MAY 5
Israel had become a powerful nation. David had been elevated
by the Lord to a great place of responsibility. As a result, David
and the people became proud. David had forgotten that all the glory
of the nation had come from the Lord. The lust of the flesh had led
David to commit an awful sin with Bathsheba. Now, the lust of the
eyes and the pride of life have urged him to number the people and
glory in his greatness.
David’s sin was not in numbering the people. His sin was the
motive which led him to number the people. His only purpose for
numbering the people was to glory in himself. God never allows this.
The Lord sent the pestilence. The whole nation of Israel paid for
David’s sin. This is a principle of life which cannot be escaped.
Whenever a Christian sins other people are always hurt. “No man
liveth unto himself.” I recently heard an alcoholic say, “All the
harm I do, I do to myself.” This is not true. When a man sins, he
hurts his wife and children. He hurts the society in which he lives.
He grieves the Lord. He damages his own body, which is the temple of
the Holy Spirit.
God’s grace is greater than all our sin. When David and the
elders of Israel fell upon their faces in genuine repentance, God
gave deliverance. The Lord instructed them to make a sacrifice on
Ornan’s threshing-floor. God accepted the sacrifice because it was
made according to His Word. The judgment upon the people ceased.