1 Chronicles 21 | David's Costly Census

Thank you for listening. I honor you for reading the Bible daily. 

Your support brings you this daily dose of inspiration! If you find value in the Dope Daily Audio Bible and want to help keep it going, hit the link below to become a patron. Every contribution, big or small, makes a huge difference.

Support Link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2210462/support

Every day with the Dope Daily Audio Bible brings you a step closer to becoming a dope disciple. 
 
Remember, this is a journey, not a race. 
 
Take these words with you throughout your day, and reflect on how they can guide you.

Grow in Your Faith:

Looking for more dope resources to deepen your connection? Head over to www.beMaroon.com - a website dedicated to helping you grow in your faith with fresh perspectives and practical tools

Transcript

0:02

You're listening to the Dope Daily Audio Bible, and I'm your guy, Pastor Charlie Mitchell. And today, we're looking at 1 Chronicles chapter 21. Let's roll. Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to count the people of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan and bring a report to me so I can know their number." Joab replied, "May the Lord multiply the number of His people a hundred times over, my lord the king. Aren't they all my lord's servants? Why does my lord wanna do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?" Yet the king's order prevailed over Joab. So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel and then returned to Jerusalem. Joab gave the total troop registration to David. In all Israel, there were 1,100,000 armed men, And in Judah itself 475,000 armed men. but he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count because the king's command was detestable to him. This command was also evil in God's sight, so he afflicted Israel. David said to God, "I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now, please take away my servants' guilt, for I've been very foolish." Then the Lord instructed Gad, David's seer, "Go and say to David, This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three choices. Choose one of them for yourself, and I'll do it for you.'" So Gad went to David and said to him, "This is what the Lord says: Take your choice. Three years of famine or three months of devastation by your foes with the sword of your enemy overtaking you. or three days of the sword of the Lord, a plague on the land, the angel of the Lord bringing destruction to the whole territory of Israel. Now decide what answer I should take back to the one who sent me. David answered Gad, "I'm in anguish. Please let me fall into the Lord's hands because His mercies are very great, but don't let me fall into human hands." So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand Israelite men died. then God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. But when the angel was about to destroy the city, the Lord looked, relented concerning the destruction and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Enough. Withdraw your hand now." The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. When David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between Earth and heaven with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, covered in sackcloth, fell face down. David said to God, "Wasn't I the one who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted very wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Lord my God, please let your hand be against me and against my father's family, but don't let the plague be against your people." so the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go set up an altar to the Lord On the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, David went up at Gad's command spoken in the name of the Lord. Ornan was threshing wheat when he turned and saw the angel. His four sons, who were with him, hid. David came to Ornan, and when Ornan looked and saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed to David with his face to the ground. Then David said to Ornan, "Give me this threshing floor plot so that I may build an altar to the Lord on it. Give it to me for the full price so the plague on the people may be stopped." Ornan said to David, "Take it. My Lord the King may do whatever he wants. See, I give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I give it all." King David answered Ornan, "No, I insist on paying the full price, for I will not take for the Lord what belongs to you or offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David gave Ornan fifteen pounds of gold for the plot. he built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and he answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. Then the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back in the sheath. At that time, David offered sacrifices there when he saw that the Lord answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. The tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at the high place in Gibeon. But David could not go before it to inquire of God because he was terrified of the sword of the Lord's angel. Let's pray. When we fail, you don't abandon us. You invite us back home. David gave in to pride and trusted in numbers instead of trusting in you. But when he recognized his sin, he leaned on your mercy. So Lord, forgive us for the times we've trusted in ourselves. We'll give in to our abilities, our achievements, or the things that we can measure instead of trusting you. I pray you keep us humble, teaching us to depend on your strength and not our own strength. And when we fall short, give us hearts that are quick to repent and confident in your grace. Jesus, thank you for becoming the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Because of you, mercy triumphs over judgment, and we can boldly come before the Father. So help us to build our lives on your grace, keep our hearts close to you, and help us to trust you more each day. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.