Wow this had a lot to say and it is deep.  The thing that sticks out at me
is what you said about confiding in Jesus before we confide in others this
is so true and I pray to do that.

Lelia


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ariel" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2003 3:32 PM
Subject: IN THE HANDS OF THE HOLY (COMMENTARY ON 2 SAMUEL 24)


> IN THE HANDS OF THE HOLY (Commentary on 2 Samuel 24)
>
> "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." 2 Samuel 24:14
>
> We've seen in the previous chapter how important it is for Believers to be
> faithful undershepherds to those new disciples around them in the Name of
> JESUS, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep.
>
> In this chapter, we see the result when an undershepherd, a leader, fails.
> And yet, by the mercy of GOD, there's hope even in those failures.
>
> It was several chapters back when we were told these were the last words
of
> David, yet here are more stories about David in the prime of life.  Why?
> The answer might be found in what Solomon would later write in
Ecclesiastes
> 12:13, the conclusion of the matter is that GOD will judge and GOD will be
> glorified in everything.  This chapter is like the crowning jewel of what
> was important in David's life, a loving relationship with the Living GOD.
>
> We're told as the chapter begins that the anger of GOD burned again
against
> Israel.  They were once again being disobedient and as punishment His
anger
> was provoked.  As punishment, He allowed the thought of numbering Israel
to
> enter David's mind.  This was a test to see what David and the people
would
> do, and David, despite all of the triumphs the LORD had brought them
through
> before, decides to number the people to judge their strength rather than
> acknowledging that no matter how great or few they were, the LORD was
their
> strength.  Joab, his commander, tried to talk David out of it but he
> wouldn't listen and so his orders were followed. David, the undershepherd
> misled the sheep down a path where they would be harmed.  Part of the
> problem of a census might be the distinction that was made in verse 9
> between Israel and Judah rather than a united people, "one nation under
> GOD", as it were.
>
> As we've seen in the past, David is unlike Saul and other leaders who had
> the Holy Spirit present with them for a time then disappear.  David
slipped
> and sinned, but the Holy Spirit in His Heart never left him.  Rather, the
> Holy Spirit convicted him and would not leave him sit in that condition.
> David comes to the LORD and asks for cleansing and forgiveness that night,
> and in the morning, the LORD uses Gad, the prophet to come to David with a
> choice.  There must be consequences for the sin, for even in forgiveness,
> sin has consequences.  The three choices are either:  seven years of
famine,
> running three months from the enemy, or three days of pestilence (that is,
> death and decimation).  David's response is the verse we quoted at the
> beginning of this commentary,  "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."
> Famine, though of the LORD, would leave them at the mercy of other people
> who could provide or deny them food, running as a people from the enemy
> would leave them exposed to the enemy, but death from plague would be
> straight from the Hand of GOD, and His mercies could be trusted when no
> human could.
>
> This was no easy choice for David to make.  He mentions to Gad what
distress
> his failure brings to him.  When a leader fails, it hurts not only the
> people he leads, but himself.  There may be consequences so great that
> neither he nor they could survive.  Or, as with David, though he may
> survive, he would wish for their sake that he had not when he sees the
hurt
> his sin brings upon them.
>
> The plague comes and seventy thousand of David's people die.  Seventy
> thousand.  Think about that for a moment.  Because the leader did not
check
> himself with the LORD before proceeding, seventy thousand people who
relied
> upon him were dead.  We're told that, like the plague of Egypt, a
destroying
> angel was permitted to roam the land.  When the angel stretched his hand
> toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD called a stop to it.  The
> destroying angel stopped and stood on a mountaintop near the threshold of
> Araunah or Ornan and David saw him there.  When David saw the angel,
> thinking the destruction would continue, he cries out to the LORD that it
is
> his fault so to please kill him and his bloodline instead of allowing
anyone
> else to suffer for his sin.  Upon these words, the LORD sends Gad to David
> again and gives the command to build an altar on the threshing floor where
> the angel stopped his destruction.  David obeys.  It's as if time is
> standing still, as if a musical note is being held as we wait to see what
> will happen and if the LORD will hit the pause button again and allow the
> total destruction of Israel or will stop the plague completely.
>
> Araunah offers the place and oxen for a sacrifice to David, but David says
> that he will not offer to GOD what cost him nothing.  He insists instead
on
> paying for it all and does so, then offers a sacrifice to the LORD on the
> spot.  The prayers for the land that accompanied the sacrifice moved the
> LORD and He withheld the plague entirely from the land.
>
> Stand with David on the threshing room floor.  And look.  Look to the
past.
> Why a threshing room floor?  We see from other Scripture references that
the
> threshing room floor was symbolic of making the first sacrifice to the
LORD,
> as soon as it was fit for eating, the grain was to be offered.  And
remember
> Ruth and Boaz?  It was on the threshing room floor that Ruth offered
herself
> to him and Boaz took her under his protection to be his future bride.  And
> it was at another threshing floor that Uzzah presumptuously sought to
"save"
> the Ark of GOD and died for his pridefulness.  So we see the threshing
floor
> is symbolic of the LORD providing for His people, and of their sacrifices
in
> acknowledgement of His LORDship.
>
> But here is the glory...Now look forward, to the future.  Because it is on
> this very spot that the altar of the Temple of Solomon will stand.  It
will
> be the place of the Second Temple where JESUS will appear and meet with
His
> followers to explain how He has come from the Father to be the Shepherd of
> the Sheep and pay for their sins.
>
> So often we seek to solve things our own way.  We try to fix things,
> manipulate our affairs and cope with situations by trying to get others to
> act as we would have them act.  We fret and worry about how others treat
us
> or what they will do to us.  And only as a last resort do we come to the
> LORD.  This chapter reminds us that the LORD, specifically JESUS, should
> always be our first choice, not our last.  Don't trust people, don't
confide
> in people, until you've first trusted and confided in CHRIST.  Only then
> will you be able to cope with the frailties and failings of the flesh,
your
> own and others.  Even the best leader will fail us, but JESUS never fails.
>
> There is an insurance slogan that says "You're in good hands with
Allstate."
> But no human being can offer us true assurance or insurance.  The arm of
> flesh will fail.  We cannot trust in any human being or leader completely.
> We are safe ultimately, only and forever, in the Hands of the Holy One,
the
> nail-pierced Hands of JESUS.
>
>
> SCRIPTURES USED IN THIS COMMENTARY
>
> Hebrews 13:20, 2 Samuel 21:7, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Exodus 12:23, Numbers
> 15:20, Ruth 3, 2 Samuel 6:6, 2 Chronicles 3, Mark 14:49, 2 Chronicles
32:8,
> Psalm 118:9, Matthew 12:21
>