2 Samuel Chapter 24:1-24

We talk to people about how not to mess up that part of what we should be teaching as part of what we should be talking about but another part is what we do when we mess up because unfortunately a lot of times we would okay don't do this don't do that. Don't do this don't do that and then when a person messes up what I do.

My tell me what to do in a mess up just assumed I was never to mess up what I do now you run the gun you run the when we do wrong. We should ask God to forgive welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee Senior Pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina today. McGee is teaching through second Samuel chapter 24 verse by verse one of David McGee's associate pastors is Pastor DA Brown welcomed the program DA hey Bob, were excitable God is doing to cross the bridge of Pastor David will take a few minutes to pray for some cities in our listening audience in California. We have Chico Clearlake Kalinga Crescent city, Desert hot Springs Doris in Eureka Lord, we pray for people in the cities to tune in and listen. We pray that you would heal them. After battling some physical ailments. We pray that today, many people will put their hope and trust in you for their personal salvation God. We pray that people would be excited about following you and the cities and got we pray for the churches and pastors that they would walk in unity that they would stick to the vision that you've given them.

Lord, that they would apply your word in every area of their life in Jesus name, amen, amen, amen, brother. Thank you so much for praying for audience is returning to second Samuel chapter 24 working to see us and the David committed that most people don't think about, but it was obviously something is very important to God DA what are some of the lessons that we want to take away from King David's experience here. Pastor Davis can show us in the Scriptures to King David as soon as God illuminates to us that we send to ask for forgiveness quickly is better just to sit there and try to hide it from God for Marlin because, well, God just beat you up when you tell him you sent not at all. Bob were the ones who are affected by not asking for forgiveness. God wants to bless us. He wants to love us and he wants to restore us to the position we were in.

Let's listen as David McGee shares through second Samuel 24 on God's forgiveness. This is a difficult chapter.

It's a difficult chapter to read different difficult chapter to understand others. A couple reasons for that. One of which is when you read the Bible you can in your own carnal mind understand what God is trying to communicate things is very good to do is pray before you read your Bible, or get into a devotion or special before Bible study.

Lord, please reveal your word to me, send your Holy Spirit that I might see this clearly were trying to understand and implement God with a finite mind and so that's one of the challenges and so you were looking at this chapter and and and get ready to jump in here again are some difficult issues in here but because we go verse by verse chapter by chapter. Working to jump in this chapter, you got ready by two of you ready you guys ready for second Samuel chapter 24 verse one is again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel and he moved David against them. This day go, number Israel and Judah.

So the king said to Joab, the commander of the Army was with them. Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and count the people that I may know the number of the people and Joab said to the king now may the Lord your God add to the people.

100 times more than there are. May the house of my lord the king.

See, why does my lord the king desire this thing. Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against you, and against the captains of the Army.

Therefore, Joab and the captains of the Army went out from the presence of the king.

The count the people and they crossed over the Jordan Campton Aurora on the right side of the town which is in the midst of the ravine of Gadsden toward Heiser desert. Then they came to Gilead into the land of tough team hold each coach I they came to Dan on and around this item they came to the stronghold of tyrant. All the cities of the headlights and the Canaanites. Then they went out the South unit as far as dear Sheila, so when they had gone through all the land they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and 20 days, that's how long it to count all these people then Joab gave us some of the number of the people to the king and there were an Israel 800,000 valiant man who drew the sword and the men of Judah were 500,000 men verse 10 David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord. Absent greatly and what I have done for now.

I pray the Lord, take away the iniquity of your servant Frank done very foolish to point out a couple. David's heart condemned, and after he had numbered the people. How long did it take for David to get convicted well go back to verse eight someone had gone through all the land. The conversion at the end of nine months and 20 days in at least a David that long to be convicted about this. Praise God.

He was convicted.

Sometimes it takes a while to get convicted about ever notice that you knew something wrong and then sometimes hours, sometimes minutes, sometimes days, sometimes weeks, sometimes years later you look back or situation a while and allowing very well. You go to a family reunion or family gathering.

You try to figure out why somebody's angry at you can't figure out the always burgers you see now on no other matter. David's convicted convinced we use convicted convinced is similar work convinced of wrongdoing. When you do with that as long as David felt that right. That's important for the important part. Somehow we twisted Christianity even thinking that the measure of service how bad you feel during the service and occasionally you will feel that some things you under your there are no Holy Spirit, but you should measure church service by you get while services here, you'll get a little beat up a lot of services here probably majority up you'll be encouraged because that's what we need. We need encouragement and it's not enough to feel bad friend you understand feeling bad in itself does nothing.

