Thank you, Tara, Sid. Let's open
our Bibles again to 2 Samuel chapter 24. 2 Samuel 24. Here
in this passage, we have the account of David's
sin in numbering Israel. I want us to see, I think, five
things here, five things taught from the, I know there's many
more things taught from this passage than just five things,
but let's see if we can see five things here this morning. And
the first is this, David sinned against God. David's sin against
God. And before we can be taught anything,
again, we must be brought to see our sinful condition. In verse 2, we read that David
had Joab, the captain of the host, go through all the tribes
of Judah and number the people. He said, number the people that
I may know the number And in verse 3, Joab says this, he said
to David, the Lord God add to the people, how many so ever
there be. Why do you delight in this? What
does it matter? However many people are here,
that's what God's determined. Why this vain show of going through
and numbering the people? But David did what his heart
desired. In the book of James, we read
this, that lust, when it is conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin,
when it's finished, bringeth forth death. It's believed by many of the
old writers that David's purpose in this, his reason for numbering
the people was that he was resting, not in God, but resting in this
old arm of flesh that we drag around. Maybe it was to see what
a large army that he ruled over. And then maybe to compare it
to the size of the enemy. Do we have enough men in our
army to win this battle? Maybe it was to brag about it. Don't we tend to look at things
in our vanity and in our pride? Maybe it was to brag about that
number to others. Maybe he was placing his confidence
in his army rather than the Lord God, who rules and reigns over
all things." I think about back there during the times of the
Cold War, when they'd show those armies going through the city,
and they would drag all those missiles. And it was just like
a back and forth kind of thing. Who had the biggest army? Maybe that's what was going on
here. Listen. It is Almighty God who rules
over all things. He who doeth according to his
will, his will, in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants
of the earth, none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest
thou? Resting in the strength of numbers
rather than in the Lord. Think about David. David knew
some things personally. David knew some things by experience. You know, this same David that
God had used as just a kid to defeat the Philistines. Back in 1 Samuel 17, I won't
have you turn there, but listen, David had told that story. He
said, while I was tending my father's sheep, he said while
I was keeping them, that sheep wandered off and there was a
lion and a bear that took that lamb. And David went after it. David went after that one little
lamb. And he slew that lion. And he slew the bear. And he
said, the Lord that delivered me out of the hand of the lion
and the bear, he'll deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. Goliath come out every day and
he mocked He mocked the children of Israel. Goliath was a giant. Listen, he was trained to be
a man of war from the day he was born. How can this David,
this little David, go out there? And listen, God's going to use
him to deliver, He didn't do it with Saul's armor.
He didn't do it with Saul's sword. He went out there with a staff
and some smooth stones gathered up out of the creek in a sling. And listen to what David said
there. I tell you what, turn back to 1 Samuel 17. Just back
a few pages. 1 Samuel 17. David spoke these words, he said,
this day will the Lord deliver thee into my hand and I'll smite
thee and I'll take thy head from thee and will give the carcasses
of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the
air and to the wild beast of the field that all the earth
may know. What's the earth gonna know?
that David's a mighty warrior, that David's going to lead a
great army. No, that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know
that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear, for the battle
is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. Now think about it. How many
years had passed since David had stood there and said that? That's what David knew in the
face of the enemy. Yet here in our text, we read
that he numbered. He numbered Israel, trusting
the flesh, trusting the strength of numbers more than the strength
of God. You know, it's easy to kind of
stand back and say, how in the world could David do that? But aren't we guilty of the same? How quick are we to fear the
things of this world? How quickly do we worry and fret
about the things of this world rather than trusting the Lord? take comfort in the things of
this world rather than resting in him, resting in his mercy
and love, just looking to him. Let us not trust in the creature
more than the creator, God who made all things. He delivered
his church by one. one man. The scriptures declare
by one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. In Deuteronomy 32 verse 39 it
says, see now that I, even I am he, and there is no God with
me, I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal, neither is
there any that can deliver out of my hand. Who does all these things? Almighty
God. God who is sovereign in all things. And he needs, this may come as
a surprise, he needs nothing from man. Nothing. Yet we struggle
to remember that, don't we? Just as David did. And when God
removed Saul as king, it says he raised up David to be the
king. To whom also he gave testimony
and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after
mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will. Despite all of David's
sin, despite all of David's shortcomings, That's what was said of him.
