READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l At the end of David’s life, he showed how real and vulnerable a king and God’s servant he is. He modelled authentic discipleship.
Discipleship lessons
1. Consuming Pride (v1-9)
Israel enjoyed peace and security until they angered God and He incited David against them. While 1 Chronicles 21 attributed this to Satan, scholars see no contradiction, explaining that Satan directly tempts while God permits it. This parallels Job’s story, where he resisted temptation and experienced a fresh revelation of God’s glory. David, however, succumbed to temptation and took a census.
The issue was not the census but taking it without God’s command. Despite advice against it, David persisted in counting his fighting men. The census took 9 months, showing how determined he was to count. In ancient times, censuses were usually for taxation or military conscription. David’s counting of fighting men suggested military conscription and a reliance on his 1.3 million fighting men instead of on God, departing from Deuteronomy 17’s instruction for earthly kings to rely on the divine king. Previously, Israel won all wars with a voluntary army. David, lured by his past victories (1 Chronicles 20), desired a conscripted army rather than a voluntary army provided by God. He was consumed by his pride and relied on his resources, viewing the fighting men as his security and significance.
What are the “fighting men” in your life? What are the things that have become your source of pride and security? For many, it is our accomplishments, connections, or financial ability and independence. It could even be our piousness and spirituality. If we put our faith and trust in these things, we will lose our soul and direction to eternal perspective.
2. Courageous Repentance (v10-17)
Nine months later, David, conscience-stricken, faced three options: 3 years of famine (the poor will suffer), 3 months of fleeing (the soldiers will suffer), or 3 days of plague (all will suffer). Despite having options that would spare him and his family, David chose 3 days of plague, trusting in God’s mercy. Amidst facing the consequences, he demonstrated courageous repentance and strength of character.
Examples of courageous repentance
- Confess and apologise
- Seek forgiveness
- Accept consequences (no excuse)
- Take responsibility (don’t blame others)
- Make amends and restitution
- Change errant ways
It starts with us. It takes courage to repent because our efforts may not be accepted and forgiveness may not be granted. David recognised this and relinquished control to God as he sought to experience God’s mercy in his repentance.
What choices of courageous repentance do you have to make today? When we are willing to be courageous, God is with us. His grace is sufficient for us.
3. Costly Sacrifice (v18-25)
The plague lasted a day. Scholars believed David’s repentance drew out God’s mercy. David was to build an altar on Araunah’s threshing floor and use animal blood to atone for his and his people’s sins to stop the plague. Despite Araunah’s offer of the threshing floor and other items, David insisted on paying. He was unwilling to offer sacrifices that cost him nothing.
The threshing floor is a place where grain is collected on the floor to be threshed and winnowed. They are traditional places for receiving divine revelations and messages. Araunah’s threshing floor on Mount Moriah was where Solomon later built the temple (2 Chronicles 3:1). Mount Moriah was also where Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac. On another hill not too far away was where Jesus died on the cross.
David, a man after God’s heart, understood God’s heart is about costly sacrifice. He knew the principle and lived it. When he fell, he picked himself up by the grace of God and made a costly sacrifice to continue following God. The clarion call of our discipleship is to offer costly sacrifice. Christianity today is no longer costly; it has become convenient, comfortable, and consumeristic.
“Salvation is free but discipleship costs your life. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer). Matthew 16:24-25 instructs us to pick up our cross and follow Him. We are called to die to ourselves, and that is our costly sacrifice.
What is your costly sacrifice? Is it
- putting Him first
- laying down my will
- submitting to His ways (and time)
- loving and serving others?
Our Stories, His Glory (https://oshg2.wesleymc.org/) features stories of God’s servants making godly sacrifices.
“A sacrifice to be real must cost, must hurt, and must empty ourselves. Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your weakness.” (Mother Teresa of Calcutta)
May God reveal the fighting men you rely on and grant you the grace to courageously repent and the strength to make a costly sacrifice.
(Sermon notes by Joy Lim)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Read 2 Samuel 24. Share one observation about the text.
- What are the “fighting men” in your life you count and are counting on?
- How have these things replaced your reliance on God and been a source of consuming pride?
- How was David courageous in his repentance? What does “courageous repentance” mean for you?
- Is God calling you to take brave action as you repent from something you have done or not done?
- What was David’s costly sacrifice?
- What may be your costly sacrifice to God flowing from a heart of willing obedience?
- Share a take-away lesson and pray for each other.