We take comfort in feeling guilty about those I wouldn't take any comfort dear friend.

Is it in the middle of that you gain nothing. The human mind. You should feel guilt and shame. Every time you do something wrong what you do. That's the question you go to God that our users will feel better about those of you but about to get some okay feel convicted, but take that conviction that God think I please forgive me. What David did Damon mess up a lot. But why did you every time he always went to God, please forgive me God please forgive me for this. Now here's something interesting and is very telling. When David committed adultery with Bathsheba conspiracy to commit murder with Uriah. He admitted that he said he said I've said he would put the Psalm against the in the alone & the Lord but in this case.

Look at verse 10 he adds.

I have send greatly see again another indicator that there's more to what were saying and we won't know until we get to heaven for sure, but there was something more to what was going on that it was a very bad thing that David had done now. Again, what you do when you're convicted. You go to you go there's a scriptural spiritual bar soap if you will. First John chapter 1 verse 89 says if we say that we have no sent, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in it. We confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sense and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness that is so important. The first thing that we should learn as believers is to run the guy when we mess up one times we we talk to people about how not to mess up that part of what we should be teaching as a part of what we should be talking about but another part is what we do when we mess up because unfortunately a lot of times we will locate don't do this don't do that.

Don't do this don't do that and then when a person messes up what I do. My tell me what to do in a mess up. They just assumed I was never in a mess up what I do know run the God you run the got lifeless near when we do wrong. We should ask God to forgive. Seems real simple, real straightforward, but the moment you begin to drift from that you're headed toward sure a lot of times Christians like neurology that we should do that morning and thing that one. One time in our life. We should go to God and ask him to forget the first time is incredible.

That's when we begin our journey.

That's when her slate is wiped clean. But that's the beginning of the journey and what we should learn over time is going every day and saying God forgive me. Once again, for what I would have none. Now here's an interesting thing to because we look at this and be honest I think he will only get to have. We asked David about this past God or maybe we just automatically know when we get. I think were going to hear the answer go okay. I'm not sure was working understanding because try to get your mind around. David committed adultery with Bathsheba conspiracy to commit murder with Uriah and he said, absent something happened with this and he set up send greatly. I'm not sure that we we just don't see things like Nazis. Evidently there is something here that God saw that he really didn't like, and we look at these two instances and we go well the thing with mesh. Even Uriah was far worse than the scalping thing evidently not evidently not just based settlement list based on Scripture to get ready to see what the payout wasn't in.

Here's one thing I just tosses out the sin with Bathsheba and the consequential sin with her husband was the sin of the flesh.

David should've done it.

He did it was a sin of the flesh. Wonder what's going on here seems to be more sin of the spirit in the sense that it's it's rebellion and it's not trusting God and it's much deeper than I know I shouldn't of done that. It is that I think something foundation late. I gotten out of filter and David leading to disobedience and I think try and we know that God doesn't like pride. God hates pride. It's a stent in his nostril is what the Bible says in verse 11 that when David arose in the morning. The word of the Lord came the prophet Gad David see's priest saying go until David thus says the Lord, I offer you three things choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you. How would you like to her that you know it's rare that we get to choose her punishment. When I was in school, you know they had this deal you can get like three spankings or three days or whatever you three suspended days that that's what the other kids told me that he said and you choice that and you know to certain degree, ultimately units, and we get a choice in our lives of the ultimate punishment whenever somebody says to you what I don't understand why a God of love, whatever.

Send anybody to hell you ever heard thing. Most of God doesn't.

God loves people so much that he was wellness and his son to die for us, so that nobody would have to go and were told the Bible that it says God it was his willing nine would perish within the next question what why did he even build the place if he didn't want anybody to go there is another good question. The Bible answers in Matthew chapter 24 verse 41 says then the King will turn to those on the left and say away with you, you cursed once into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons was never constructed for people constructed for Satan and his demon. What happens is as people reject Jesus Christ they choose hell overhead. It's their choice.

Sometimes we do get to choose our punishment course are hope my is it nobody makes that decision. Not sure tonight you will have the opportunity to make the decision to go to heaven.

