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May 23rd
Our Bible reading is in 2 Samuel 24, 1 Chron. 21,22, Psalm 30.
In the last months of David’s life, he wrote a song that declared the glory of the Lord. Secondly, He fell to the heart idol of pride that not only affected him but also brought the judgment of God upon his nation. And finally, David prepared many materials for the building of the Temple there in Jerusalem, and handed the job of building the Temple to his son, Solomon...just like God said.
Yesterday we read about that new song of worship. We learned that it included glad shouts and robust thanksgivings to God, and fresh lyrics and tune to inspire hearts for joyful singing. The new song also included three declarations that God was “holy”. The one-word description of God that is found most often in the Bible. More than love, more than good, more than righteous, more than faithful, more than powerful, more than any other description. All of the other descriptive words or pictures of God are summed up and beyond in the word Holy.
Holy means “set apart...separated”. Nothing gets close to describing His nature, His character, or His essence...unless it’s Jesus incarnate.
Sometime after David called the nation to sing a new, fresh song of devotion to God he was tempted by Satan with the heart idol of Pride. David’s song was about how great God was. Then later, the devil whispered to the king...”What a job “you” have done. Just look at how the nation has grown and the economy has prospered. And it has been a long time since your last military victory. Why don't you take a “census” of your military might? No king can match your imposing strength.
Instead of believing God and deflecting praise to Him, David believed the devil’s whispers, praised himself, and ordered a census. All the way back in Exodus we read about God’s instructions on “Accountings”. They were to be done at God’s directing because the counting of people or stuff reflected who owned the people and stuff. Moses taught the Israelites that they and their stuff belonged to God...not to themselves.
David’s prideful counting of the Israelis exposed his thinking...”Look what I've done and look how many people belong to my kingdom.”. It was David instead of God. David’s kingdom rather than God’s...sounds a lot like me. God help us.
Worship God one day and sin against him the next. It sounds like a familiar pattern. Even when we are at our best we forget to be on guard. We forget our enemy is relentless and that he hates us and wants to destroy us.
And finally our reading reveals that “David’s heart was struck and he confessed his sin to God. And God disciplined the king. But with a heart after God’s own heart, I believe that what hurt David the most were not his stripes, but rather the stripes of his people that were included in God’s judgment of the king.
Wow...sometimes we forget that our careless sinning against God brings His discipline. And often that discipline hurts those we love.
One more thing...David had a dream to build an appropriate house for the ark of God. A Temple grand enough to remind worshippers that they belonged to a Great and Holy God who Loved them lavishly.
God appreciated the thought but told David that it would be his son to build the “house of God”. Right before David died, he passed that dream on to his son. And a magnificent Temple was built to the glory of God.
Father to son...David to Solomon...Solomon ‘s Temple.
God the Father to the Son, Jesus. And The Son did all that was necessary at the cross and his resurrection to build the Temple.. The Temple of the Holy Spirit...you and me who believed Him...” we” are that Temple...And God sits on the throne of our hearts! Halleluiah!
Have a great day.
