Know Your Enemy! - 1 Chronicles 21-23
Insight Into Scripture
Today, we read chapters 21 to 23. The Bible records 2 of King David's sins. In Chapter 21 we read about one of those sins. satan tempted David into the sin of pride, by taking a census in the land. This angers YAHWEH and for this sin, David's people pay a high price.
Chapter 22 tells us how David aided his son Solomon in getting preparations for building the temple.
100,000 talents of gold is an immense amount of gold. Its weight of 3750 TONS would fetch about $45 BILLION at today's prices (22:14). This is the largest amount of gold that is mentioned in the Old Testament.
1,000,000 talents of silver is an enormous amount! Almost 40,000 tons, this far exceeds anything else from biblical or extra biblical sources.
In chapter 23 we read how David makes his son, Solomon, king and how he divided the Levites who were the tribe designated to be priests.
Bringing the Bible Alive
This is a drawing of the Angel of the LORD. The Angel of the LORD is a specific Angel that carries out GOD's commands and judgements.In our readings I found it fascinating that while The Angel of the LORD was carrying out GOD's judgement against Israel, David saw the Angel with sword drawn (21:16). This must have made quite an impression on David, in 1 Chronicles 21:30 the Bible says that David was afraid to inquire of GOD, due to his fear of the Angel. Araunah also saw the Angel of the LORD in 1 Chronicles 21:20, after seeing him he hid with his four sons.
Have you ever wondered if he is huge, or very bright? When most people met him they were afraid. I guess we will find out when we go home, right?
Scripture Reading
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.
13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.
14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. - 1 Chronicles 21:1-4, 7, 13-15 KJV
Thought for the Day
I used the King James Version today, I liked the words to describe satan's actions. There were two thoughts today that I wanted to share with you. The first was our enemy; satan. The Bible does not say much about satan and how he effects us. There is an example here in the book of Job. Notice how the Bible describes satan's actions, he "Stood up against Israel".
When my son and I are arguing, and I have had enough, I stand up. I guess it is my way of making myself superior and usually by that time I am pretty heated ready for a big fight. I can see satan using the same thought process, this is an aggressive stance towards YOU, he is ready for a fight and wants to make himself look bigger than the tiny being that he is.
The other word that I found interesting was; he "Provoked" David. I looked up "Provoke" in the dictionary.
It means:
1. To incite to anger or resentment
2. To stir to action or feeling.
satan is a BULLY! I had a bully in school once and there was two ways that I would deal with him. First, I would ignore him, I would realize that he did not have much self confidence so he had to hurt others to make himself feel better. The other way that I would deal with this person, I would go and get my BIG friend to deal with him. That bully was not so tough when he saw how I had a big friend next to my side. I learned that when I kept my BIG friend around me, the bully would steer clear of me.
Do you see the connection here? You can't win if you fight and argue with satan. He has had YEARS of experience, but, you can ignore him. Focus your attention to your BIG friend JESUS. Look at that sad little bully (satan) and tell him, "If you are going to mess with me, you are going to have to mess with my BIG friend JESUS". Watch him pee his pants and run scared. Heh Heh Heh
The other point that I wanted you to see is how sin hurts not only us, but the people around us. Because of David's prideful sin 70,000 men died. I know that David felt awful, in verse 21:17 David refers to them as sheep and asked to put the judgement on himself and his family.
Have a BLESSED Weekend and keep up with your reading. Find some Jesus time this weekend to be alone with your BIG friend!
Closing Prayer
Dear Jesus
Father I pray that we have lots of time together as usual this weekend, I pray that there will be some Divine appointments for me. Father I pray that You will continue to give me the strength to know when the enemy is upon me and I turn to You for cover.
I love You and I pray in Your great Name, Amen.
5 comments:
This has nothing to do with todays devotion except about 4 or 5 days ago you used Ruth and Naomi in a Trivia, and all knows what they mean to me. So as usuall almost everyday since something is coming up with them. This was simple bu liked it when I read yesterday in a web site :
"studylight.org and their devotional:
everydaylight.com for more
inspirational devotions by Selwyn Hughes."
