Day 143 – 2 Samuel 24, 1 Chronicles 21-22, Psalm 30

Talking Points

• David has sinned against God by taking a census of the people. Most likely, it was done to bolster his pride. God sends a prophet and gives David the option of three different, severe forms of punishment. David, in despair, yet trusting in God’s mercy, defers to God. This response reveals that David trusts that God will do the right thing. He knows God is gracious, righteous, just, and merciful.
• David admits his sin, taking full responsibility for it. He asks for mercy on the people. As the angel is about to pour out God’s judgment on Jerusalem, God stops him. At God’s command, David builds an altar to the Lord. This place is the same place where Abraham had built his altar. This will be where the temple is built by Solomon. How profound! This spot is where God provided Abraham’s lamb, where God stayed His judgment on this day, and where Jesus would one day present Himself as the Messiah, taking God’s judgment and standing as the Lamb of God.
• In buying the land, David recognizes that sacrifices which cost nothing are not truly sacrifices at all.
• David secures the resources for Solomon to build the temple. The needed supplies will be ready when construction begins. David tells Solomon to “be strong and courageous,” and that if he is “careful to observe the statutes and the ordinances which the LORD commanded,” he will prosper (1 Chronicles 22:13). Notice the truth: Solomon has been appointed by God to build the temple, and he has been aided and encouraged by David, yet it will require obedience on his own part to see it through. Strength, courage, and resolve will be needed to walk in that obedience.

Thoughts

In preparing Solomon and the leaders of Israel to build the temple, David knows this is not just a physical task. It would have been easy, probably a great joy, to accumulate the very best supplies, the very best workers, and the very best site, and leave it at that. But, David makes more preparation than just that.

He instructs his son to keep God’s law. He commands the leaders to set their hearts and their souls “to seek the LORD” (1 Chronicles 22:19). David has seen what happens when he was obedient, seeking the LORD, and what happens when he strayed and trusted in other things. His advice is to be careful.

Careful — to take care, to diligently observe, to keep, to watch, to preserve. Today, may we take David’s advice. In all our dealings, in all our days, Lord, help us to be careful rather than careless with Your commands. Teach us to set our hearts and our souls to seek You.