RESTORED BY GOD, RELYING ON MEN
As gas prices keep rising, I cannot help but wonder if we
will face a day when we have to come up with alternative sources to fuel our
addiction to cars. The production of
ethanol and the development of hybrid cars have not been seen as important so
far but who knows what the days ahead might bring.
Could there ever come a time when cars
that have been designed to run on fossil fuel could be glorified wagons pulled
by horses again? As silly as that
picture may be to imagine, in some international settings, I have seen farm
animals hitched to cars without sufficient fuel.
What strikes us as comical about that is
that we all know that one of the reasons cars were invented was so that we would
not have to rely on animals for transportation.
Having driven around in ‘horseless carriages’ for over a century now,
reverting back seems ridiculous and unthinkable.
Why would anyone who had experienced such
transformational progress revert back to inefficient and ineffective
methods? The answer regarding
transportation is simple—people would not do that unless they were desperate.
Then why in our spiritual lives have we
been so ready to abandon our new life in Christ and revert back to our old ways
of living? Many have forgotten that
since Christ saved us, He also supplies all we need to live for him.
Col. 2:6-7 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in
Him, 7 having been firmly
rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you
were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
Having received new life in Christ, why
would we go back and abandon Him in the way we try to live each day?
The very idea that we have outgrown our
need for trusting in the Lord betrays both an
ungrateful and an unbelieving heart.
THESIS: When Christ
restored us to new life, He also provided all we need to live that new life in
the abundance of His perfect sufficiency.
David demonstrates the foolishness of
ignoring the God who restores us as if we needed Him for restoration but not
for all that life demands after that.
I. GOD GIVES BACK THE LOST KINGDOM
--Finally,
with the death of his son, Absalom, the people of Israel and Judah realize that
David is their one true king and bring him back, restoring the kingdom that had
been stolen away by his rebellious and ambitious son.
2 Sam. 19:14-15 Thus he turned the hearts of all the men of
Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, saying, “Return, you and
all your servants.” 15 The
king then returned and came as far as the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal in
order to go to meet the king, to bring the king across the Jordan.
II. DAVID GOES BACK TO GODLESS METHODS
--The
hand of the Lord was with David and restored what had been lost.
--But
the fickle nature of the Israelites once came through as “the anger of the Lord burned against” them. (24:1)
--David,
who had seen what could happen when his eyes turned away from the Lord, fell prey
to his own season of unbelief, of living by sight instead of by faith.
A. TRUSTING IN
THE MEASURE OF MAN RATHER THAN THE MIGHT OF GOD
1.
An Evil of Significant Proportions in the Place of a Faithfulness to
God’s Calling
--The
track record of Israel had not been good and once again we are told that evil
prevailed to the extent that God’s anger had once again been kindled.
2 Sam. 24:1 Now again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and it
incited David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”
--David
and the Israelites had constantly challenged God’s authority and rebelled
against His will.
--The
passage tells us that God “incited David against them”
· The
Lord incited David – 2 Samuel 24:1
· Satan
stood up and moved David – 1 Chron
21:1
--Can
God really “incite” people to do what is wrong, to instigate them to sin, move
them toward evil deeds?
--As
difficult as that idea is to us, the Scriptures speak of just that on more than
one occasion, either with the hardening of a heart or the prompting of a curse
or moving someone toward an evil course of action.
--A
couple of notes about that…
§ God
only incites those who are already
sinning against Him to further sin
§ God
simply provides opportunity for them to do what their hearts were already inclined
to do
§ God
moves them to act on what is already in their heart so that what they are is
manifest to all, including themselves.
--Why
would He do such a thing?
§ That
the sinner may be brought to the knowledge of thoughts and inclinations of his
heart, things which may have remained secreted away otherwise
§ That
thus, the sinner may be brought to repentance by seeing the evil and the
consequence of his sin
§ That
the sinner may indeed become so hardened that his punishment is all the more
understandable
§ That
it may be clear to everyone that God, as one of His means, does punish sin
through sinners
--Therefore,
what God saw in David’s heart and in Israel’s evil deeds had prompted Him to
take action against their sin.
2.
A Census of Human Resources in the Place of a Confidence in God’s
Promises.
--David
chose to have Joab count the people available to serve in his army and support
his kingdom.
2 Samuel 24:3-4 But Joab
said to the king, “Now may the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times
as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see; but why does
my lord the king delight in this thing?”
4 Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and
against the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went
out from the presence of the king, to register the people of Israel.
--Could
have been for three possible reasons, but evidence indicates it is the third
possibility that motivated David:
a. Taxation Interests
– Idea would have been to get more money out of the people (that was not his
motivation for he had no need)
b. Bragging Rights
– Suggestion is that David wanted to get a head count so he could boast of how
many he ruled, how much he possessed
c. Bask in His Power
– This appears to be the real reason for David’s sin, a desire to know how
strong his nation was, what he could count on them to be able to do…the
self-exaltation of personal power and glory seem to have led him to this sin.
--In
either event, David invited the wrath of God against himself and his people by
choosing to trust in man rather than God and placing his confidence in numbers
instead of the Name of the Lord of hosts.
--David chose to count his people rather than count on
God!
--How
do we measure ourselves by men rather than by satisfying ourselves in the Lord?
1. Basing our estimations of ourselves on the
opinions of people rather than the declarations of God
· Performance-based
acceptance vs. unconditional love
and acceptance
John
12:43
for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.
· Superiority
or inferiority complex vs. sane
estimation of who we are are and how God made us
Rom. 12:3 For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you
not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as
to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
· Hollow
efforts to build self-esteem vs.
sovereign design with an identity as a people chosen by God
1 Pet. 2:9-10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the
excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous
light; 10 for you once were
not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy .
