Sermon Tone Analysis
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The Story of David
When we survey the life of David, we often think of him in terms of his sin with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband Uriah.
Most of us would pinpoint that one event in time and David’s life and declare that it was his low point.
But, the text before us finds David in another period of sin.
He was a middle aged man when he sinned with Bathsheba.
Like many men David’s age, he gave in to lust and committed adultery in an effort to reclaim a vanishing youth.
(Ill.
Men that is a trap and a lie!
You cannot go back and you should be mature enough to know it!)
Now David is an old man.
Lust has been replaced by other sins in David’s life.
We might think that as we grow older this thing will get easier; that we will get a handle on the flesh and we will be able to live above sin.
Dream on my friends!
The sins that tempt you today may not tempt you when age comes creeping in, but I am certain that there will be a whole bunch of others sins just waiting to take their place.
I would like for us to spend a little time in this passage today.
I want to examine David’s Greatest Sin.
As we looks at the lessons that are taught in this passage, we can see how to handle our sin when it comes calling.
So, let’s take a little time today to look at these verses and consider David’s Greatest Sin!
THE TRAGEDY OF DAVID’S SIN
(Ill.
Sin is always a tragedy!
Sometimes, people are overcome by evil and fall like an animal in a trap, .
We can sympathize with that kind of sin, because we all do it.
But, at other times, people walk into sin with their eyes wide open, and to my mind, that is a greater tragedy!
Such is the case in this chapter.
Let’s examine David’s sin together.)
It Was A Sin Of Anger
We are told very clearly that God was angry with Israel.
We are told that God moved David to be against them as well. is a parallel passage to this one.
In verse 1 of that text, we are told, “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.”
So, in this sin, Satan was used by the Lord as the agent of His chastisement.
God used Satan to move David to do what was already in David’s heart.
God is not and cannot be the author of sin!
Now, why was God angry with Israel?
We are not told, but I would like to suggest a few reasons.
· It may have been the fact that they followed Absalom when he rebelled against David.
· It may have been that the majority of Israel went after Sheba, .
· It may have been that their hearts were lifted up in pride over all their victories, .
We are told time and again in that passage that the Lord gave the victory, but Israel might have come to believe it was about them and not about Him! (Ill. )
Sister White says that, at least in part, it was David, who was
Whatever the reason, God was angry with them and allowed Satan to tempt David and David, in his anger, sinned by numbering the people.
Sister White tells us that David was looking to increase his military might, and expand his borders by force, from the surrounding nations.
I will admit that I do not fully understand all that is going on here, but I do know this: you had better be careful when you are angry!
You will make mistakes you will want to take back later.
An ancient Chinese saying goes, “He who files off handle, makes bad landing!”
The Bible cautions us against allowing anger to take hold of our hearts and lives, .
It Was A Sin Of Arrogance
Now, you might wonder, “What is wrong with a census?”
Good question!
Maybe David was getting ready to go to war against an unsuspecting neighbor.
Maybe he wanted to see how many people he had under his command so that he could strut around in his pride a little bit.
The fact is, David is acting in pride!
Pride is always the root of our sins!
It was the root of the first sin, .
Pride says, “I know better than God and I can do as I please!”
Beware of your pride it will never lead to the Lord, only farther away!
Our pride separates us form our God and from others!
It Was A Sin Of Aggression
When Joab hears the king’s order, he stands up to David and says, “Why are you doing this?
God has always made the people of Israel appear to be a hundred times stronger than they actually were.
We are a people of faith and we should just do like we have always done and trust the Lord!”
That is good advice, but kings always prevail over general and David’s order stood.
David sinned in the face of good advice.
A lot of the time we get into trouble because we will not stop to listen to the good advice of others.
People who love us will warn us that we are headed down the wring road, but we plow ahead anyway.
The Word of God warns us, but we carry on in the face of what God has to say about the matter.
Actions like that can only end in disaster!
(Ill. )
THE TRAUMA OF DAVID’S SIN
(Ill.
No one sins in a vacuum.
David’s sin affected him, but it also touched his people.
David’s sin unleashed a traumatic time in the nation of Israel.
Let’s examine their trauma for a moment.)
The Trauma Of Conviction
As soon as David gets the report from Joab and begins to study it, he realizes that he has made a big mistake.
He confesses his failure and asks for forgiveness.
Conviction tore his heart apart.
Conviction is one of the most amazing things about being saved, to me.
When I sin, it does not take all day for me to know about it!
As soon as the thought is finished, or the deed is done, I feel His conviction on my heart.
God speaks to His children and lets them know that what they have done is wrong, .
His conviction is the first step in the process of drawing a wayward child home, .
Conviction hurts, but we should praise the Lord for it.
It is one of the greatest assurances of salvation you possess, !
The Trauma Of The Choices
The very next, the prophet Gad comes to David and presents a strange message from the Lord.
God allows David to choose his punishment.
He is offered three choices.
1.
The nation can experience seven years of famine.
2. Israel’s enemies can have victory over them for three months.
3. Israel can face three days of pestilence.
David does not know what to do.
Regardless of the choice David made, the people of Israel were going to suffer terribly.
He trusted himself and his nation to the grace of a good God.
So he makes the wise decision and places the fate of Israel in the hands of the Lord, v. 14.
Ill.
David had rather fall into the hands of a just, holy, good, gracious God than into the hands of sinful men!
God does not offer us such choices.
I thank God that He does not!
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