Verse 13 so Gad came and Dave and told him and he said him shall seven years of famine come to you in your land or show you fully three months before your enemies while they pursue you or show will be three days playing in your land not consider and see what answer I should think back to him who sent David said the Gad, I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man, can we see there's this in depth the David because David doesn't hear that going on three months of the enemy. I think I got the Army I'm trusting in the Army, I got these people. I can take on. He's been convicted.

He's been busted. He's asked forgiveness and he says you know what I don't want to fall into the hands of man. That's interesting, you know, because a lot of times our preference in life is that we fall into the hands of man rather into the hands of God when we need help. Who do we want to help us. Oftentimes, we look for man. We look for man's lifetime semi commencing a thing about this and I'm thinking about that what you think out of it and one the first things, got saved right about and I am praying about the symptoms ago on the will will go ask God and see what he has to say.

That should be our first course of action when you need counseling go to God first. When you need to talk to some talk to God is always available. He's always there. He's always listening but often times we want the comfort of a person more than we desire the comfort of God me assure you the comfort of God is far far more lasting than the comfort of man Davis is on the phone in the hands of men to what is making the decision, we see verse 15 so the Lord sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time from Dan to Beersheba, 70,000 men of the people.now that's it scratcher well because you go back again to bash even Uriah and you looked at four maybe five people.3 of his offspring through David's offspring Uriah and the baby 5 feet that sin in this sin 70,000 people.that's interesting.

If you talk to a believer who knows a little bit about the Bible and say what was David's great sin. Bathsheba evidently not Gonzalez. Evidently, this was far worse. It was a far worse payout if you will. And let's remember something to his attempt to get well 70,000 innocent people.then, and in the amount there are no innocent people on this earth. And let's remember back in verse one, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, Israel, the nation, the people had done something to anger of the Lord where this was a justified thing, if you will now. Again, it just paints the picture that something ominous is going on and we read a passage like this will go wow this is this is intense yet is intense, and it reminds us that God is a holy God is a powerful God and we should give him reverence and understand his power be awestruck by that's one side only other is is were told the New Testament, we can go boldly before the throne of grace, but as we boldly go before the start of his grace, we should also be reverential or or or awestruck by his power in his mind the fear of the Lord would be another definition of literally AAA fears and I fear God, but in a reverential sense. There's a respect and recognition to God is powerful and awesome.

Verse 16 when the angel stretch out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy the Lord relented from the destruction and said to the people to the angel who was destroying the people. It is enough not restrain your hand in the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Aruna the Jebusite is where things become interesting discovery Jebusite.

Remember they were the people, fold the nation of Israel. Saul came back killed a lot of them. A couple chapters ago. They're having a famine. David says God why we have this nemesis because you broke your covenant with these people.

So this guy shows up and we we have this phrase. Angel of the Lord. Interesting phrase. It's a very distinctive phrase doesn't appear a whole lot in the new and the Old Testament, but where does especially important angel of the Lord.

Whenever you see the phrase angel of the Lord. It's not an angel of the Lord is the angel of the Lord, what is that, well, in most places I can prove beyond a theological doubt that it's actually Jesus Christ when he uses that phrase.

The angel of the Lord significant things happen what you have to do is look at what's going on in the setting and look what happened. For instance, one of the places when Abraham sends out his handmade after he tried to rush his offspring and had a baby was his handmade and then they kicked around the camp. The angel of the Lord came to in the angel of the Lord made her promise that she would be blessed and her offspring would be numerous Matthew question what angel could make a promise like no angel, only God can make a promise like that seems to indicate that it was God incarnate in the flash Jesus make and what we call Christophe and he is a theological Christophe any in the Hebrew Scriptures, others in other places can interestingly remember Joshua is getting ready to go take down the walls of Jericho. It's an interesting thing because if you ask a Christian who tore down the walls of Jericho. Most people say will Joshua did didn't okay will lose the trumpets wasn't. It was God where you get that it says that the captain of the hose showed up and Joshua said are you for us or for the other side and and he said I'm not for either and then it says that Joshua worshiped that me and that being accepted the worship was that me was an angel. Remember in the book of Revelation whenever John attempts to to worship an angel was the angel say get up don't worship me. Don't don't do that so angels will not accept worship going can angel accept worship as a fallen Angel at the demon so in accepting the worship. Guess what, we know that's God appearing in the flash Jesus appearing in the flesh, to Joshua, and I believe appearing here now.

