1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: I'm John Stangi, and today we're in First Chronicles, chapter 5 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: twenty one, and we'll be reading from the message. Now. 6 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:29,159 Speaker 1: Satan entered the scene and seduced David into taking a 7 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: census of Israel. David gave orders to Joeab and the 8 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: army officers under him, canvass all the tribes of Israel 9 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,160 Speaker 1: from Dan to Beersheba and get account of the population. 10 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:46,240 Speaker 1: I want to know the number. Joeab resisted. May God 11 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 1: multiply his people by hundreds. Don't they all belong to 12 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: my master, the King? But why on earth would you 13 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: do a thing like this? Why risk getting Israel into 14 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: trouble with God? But David wouldn't take no for an answer, 15 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: So Joeab went off and did it. Canvassed the country 16 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: and then came back to Jerusalem and reported the results 17 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: of the census. There were one million, one hundred thousand 18 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: fighting men. Of that total, Judah accounted for four hundred 19 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: seventy thousand. Joe Ab, disgusted by the command. It in 20 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:26,839 Speaker 1: fact turned his stomach, protested by leaving Levi and Benjamin 21 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 1: out of the senses, taking, and God, offended by the 22 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: whole thing, punished Israel. Then David prayed, I have sinned 23 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: badly in what I have just done, substituting statistics for trust. 24 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: Forgive my sin. I've been really stupid. God answered by 25 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: speaking to God David's pastor, go and give David this message. 26 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: God's word. You have your choice of three punishments. Choose 27 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: one and I'll do the rest. God delivered the message 28 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: to David. Do you want three years of famine, three 29 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: months of running from your enemies while they chase you down, 30 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: or three days of the sword of God an epidemic 31 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: unleashed on the country by an angel of God. Think 32 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: it over and make up your mind. What shall I 33 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: tell the one who sent me? David told God, they're 34 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: all terrible, but I'd rather be punished by God, whose 35 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 1: mercy is great, than fall into human hands. So God 36 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: unleashed an epidemic in Israel. Seventy thousand Israelites died. God 37 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: then sent the angel to Jerusalem, but when he saw 38 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: the destruction about to begin, he compassionately changed his mind 39 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: and ordered the death Angel. Enough's enough, pull back. The 40 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: Angel of God had just reached the threshing floor of 41 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: Aruna the Jebusite. David looked up and saw the angel 42 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: hovering between earth and sky. Soared drawn and about to 43 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: strike Jerusalem. David and the elders bowed in prayer and 44 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 1: covered themselves with rough burlap. David prayed, Please, I'm the 45 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 1: one who sinned. I'm the one at fault. But these sheep, 46 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: what did they do wrong? Punish me, not them, Me 47 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: and my family. Don't take it out on them. The 48 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: Angel of God ordered Gad to tell David to go 49 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: and build and alter to God on the threshing floor 50 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: of Aruna the Jebusite. David did what God told him 51 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: in obedience to God's command. Meanwhile, Aruna had quit threshing 52 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: the wheat and was watching the angel. His four sons 53 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 1: took cover and hid. David came up to Aruna. When 54 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: Aruna saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed 55 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: deeply before David. Honoring the king, David said to Aruna, 56 00:03:57,920 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: give me the sight of the threshing floor so I 57 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: can build an alter to God. Charge me the market 58 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: price We're going to put an end to this disaster. 59 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: Oh Master, my King said Aruna, just take it, do 60 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: whatever you want with it. Look, here's an ox for 61 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: the burnt offering, and threshing paddles for the fuel, and 62 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: wheat for the meal offering. It's all yours. David replied 63 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: to Aruna. No, I'm buying it from you, and at 64 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,679 Speaker 1: the full market price. I'm not going to offer God's 65 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: sacrifices that are no sacrifice. So David bought the place 66 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: from Aruna for six hundred shekels of gold. He built 67 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: an altar to God there and sacrificed whole burnt offerings 68 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 1: and peace offerings. He called out to God, and God 69 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: answered by striking the altar of hole burnt offering with lightning. 70 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 1: Then God told the angel to pull his sword back 71 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: into its scabbard. And that's the story of what happened 72 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 1: when David saw that God answered him on the threshing 73 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 1: floor of Aaruna, the Jebu site at the time he 74 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:07,799 Speaker 1: offered the sacrifice. At this time, the tabernacle that Moses 75 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: had constructed in the desert and with it the altar 76 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,040 Speaker 1: of burnt offering were set up at the worship center 77 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:19,239 Speaker 1: at Gibeon, but David, terrified by the angel's sword, wouldn't 78 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: go there. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, 79 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: and we thank you for the privilege of being able 80 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 1: to look at it together today. And Lord, as we 81 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 1: look at this portion of scripture, we see this difference 82 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:39,040 Speaker 1: between walking by faith and walking by sight. And Lord, 83 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 1: you tell us elsewhere in your words, specifically in the 84 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: Book of Hebrews, that the only way to please you 85 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: is by faith. And here David, instead of walking in 86 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: the trust that you had inspired his heart to walk in, 87 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: he chose to walk by sight. He wanted to number 88 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: the people and count on the strength of human hands, 89 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,039 Speaker 1: instead of relying on you to per vibe for and 90 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: protect and defend the people of Israel. Lord, we thank 91 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 1: you that you inspired within his heart repentance, and we 92 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 1: likewise thank you that David was able to recognize that 93 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:16,359 Speaker 1: your character is one of perfect justice but also perfect mercy, 94 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: and so he sought your mercy in the midst of 95 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 1: his foolishness. Lord, we know that it can be very 96 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 1: easy for us in our specific context as well, to 97 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: try and walk by sight, to try and count things 98 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: that we shouldn't be counting to try and rely on 99 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: the things that this world looks to for sustenance and 100 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 1: strength instead of trusting in You to be our sufficient 101 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,359 Speaker 1: Lord and savior. But Lord, you remind us time and 102 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 1: time again in your word that if we have Jesus Christ, 103 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: your son is our Savior, we have all that we 104 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 1: truly need in this world. So Lord, we're grateful for 105 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 1: that reality. We're grateful for your presence with us, and 106 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 1: we pray that all throughout the course of this day 107 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: and every day, that we would trust that you are 108 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: sufficient for all that we need. We thank you Lord 109 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:04,840 Speaker 1: for all these things. We thank you for your mercy 110 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,359 Speaker 1: and for your presence with us, and we pray this 111 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 1: all in Jesus' name. Amen.