David, the son of Jesse, a man after, God said, he's a man after
my own heart. And he, he's gonna fulfill all
of God's will. Well, we've heard this said,
truly, truly the best of men are still at best just that,
men. This same David, sinned against
God in numbering Israel. In verse 10 of 2 Samuel 24, he
said, I've sinned greatly in that I have done. In numbering
Israel, he was, again, looking to himself. He was resting in
that arm of flesh. Isn't that what works religion
is? resting and trusting in this
flesh. It's idolatry. Idolatry is anything
apart from looking to Christ and Christ alone. My friends,
we can't be too harsh on David, can we? All, the scriptures say
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Second,
we see God's judgment. Men talk of God's love. We see
bumper stickers about it. We see billboards about it. And
listen, He is love. But the scriptures also declare
that He's a just God, a just God and a Savior. God is going
to punish sin. Outside of Christ, Almighty God
is a consuming fire. In Psalm 7, we read that God
is angry with the wicked every day. In the days of Noah, eight
souls were saved, and the rest of the earth was destroyed, completely
and utterly destroyed. Look in our text here, again,
2 Samuel 24, Look beginning in verse 11. David was up in the morning.
The word of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad, David, Seir,
saying, Go and say unto David, Thus saith the Lord, I offer
thee these three things. Choose thee one of them, that
I may do it to thee. So Gad came to David and told
him and said unto him, shall seven years of famine come into
the land, or wilt thou flee three months from thine enemies while
they pursue thee, or three days' pestilence?" And David said,
let us fall into the hands of the Lord. Let us fall into the
hands of the Lord. You see, God is going to send
judgment for this sin. God's judgment. His judgment
upon, listen, not just not just David in numbering it, but against
all of Israel. Despite the fact that it was
David's sin, judgment falls on all of Israel. In fact, if you
look back in verse 1, you'll read this, the anger of the Lord
was kindled against Israel. 70,000 men are going to die in no more than three days. What do men say about that? Is
that fair? Can God do that? Well, oh man, who art thou that
replies against almighty God? Romans 5.19 says, for as by one
man's disobedience, many were made sinners. Romans 5, 12, wherefore
is by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. So death passed upon all men. Why? For all, all have sinned. Here we see the universal state
of all men. in sin and transgression. All,
listen, all subject to death and destruction. We all stand
guilty before Almighty God, deserving of His judgment, deserving of
death. The wages of sin is death. Judgment is coming. And I don't
say that in an attempt to frighten you or scare you. I say it because
It's the truth. It's the truth from Almighty
God's Word. The Scriptures declare that we
shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Almighty God
is going to punish sin. If anyone doubts that, look at
the cross. Look at the cross. Men ask that
question. God truly going to punish? Look
what happened at the cross. Our Lord said this. The Son of
God Himself said this. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? Do you still have 2 Samuel 24? As a result of David's sin, God's
judgment falls on all of Israel. God sends a pestilence, a plague,
a disease, judgment, judgment for man's sin. Third, repentance,
repentance. Look at verse 10 again. David's heart smote him after
he had numbered the people. And David said, I've sinned greatly,
in that I have done. And now I beseech thee, O Lord,
take away the iniquity of thy servant. I have sinned greatly. The thing that surprises me about
this, this is true repentance. This
is done, listen, he says this, before there's any mention of
punishment. David's heart is turned. His sin is revealed to him. And again, this is prior to... Back in verse 3, Joab with no
success, he tried to convince David, this is wrong, don't do
this. Joab, he said, thy God add to
thy people however many they be. But David would not hear. He wouldn't listen to his servant's
wise counsel. Oh that, listen, oh that God
would give us ears to hear. Listen, when he's pleased to
speak to his people through the preaching of the word, through
his gospel, that he give us ears to hear. David in verse 14 says,