2. Allowing our attitude to depend on what
others do instead of what Christ has done
|
Frustrated
by others |
vs |
Content
in Christ |
|
Demeaned
by others |
vs |
Valued
by Christ |
|
Loving
according to merit in others |
vs |
Loving
unconditionally through Christ |
|
Angered
by others |
vs |
Patient
in Christ |
|
Bitterness
toward others |
vs |
Forgiveness
through Christ |
--People
cannot shape our attitudes and responses unless we allow them to do so.
--When
we do that, we give them control over us instead of allowing Christ to control
us.
3. Operating according to our limited
capabilities instead of relying on the limitless ability of God
· Expectations
governed by the visible assets of men vs.
the invisible power and promises of God
Heb. 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of
things not seen.
--Those
visible assets often shield our eyes from the invisible ones offered by the
Lord and limit what we are willing to do and how much we are willing to commit
in obedience to His calling.
--We
are likely to assess what we can see of the talent…
influence …money …attractiveness …availability of those around us…and what
we find in ourselves…and then follow the leading of Christ only as far as those
things will take us!
--So
you see, we can fall prey to the same kind of thinking David used when he
allowed God’s calling and equipping to be pushed aside in favor of human
resources he could count on in himself and others.
B. SUFFERING FOR
AN AFFRONT against GOD INSTEAD OF ENJOYING THE FAVOR OF MAN
--Thinking
perhaps that his power would prompt the good opinion and high regard of many,
David found out that instead he was responsible for bringing great destruction
upon those whose favor he sought.
--People
may have been impressed at first by the great numbers he commanded, but were
soon devastated by the great sin he committed.
1. Conviction that His Action Was a Great Sin
2 Sam. 24:10 Now David’s heart troubled him after he had numbered the people.
So David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now,
O LORD, please take away the iniquity of Thy servant, for I have acted very
foolishly.”
--The
text does not explain how David came to that conclusion but somehow the Holy
Spirit revealed to him and convicted him of the full measure of his sin against
God.
2. Aware that His Best Hope was in a Great God
--Given
the option of “choosing his poison” as a consequence for his sin, David wisely
chose to throw himself into the merciful hands of a great God rather than the
hands of man.
2 Samuel 24:12-14 “Go and speak to
David, ‘Thus the LORD says, “I am offering you three things; choose for
yourself one of them, which I may do to you.”’”
13 So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall
seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months
before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’
pestilence in your land? Now consider and see what answer I shall return to Him
who sent me.” 14 Then David
said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD
for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
--God
chose to send pestilence upon the people who had caused His anger to burn
(24:1), and thousands of them died—significantly reducing the numbers recently
counted in the census.
2 Sam. 24:15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until
the appointed time; and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to
Beersheba died.
3. Distressed that His Sin Brought Great Grief
--David
was devastated by this horrifying consequence of his own failure to trust in
God alone and cried out to God to have the anger of the Lord turned on him and
away from his people.
2 Sam 24:7 Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was
striking down the people, and said, “Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is
I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Thy
hand be against me and against my father’s house.”
--He
knew that he was responsible and was deeply grieved, willing to pay any price
to take away the punishment of his people, to make any sacrifice to atone for
his sin…and theirs!
C. PROVIDING FOR
A SACRIFICE TO GOD RATHER THAN ACCEPTING A FAVOR FROM MAN
--Although
his initial motivation was to invite the praise and favor of the people, he
realizes now the worthlessness of seeking that from man instead of God.
--An
atoning sacrifice for his own sins and the sins of his people was needed to
remove the stain and the punishment of that sin.
1. An Altar for the Atoning Sacrifice
--At
the threshing floor of Araunah just north of the city of David in Jerusalem,
David was told to build an altar for presenting a sacrifice to the Lord.
Note: It was on this spot later that the Temple
would be constructed; and on this spot centuries earlier that Abraham had
offered Isaac and God had provided a ram.
2. An Offering of Personal Cost
--Araunah
offers to give David the threshing floor, the oxen for the sacrifice, even the wood
for the fire (24:22-23)
--But
David recognizes that such generosity cannot be accepted if he is to make a
sacrificial offering of his own.
--What
he says has become the standard by which all of our offerings to the Lord are
to be measured.
2 Sam 24:24 However, the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it
from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God
which cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for
fifty shekels of silver.
--The
problem for many of us is that we do not understand how serious our sin of
unbelief is.
--Therefore,
we either attempt the work of the Lord with the resources we can command
ourselves, and then when that fails, we offer meaningless sacrifices that cost us nothing to atone for our
unbelief and lack of trust.
The kingdom which had been violently ripped away from David
had been restored to him by the grace, goodness and power of the Lord. But now, that which had been given by the hand
of God was being managed by the hands of men.
Paul confronted that kind of thing in his
letter to the Galatians:
Gal. 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being
perfected by the flesh?
Are you one like David who has been
blessed by the grace of God with new life and restored to His purpose and plan
for your life? If you have, then you
cannot afford now to relinquish what you have gained and give up a life of
faith to revert back to a life of trusting only what you can see.
While we might find it ridiculous to
picture ourselves going back to riding in cars pulled around by horses, we
somehow do not think it odd to try to live a Christ-centered life without
Christ at the center! We try to enjoy the
blessings of the Lord but in the power of the flesh.
We have begun by the Spirit…we must
continue by the Spirit. We have begun by
faith…we must walk on by faith. Paul’s
words to the Colossians come back to mind as we conclude:
Col. 2:6-7 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in
Him…
Unlike David, we who have come to faith in
Christ must continue to walk by faith in the only One who can enable and equip
us to prosper for His glory and our good!
April 10, 2005
Providence Baptist Church
© David Horner 2005
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