Ruth 2:22-23
Ruth continues to glean in the field of Boaz, secure in the knowledge that when the barley harvest is over she will be able to stay on and participate in the wheat harvest as well. Naomi is equally elated as she senses that Ruth's meeting with Boaz is no accident, but part of God's wonderful provision and care. One can imagine Naomi musing to herself: "How strange that Ruth should alight on the field owned by Boaz and that she should become the object of his personal interest and concern. And to discover, too, that Boaz has the right to redeem her and may well take her to be his wife." Deep down in her heart Naomi knows that God is at work. Each one of us must recognize that in the ebb and flow of life's circumstances, an eternal God is quietly pursuing His purposes. Little, if anything, happens by chance in the God-ordained life. The Almighty is seeking to work out His purposes in the life of each one of us, and He is there in every emergency or situation that arises. He is there in the ups and downs, the ins and outs, the comings and goings. When you become aware that in the life of every one of His children God is bent on bringing to pass His perfect purposes, then that thought most certainly reduces anxiety and fear. If only we could grasp the truth of Romans 8:28 (KJV): "All things work together for good." Hardly a fear would then arise in our hearts. Our trouble is not that we do not believe God's Word; our trouble is we do not believe it enough.
IN CHRIST
Ecc.3
Donna
Bible Trivia:
What bad man got his head nailed to the ground?
ANSWER:Jael: Heber the Kenite
Judges 4:2, 3, 17, 21
21. Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.
In Chapter 4 Israel again revolts, and is oppressed by Jabin. I end with this statement:
Those who slight God in prosperity, will find themselves having to seeking Him in trouble.
IN CHRIST
Ecc.3
Donna
I wanted to follow-up on my closing statement of the trivia question.
In chapter four we read the introduction of a woman whom God raised up to judge Israel, Deborah the prophetess:
This is, I believe, the first instance of, a female being in government, on record. Deborah seems to have been supreme both in civil and religious affairs; and Lapidoth, her husband, appears to have had no hand in the government.
Verse 4. Deborah, a prophetess
One on whom the Spirit of God descended, and who was the instrument of conveying to the Israelites the knowledge of the Divine will, in things sacred and civil.
Chapter 4
The Israelites again rebel against God, and they are delivered into the hands of Jabin, king of Canaan, 1,2.
They cry unto God, and he raises up Deborah and Barak to deliver then, 3-10.
Barak attacks Sisera, captain of Jabin's army, at the river Kishon, and gives him a total overthrow, 12-16. Sisera leaves his chariot, and flies away on foot; enters the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber, by whom he is slain, while secreting himself in her apartment, 17-24.
I said all this to say this one statement:
Barak relyed upon Deborah's presence. Deborah says she will go and stay with him. She does not send him where she would not go. Those who call others in God's name to be apart of their God called ministry, should be ready to assist them in their service to them.
I have seen many Ministers bring in Christians eager to serve in their Ministry in the name of God only to use them as their servant and like Deborah a true Minister of God should not require of those serving NOTHING they themselves would not go or do.
IN CHRIST
Ecc.3
Donna
In searching for another scripture the one below came up and it does not even pertain to the one I was getting.
It strangly enough does pertain to what I shared in my last comment about Deborah and her serving with others.
Matthew 23:15 (King James Version)
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
The scribes and Pharisees always wanted to make a show: BIBLEGATEWAY- Yet it is no new thing for a show and form of godliness to be made a cloak....They were very busy to turn souls to be of their party (LOYAL), NOT for the glory of God and the good of souls, but that they (SCRIBES & PRARISEES) might have the credit and advantage of making converts.
Simply put be careful who you put your trust in. Even today and until the end of time there will be those that say they are called and will only use eager hearts to self gain and toss aside when needed no longer.
Oh, the passage I was looking for I am going to post and believe it or not leave no further comment on it:
Ephesians 6:4
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
IN CHRIST
Ecc.3
Donna
Yes, I have watched some "Preacher and Teachers" on TBN..... It makes me sick and angry. How they focus on YOUR money and not with the real thing that counts..... YOUR relationship with Christ.
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