Pride or Humility
70,000 Dead
(#244 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
Satan stood up against Israyl, and moved David to take a census of Israyl. . . David said to the Almighty, “Isn’t it I who commanded the people to be counted? I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand, O Yahweh Almighty, be against me, and against my father’s house; but not against Your people, that they should be plagued.” (1 Chronicles 21:1, 17)
Have you ever been responsible for the death of another, not to mention 70,000 people? David condemned them when he succumbed to the temptation; “Satan (the adversarial will in opposition to Yahweh’s will) stood up against Israyl, and moved David to take a census (dependency upon personal power and might) of Israyl.” Translation: David was motivated by his own ego (“self” determination and reliance). Even after he was warned (Verse 3), “Why does my master require this thing? Why will he be a cause of guilt to Israyl?” he still chose sin.
Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? (Romans 6:16) David, the King of Israyl, servant of the Almighty, man after Yahweh’s own heart, and the apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8), chose sin. David is well known for his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, her husband. But, rarely do we hear of his responsibility for the deaths of these seventy thousand.
This very same man, who gives us such hope with his genuine repentance; Have mercy on me; Against You, and You only, have I sinned; Create in me a clean heart (Psalm 51); was a slave to his own desires, a servant of sin. You are the servants of whomever you obey.
Now consider the thousands who died; would you be so inclined to see him as a pillar of faith if your loved one was one of his victims? Would you still read his words and be encouraged by them? Would you follow him if he was your “king” today?
Maybe a better way to ask is this. Do you see what Yahweh sees? Confession: “I am the one who sinned.” And intersession: “Please let Your hand be against me, but not against Your people.” Or do you overlook the heart (mental disposition) and see only what man sees, the consequences of sin; “Seventy thousand dead” (Verse 14)?
Who are you to judge? Does your true nature long to condemn others? Do you condemn others to make your “self” feel better about you? Learn from this, loved one. His fire is coming; you will be tried; you will be tested. If you’d rather have the short version of the test, then humble yourself. If you see yourself as a diamond with no flaws, step down from your self-made soap box.
The Father knows you are a diamond in the rough, in other words, a piece of coal. It takes a lot of “pressure” to turn coal into a diamond. The pressure will “squeeze” you and expose what is inside. Take your eyes off of everyone else’s sin. Get your focus back on you. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. (1 Corinthians 11:31) If you do, there may just be hope for you yet.
Let him put his mouth in the dust, there might yet be hope! (Lamentations 3:29)