he says, I'm in a great strain. I am in a great strain. Let us
fall into the hands of the Lord for his mercies are great. David's not making excuses. He's
not falsely proclaiming his innocence. Oh no, that was Joab that went
out and numbered the people, not me. No, no. What God does is just and right. He can save me, or he can pass me by. Let us fall
into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are great. Hosea 14 verse 9, it says, the
ways of the Lord are right. Listen, might we pray as David,
take away the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done foolishly. You know, Adam, consider when
Adam transgressed, when Adam fell, what did he do? Did he cry for mercy? No. No, listen. Adam said it was
the woman. you gave me." He blamed Eve. He blamed God. David said, I
have sinned greatly. I have done foolishly. David
wrote in Psalm 38 5, he said, my wounds stink and are corrupt
because of my foolishness, because what I've done. Later in our
text, David says, look at verse 14, let us again, fall now into
the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are great. David's hope,
David's hope is in almighty God's mercy. God whose mercy endureth
forever. The scriptures declare we have
a merciful and faithful high priest. Paul writing to the Romans,
he said, it's the goodness of God that leadeth men to repentance. Fourth, the need, the necessity
of a sacrifice. Must be a sacrifice. The only
way to have peace, pardon, safety, from the ruin and destruction
deserving by our sin is through the sin, atoning blood, and sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in the scriptures, without
the shedding of blood, there is no remission. Look at verse
15, beginning with verse 15, again here in 2 Samuel 24. The Lord sent a pestilence from
Israel from the morning even to the time appointed, and there
died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba 70,000 men. When the angel stretched out
his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of
the evil and said to the angel that destroyed the people, it's
enough. Stay now thy hand. And the angel of the Lord was
by the threshing place or run of the Jebusite. And David spake
unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people and
said, lo, I've sinned and I've done wickedly with these sheep,
what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be
against me and against my father's house. And Gad came that day
to David and said unto him, go, rear up an altar unto the Lord
in the threshing floor of Arunah, the Jebusite. There must be a
sacrifice. an offering. David's words in
verse 17 point to our Savior. They point to the Lord Jesus
Christ. David says, let thy hand, I pray
thee, be against me. Be against me. Our Lord's speaking
in John 18. We saw this this morning. He
said that if therefore you seek me, let these my sheep go. Let them go their way. This sacrifice,
he said, build an altar, rear up an altar. And listen, it's
certainly no accident where this takes place, where this altar
is built, Mount Moriah. 2 Chronicles 3, verse 1. Turn back to 2 Chronicles 3. In verse 1 of 2 Chronicles 3, Solomon, 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 threshing floor. Here it says
Ornan, the Jebusite, but if you look in your margin, Who is that? Arun of the Jebusite. The same place is where that
temple is going to be built. It's believed Mount Moriah is
where the temple is built. It's Mount Moriah where Abraham,
where he offered up his only son, Isaac. as an offering. Remember that back in Genesis
22. God told Abraham, take thy son, thine only son, Isaac, whom
thou lovest, get thee into the land of Moriah and offer upon
one of the mountains. Offer him up as a burnt offering
there, one of the mountains which I will, which I'll tell thee
thereof. It was on that journey that Isaac
Isaac asked his father, he said, behold, the fire and the wood,
where's the lamb? Abraham's answer, we've got everything
we need for the sacrifice, but where is the lamb? Abraham uttered these words,
my son, God will provide himself as a lamb for a burnt offering.
And you know, no doubt they both They both believed that. They believed God would provide
himself a lamb. We read in Genesis 22, so they
went. They went, both of them, together. Abraham believed God. And it
was there on Mount Moriah where that ram, oh, what a joyous sight
that ram must have been. Caught there in the thicket.
