.
Which did he chose?

He chose the three days of pestilence.
He tells us why…”let us fall into the hand of the Lord because His mercy is great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

Remember what brought David to this point.
He numbered his people because there was a threat by an enemy.
He trusted the number of his army rather than the Lord.

Famine would have resulted in trusting in man for food.
Fleeing from a foe would be man’s pursuit.
Resting/trusting in God who would bring pestilence was his choice.

The pestilence was devastating.
The numbered people were reduced by 70,000.
The Angel of the Lord struck the people/sheep.
The Angel was about to strike Jerusalem when the Lord relented from the calamity.
(The Word is clear. Do not let anyone deceive you. The Lord brings calamity)

When David saw what was happening to the people/“sheep” he cried to the Lord declaring that it was he who had sinned, not the people.
David asked that the hand of the Lord be against him/his, his father’s house.

We will see the balance of the account tomorrow.

For today, learn/live the principle.
When in distress, trust not in your ability.
Trust in the Lord.
His mercies are great.

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