You're going okay, when you got a worried at this point after their well there's more here we see this angel of the Lord by the threshing floor, buckle your seatbelts is going to get a more interesting verse 17 then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the injury will strike the people said surely I have sand that I have done wickedly, but the sheep what have they done.

Let your hand I pray be against me against my father's house and there's a leader.

David says you want.

Don't hurt the people anymore take it out on me take it out on me see what ice virtually mature approach. David was taken… Don't mess with the people don't blame it on people take it out on me. It's intercessors part receipt the heart of God and what they were to say and David understood this was the chastening of the Lord. This was the correction of the Lord, and he was willing to take that we need understand the chastening of God. The correction of the Lord.

Hebrews chapter 12 verse five says, and have you entirely forgotten the encouraging words, God spoke to you as Jonah. He said my child don't ignore it. When the Lord disciplines you and don't be discouraged when he correction for the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children is the discipline of the Lord is his chastening of the Lord is the word that we use for this is the thing if I go out and let my kids are grown now. They don't but when they were young, they would do things like play in the middle the street and when their plane and Emily Street, and sometimes of the neighbors kids or whatever and I had told him not to play in the middle of the street. I would go out and I would chasten them okay I will correct it or don't take him inside to come in here and going to use Jason I think is right, but you come on in here. I'm going to correct you because you know that you are supposed to be known, but you know what I can bring the neighbors kids in my kids. What is your my kids and when I'm correcting and chastening guess to bring my kids, not the neighbors kids so friend when your man chasten or corrected. That means you been adopted that you're one of and you can get REGARDS Jason where God's corrected me friend to be a lot better than if he wasn't because of a wasn't.

That would mean you're not adopted.

So, thank God next that you receive the correction from the hand of the Lord and it's always merciful. Once you follow him you asking to forgive your sins. I don't think we ever fully reap what we sow to be on. We reap apportionment. Lord knows that's enough and it lifeless. And here's the Lord corrects us to teach us and because he loves us. The Lord corrects us to teach us and because he loves again.

Sometimes the worst thing that could happen is we get our own way and we don't get corrected as a kid when that happens you think you got away with something more more often than not pain follows that, so here's Davidson's is interceding atonement. Verse 18 and dad came that day to Dave and said to him, go up erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of root on the Irani were the end of the Lord. So David according to the word of God went up as the Lord commanded. Now Runa looked and saw the king and his servants coming towards him. Serena went out and bow before the king of the spatial ground. Then Runa said, why has my lord the king come to servant and David said the by the threshing floor from you to build an altar to the Lord that the plague may be withdrawn from the people today because after this cost place and there is at this time in Jerusalem.

There was part of Jerusalem was the city of David, and part of it was obviously these Jebusites who still stayed the first 22 now Runa said to David, let my lord the king taken offer up whatever seems good to him. Look here oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implement in the yolks of the oxen for wood all these old king of Runa has given to the king and arena said that the king may the Lord your God accepted. Then the king said the Runa know that I will surely buy from you for a price nor will offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 50 shekels of silver. Now look at David once again is come through this not unscathed, but is come through it beautifully. David once again has had his trust in man blown away. The reality is you can always count on God, you can always trust in God and people were people we make mistakes we let each other down occasionally and if you don't understand that occasionally is going to happen to be really shattered when it you need to place your trust in God.

Don't put your faith in people, friend. You know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Legion a short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you.

All of my days in Jesus name, amen it friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible.

You've been forgiven you've been born again, so congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. Or you can write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12, 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working in your life will DA before we go. What are some ways that we can bless our listeners each day. You can wake up with encouragement from Pastor David to the word of God with his email devotional life lessons to consider a daily reading plan and a thought to meditate on throughout your day. From the heart. David McGee, that sounds good Pastor day and again. It's been great to have you with us on the program today but tell us what else can a listers find on cross the bridge.com. If you're not able to make it to your home church this Sunday. Why not join us for our lifestream at 10 AM Eastern time or on Thursday night at 7 PM this visit, cross the bridge.com and click on our lifestream link their experience alive services David Sumter, North Carolina. That website crossed the bridge.com those are terrific and it's easy and it's free so folks sign up today, cross the bridge.com and thank you for listening. We hope you'll join us again next time.

As we continue studying first by first, second