Abraham took that ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in
the stead of his son, in the place of his son. He called the
place Jehovah-Jireth, the Lord will provide. Listen, we must
have a sacrifice. We must have a substitute. We
must have a sin offering. Back to our text. Back to our
text, 2 Samuel. David says, Let thy hand, I pray
thee, be against me. Again, looking at the Lord Jesus
Christ, he said, I lay down my life for the sheep. We read,
he bore our sins in his body on the tree. The scriptures declare
that that sacrifice in which God made Christ to be sin for
us, That great transaction where his sheep are made the very righteousness
of God in him. Let's not forget the great cost
of that sacrifice. David told Aaron, he said, I'll
not offer the Lord that which costs me nothing. Now, salvation. Salvation is by his free and
sovereign grace. But it comes at a price. It came at a price. A price that
had to be paid. We sing that song. He paid a
debt he didn't owe. We owed a debt that we could
not pay. The cost? What was the cost? God gave his only begotten son. What great love, what great love
for his church, for his people. We can't even enter into the
sorrow, the grief, the suffering and death of his son to give
us life, life to his people. The cost? What was that cost? 1 Peter 1 verse 18. The precious blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ. For as much as you know you're
not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold
and from vain conversations received by tradition from your fathers,
but with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ as of a
lamb without spot and without blemish, the Lord Jesus Christ,
chosen to be our surety and savior from before the foundation of
the world, the cost, his own precious blood. Like that of
the sacrificial lamb, without spot, without blemish, the blood
of the God-man, mediator, shed in the place of his people, in
the room instead of his people. By his own blood, he entered
in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us. Well, back to our text again
here, 2 Samuel 24. Here we see sin. We see judgment, we see repentance,
we see the sacrifice, the necessity of that sacrifice, Christ who
was made sin for us, and we see deliverance. Fifth, the plague
was stagnated. Second Samuel 24 verse 25, David
built there an altar unto the Lord and offered burnt offerings
and peace offerings. So the Lord was entreated for
the land and the plague was stayed from Israel. The plague was stopped. Why? Why? What made the difference? That
altar, that sacrifice, God's mercy. My friends, consider the
Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ. He's so
much more. Listen, He's the altar and the
sacrifice. The scriptures declare we have
an altar. He's our sacrifice. He's our
priest. He's our sin offering. He's our
hope of eternal redemption. Our Redeemer. No more death in Israel from
that plague. The scriptures say this, there
is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ. Isaac went free. That ram that
was caught in the thicket was offered up in his place. How do God's people go free?
How are we set free? by Christ our substitute, delivered
from the wrath to come. Turn with me to one more scripture
over in the New Testament. Turn to 1 Thessalonians. They were delivered from that
wrath. Do you have 1 Thessalonians 1? Look beginning with verse 9.
For they themselves show us what manner of entering in we had
unto you, how you turned to God from idols to serve the living
and true God. Verse 10. And to wait, for His
Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, the
Lord Jesus Christ, which delivered us. He delivered us from the
wrath to come. Back to our text, God's anger. God's wrath was kindled against
Israel because of sin. And we see judgment, and we see
repentance, and we see the sacrifice, and we see deliverance. Delivered from the wrath to come.
The plague was staying. Safe and secure in Him. eternally, not by man, not by
the size of the army, but by the Lord Jesus Christ. We read
this to open the service. Who? Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ? Tribulation, distress, persecution,
Famine, nakedness, peril, sword, as it's written, for thy sake
we're killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for
the slaughtered. Nay, in all these things, we are more than
conquerors. How's that? Through him who loved
us. For I'm persuaded that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank God for
his word. Let's go to our Lord in prayer. Our God and Father in heaven,
we again thank you for this opportunity to look into thy word. Lord, bless us to know the Savior. Lord, bless us to know the Lord
Jesus Christ, to rest in him who has delivered us from the
wrath to come. Lord, we pray that you would
use your word, Lord, to speak to dead sinners, Lord, to comfort
your sheep, cause us to rest in thee and thee alone, and Lord,
to exalt thy name, to get glory to thy name. Again, we pray you bless us this
day. Lord, cause us to think on these things and to rest in
the Lord Jesus Christ, which in his name we pray and give
thee thanks. Amen.