David took a major census of Israel at the end of his life. It was the wrong thing. It made God mad. We aren’t totally sure why David insisted on the census. Maybe David decided to go ahead with it because of his fear of not having enough men to protect himself, or perhaps because of his pride in having so many warriors … 1,100,000. The story unfolds in in II Samuel 24 and I Chronicles 21.
After David’s disobedience, God spoke to David’s counselor [Gad] and gave him 3 choices to present to David in light of his disobedience in taking a census. The choices were all horrible…
1. Three years of famine
2. Three months of destruction by the sword by David’s enemies.
3. Three days of a severe plague as the angel of the Lord brings devastation through the land of Israel.
David was beside himself. Nonetheless, he chose. Can you guess which punishment he chose?
He chose the 3-day plague. “So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and 70,000 people died as a result. And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But just as the angel was preparing to destroy it, the Lord relented and said to the death angel, ‘Stop! That is enough!'” I Chronicles 21:11-7-17 Wow! How incredible is that?
“There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12
We’re all tempted to make bad decisions. We just feel like we have to go it alone. Well let me ask you: What decisions are on your plate today? What decisions are you going to make? Are you sure you’re making the right choices? Have you asked the Holy Spirit for guidance? Do you really have to decide this very second? Have you sought counsel from trust friends?
Let the Lord build your house, friends. Don’t go it alone. You may live to regret it…
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