A NATION SUFFERS FOR SINS OF A KING
Text: 1 Chronicles 21:1-13
A) Worst sin that David ever Committed
1) He committed adultery with Bathsheba Then had her husband URIAH Killed.
2) We agree that was an ATROCIOUS SIN
B) Cannot tell the evil in persons heart
1) Look at attackers of our Nation 5 years ago - They changed the course of the U.S.A.
C) 2. Those men got on that plane looking like ordinary travelers. Jer 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
D) Sin Of Adultery And Murder Are bad
1) A sin David committed that was far worse - And cost the lives of 70,000 Men
2) In Chronicles We do not see the Sins of David and Bathsheba even mentioned.
E) The Sin Of Taking A Census
1) The taking a CENSUS is not sin in itself.
2) What made it a sin in the eyes of God was WHY & WHEN He took that CENSUS.
F) We as a Church
1) Need to examine the scriptures closely.
2) See HOW &WHY David took the CENSUS that so displeased the Lord….
3) What Did David Do That Was So Wrong
I) THE PROVOKING Vs 1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
A) WHO WAS SATAN'S ATTACK ON?
1) Not David Satan Stood Against Israel
2) Satan knew the best way to break God's heart was to cause His people to Sin.
3) He knows God is Holy - Sin breaks the Fellowship Between God And His People.
(a) What makes us different in Satan's eyes is that God Loves Us.
(b) That He sent His Son to die for us.
4) And Satan Stood Up Against Israel
(a) He did it through the leadership and Provoked David To Number Israel
5) A clear passages in Bible Revealing how Satan tries to destroy Nations.
B) WE NEED TO PRAY FOR TWO THINGS.
1) 1st - We Need To Pray For Our COUNTRY
(a) Know what is wrong with our Nation?
(1) The leadership is not obeying God
(2) Obvious God loves this land of ours
(3) Satan knows best way to lead people from God is through our Leadership.
ILLUS: A Little boy with his dad was visiting the Congress When the Chaplain was praying the opening prayer - the little boy said "Dad does he pray for congress?" - The dad replied "No son, he takes one look at congress & prays for the nation
(b) Every Day Satan Does Everything He Can To Destroy Leadership Of Our Nation
(1) He attacks the citizens of our country
(2) He attacks the Leaders even more
(3) Take them down and take the Country
(c) God Tells Us To Pray For Our Leaders.
(d) The Devil stood up against Israel..
(1) Through the office of the King..
(2) The highest political office in the land
(e) Message Is Teaching Us That We Need To Pray For Our Leaders and Our Country
2) 2nd -Need To Pray For Our CHURCHES.
(a) Satan attacks Christian in God's Church
(b) I Can Assure You His Main Attack Is On Leaders of the Church as well as others
II) THE PROBLEM
1. In America We Take A Census To Find Out The Needs Of The People.
2. Wasn’t Reason David Took A CENSUS
3. What made taking of a census Sinful?
A) DESIRE WAS IN THE WRONG MOTIVE
1) JOAB Was A Smart Man. Vs 6 But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
(a) Joab saw that his king was numbering the people for the WRONG PURPOSE.
2) David Refused To Listen To Joab.
3) Ordered to CENSUS taken JOAB OBEYED
4) Census was taken the Results Were In It was clear that God had richly blessed.
(a) Moses took Census had 603,000 men
(b) David at this Census 1,570,000 men
B) GOD WAS DISPLEASED AT DAVID'S ARROGANCE FOR TWO REASONS.
1) 1st - His DELIGHT Was In Wrong Thing
(a) 2 Sam 24:3b "..But Why Doth My Lord The King Delight In This Thing?"
(b) David had to know that his men were far greater than they had ever been.
(c) God Not Pleased With Taking a CENSUS
2) 2nd - His DELIVERANCE In Wrong Place
(a) Since David was a young man he had always looked to God as his Deliverer.
(b) When HE faced the giant GOLIATH? 1 Sam 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
(c) America Is In Much The Same Position.
(d) History tells us how our past leaders trusted in God - Today Our Trust Is In
(1) DEFENSE - The only Super Power left
(2) ECONOMY - We are told that we are better off than people are anywhere else
(3) EDUCATION - People from all over the world enroll each year in our Schools
(e) How PROUD We Have Become.
(f) How Complacent we have become.
III) THE PUNISHMENT. Vs 7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he SMOTE Israel.
A) GOD GAVE DAVID THREE CHOICES.
1) 3 Years Of FAMINE.
2) 3 Months Destroyed Before His FOES
3) 3 Days Of The Sword Of The Lord..
(a) Notice That David Chose The 3 Days…
(b) Let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.”
B) A NATION CAN TURN FROM GOD
1) It Is A Foolish Nation..
(a) Thinks it can soak up the blessings of God and treat God like a dirty dish rag.
(b) Throw Him away when we no longer need him
2) Israel had been ready for punishment..
3) 1 act of David cost lives of 70,000 Men
IV) THE PENANCE.
A) DAVID HAD CONFESSED HIS SIN. Vs 8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
1) We think CONFESSION is enough. Rom 10:9 If thou shalt Confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, & shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved
2) We forget that Sin Debt Has To Be Paid
B) DAVID READY TO PAY FOR HIS SIN.
1) Knew God would forgive if he repented. Vs 13 David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.
2) But being forgiven would not ERASE the terrible consequence of HIS SIN.
3) Sow in Flesh will be Reaped in the Flesh
4) David was now putting himself into God’s hands - Not man’s hands