SERMON NOTES By Pastor John Paul Miller David A Man After God s Own Heart Character Studies on the Life of David

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1 SERMON NOTES By Pastor John Paul Miller David A Man After God s Own Heart Character Studies on the Life of David 1 Chronicles 21 - "David s Great Sin of Pride" If I were to ask you, What was David s great sin? you would probably reply, committing adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Urinal. These are in deed great sins, and must not be looked upon lightly. But David committed another sin, in his old age that had even greater consequences. David s sin of adultery resulted in the deaths of four people: Uriah, the baby that was born, Amnon, and Absalom. But because of David s other sin 70,000 people died. When David confessed his sins of adultery and murder he said, I have sinned. But when he confessed his other sin he said, I have sinned greatly, I have done very foolishly. (vs. 8) What was David s other sin that was so great? Pride! Note: Action sins, attitude sins, sins of the flesh, sins of the spirit Old age does not immune us from sin. 1 John 2:15-16, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. In 2 Samuel 24, and its parallel passage (1 Chronicles 21), we are given the vivid account of David s great sin 1

2 I. David s stubborn heart (1 Chronicles 21:1-6) 1 Chronicles 21:1-6, And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword. But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab. 1. The circumstances of David s great sin (vs. 1) 1 Chronicles 21:1, And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. What about 2 Samuel 24:1, And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. Was it the Lord, Satan or David? All three! How? Illustration Job Genesis 50:20, But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 2. The command that was a great sin (vs. 2) 1 Chronicles 21:2, And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. In Numbers 26 we find the first time they were numbered. This time it was sinful: 1 Chronicles 21:7, And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel. Why did it displease God? 2

3 a) unbelief in God s promise to Abraham b) presumption David didn t ask God First c) David forgot the census tax Exodus 30: ½ shekel d) It was David s Pride (my people) What does God say about pride in His word? Proverbs 6:16-17, These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, Proverbs 8:13, The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Proverbs 16:5, Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. Proverbs 16:18, Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. James 4:6, But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Remember that it was Satan s great sin and so it s a warning to us! 3. The counsel that could have kept David from great sin (1 Chronicles 21:3-4) 1 Chronicles 21:3-4, And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. God gave David a warning (same as before with Bathsheba) Pride blinds us to our sin David is accountable to no one He get s his count (vs. 5-6), but ignored good counsel 1 Chronicles 21:5-6, And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword. But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab. 3

4 II. David s smitten heart (1 Chronicles 21:7-8) 1 Chronicles 21:7-8, And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel. 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. This is what made David a man after God s heart, he was sensitive to sin, and had a true Godly sorrow. 2 Samuel 24:10, And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people smote Heb: to be attacked or to be assaulted Notice vs. 8, I have sinned greatly; for I have done very foolishly. How do you respond when your heart is smitten by the Holy Spirit? Two ways: 1. stubborn pride resists God s will 2. confession and surrender to God s will III. David s shepherds heart (1 Chronicles 21:9-17) 1 Chronicles 21:9-17, And the LORD spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying, Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me. And 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. So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued. In verse 17 we see that David learned his lesson. 4

5 1 Chronicles 21:17, And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued. How important am I to God s work? In John 15:5, Jesus tells us, for without me ye can do nothing. IV. David s sacrificing heart (1 Chronicles 21:18-28) 1 Chronicles 21:18-28, Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD. And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat. And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground. Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people. And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all. And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost. So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof. At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there. In verse 24 we see that David understood that true worship involves sacrifice. 1 Chronicles 21:24, And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost. 2 Samuel 24:24, neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So many times we tip God with our leftovers. 5

6 LESSONS: 1. Serving God doesn t get easier as we get older (trials, temptations) 2. Satan is real and he won t leave you alone. a) his target is your will b) his weapon is pride c) his purpose is to make you independent of God s will d) your defense is the Word of God and the indwelling Spirit of God 3. Sin has serious consequences Sin: 4. Sovereign Grace it takes you farther than you want to go it keeps you longer than you want to stay it costs you more than you want to pay 2 Chronicles 3:1, Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. What amazing grace; God took David s two great sins and built a temple out of them. Abraham offered Isaac Temple was built Jesus was crucified Romans 5:20, where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: Copyright Calvary Chapel San Bernardino 6