Godsend
1 Chronicles 21: “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]
I. Who
A. God Sent
B. Angel Started
II. When
A. God Saw
B. Angel Destruction
III. Where
A. Threshingfloor
B. Temple
Introduction: We are coming through another event of devastation in this place called the United States of America. We haven’t come through the so-called pandemic of this new virus yet but here we are in another dividing episode.
There are those who seem to thrive on dividing people groups from each other. The word denomination that we in church use to separate from each other is a very misunderstood word. The dictionary describes denomination as value; as if the word only pertains to money. Currency is divided by its denomination or value as one dollar bills, five dollar bills, one hundred dollar bills, and then there is that almost forgotten two dollar bill. Rachael and I have a few of them put up in case they become obsolete so that our offspring might see the odd bills.
So denomination then is a way to separate things of value. As we go through this today, I would not confuse to make you believe that there is no reason for church denominations. To find a people group that you agree with on the many differing doctrines of faith is helpful when you are looking for a church to unite with. If you are so dead-set on immersion versus sprinkling, I would advise that you might not join a Methodist church because you might be so set on your agenda that you miss the truth that God has for you there. As a chaplain, I have had several opportunities to bring messages in Methodist churches even though they fully understand that I am unapologetically a Baptist. Many of my Baptist brother ministers have never had the opportunity or invitation to speak in a Methodist church and wonder why I have.
When we decide to number believers instead of loving the individual Christian; and when we decide to turn out those who might not fit into our ways even though they are ready to follow Jesus, this denomination thing or numbering by type is probably going to be frowned on by God. At least that is what we find as we read this account today. One difference between a minister called to chaplaincy and a minister called to shepherd a megachurch is one is very number oriented while the other is more comfortable talking to folks one at a time until a relationship is cemented.
There are people that God has gifted to fill both needs. To bring a megachurch pastor to pastor Merry Oaks’ today might be a disaster. Maybe that’s why y’all are having to put up with me just now. I pray for the day that these pews will be filled but I thank God that He has allowed us this time together now.
Scripture: The scripture is 1 Chronicles 21:15. When you have found it please rise to your feet for the reading of God’s written word.
Prayer: Please be seated
Message: To understand things, questions must be asked. When I was a little boy the questions were easy and the same to nearly everything that I had a question about. Most of my questions were, “why?” Momma’s answer was always the same too. Because I said so!
I thought momma had a limited vocabulary but it was me who had a limit of understanding so she kept things very simple. God is our almighty parent. His answer sometimes is the same when He knows we either will ignore the answer or will not have all we need to understand the answer yet. Sometimes the answer only comes later when we are ready to listen.
If you only take the focal verse from this particular account, it’s hard to know what you might make of it. We know from reading the Revelation that in the end, most people will ultimately blame God for all the calamities in this world even though He responds always with love.
He loves us so much that when we make a stupid decision based on misunderstanding, often He teaches us in ways that sometimes affects others who are blameless. To understand the root cause we only need to look back to the beginning of this chapter. 1 Chronicles 21:1, "*And aSatan stood up against Israel, and bprovoked David to number Israel.:" [2]
There is always more to the story. Turn back now to the alternate account of this Bible truth in 2 Samuel 24: 1, “And bagain the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and ||he moved David against them to say, cGo, number Israel and Judah.” [3]
These parallel accounts of the same event are near the end of David’s reign. He is turning over the construction of God’s temple and the kingdom of Israel to his young son Solomon. Israel had gone through many hard things during the reigns of Saul and David. They had seen God defeat the enemies that could have easily defeated them. Israel had even been through some wars within themselves as they were divided on who they would follow. God wants us to value each other more than simply understanding how many are on each side of a thing.
It may be confusing to understand the “who” question here. Was it David that wanted the census? Did Satan take it upon himself to tempt David? Did that cause David to order the census? The 2 Samuel account said the Lord’s anger was kindled and he moved David. Did God move David? Who is the “he” that moved David.
There a no contradiction in the Bible regardless of the neigh Sayers. In the footnotes and looking at the Hebrew, the “he” who moved David is different from the Lord whose anger was kindled. We learned from Job that the devil cannot do anything that God does not allow. God was angry and God allowed Satan to move David to put a number on God’s people.
Could David resist the devil? Absolutely yes he could have but David didn’t resist. Who caused the calamity of the pandemic? The leader who was moved by the devil and made the choice to disregard God’s people as individuals!
Is this a political statement, NO! If you haven’t learned anything else about me, know this, I really have little regard for politicians in general. I have not met one who is not more concerned about your vote than God’s will.
This is a Bible truth that we must understand before we as His chosen people can come together to finally fulfil the role He has for His church. Follow as we read 1 Chronicles 21:1-6. Joab warned David just as the several men of God that God is choosing to speak through today.
Now another who question; who chose the pandemic? Read 1 Chronicles 21:7-14. David didn’t want to fall into the hand of man. Isn’t it strange that David’s offspring would take that place too? Jesus did fall into the hand of angry mankind and took the punishment for us.
David made the choice for that pandemic; the leader of the people of God. Who sent the angel? Only God can send an angel. Read 1 Chronicles 21:14; the angel started the destruction so that David could see. 70,000 fell in Israel. Read 1 Chronicles 21:15; seems as if God sent another angel, a different angel into the city of Jerusalem to destroy it. And He repented Him of the evil! God repented! The avenging angel was on course to have Jerusalem destroyed but God decided enough was enough when God saw what the angel had destroyed.
We must read more to learn more. More questions! What is this threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite? David saw the angel of destruction there with a drawn sword in his hand to completely destroy Jerusalem. David had been made aware of what would have been if only God had not been full of mercy. Read 1 Chronicles 21:17-27. This is the end of this story that allowed the beginning of the temple. It is how God used calamity to bring about His community. What are we to do with the kind of love God has for us that often allows others to suffer to get our attention?
Prayer:
Invitation: When are we going to finally get this church thing right? What is it going to take for us to be like David and the elders so that we might finally fall down on our knees and understand that we are precious to Him.
We are so precious to Him that He allows some to be taken from us so that we will cherish those of us whom He has left remaining. When are we going to cherish each other enough not to care who is winning, the goods or the bads! When are we going to stop sizing each other to decide who fits into our puzzle. It is not even our puzzle! We are His beautiful picture that He created in His image.
When you finally decide to truly love each other is up to you. Where might be here today? This is a beautiful place to do as the elders did that day with David. Let us fall on our knees and ask for His deliverance and His will so that we are fit for what He created us to be. Loving each other!
|| Or, Araunah, 2 Sam. 24:16, 18.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Ch 21:15). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
* B.C. 1017.
a So Job 1:6–9, 12. & 2:1–4, 6, 7. Zech. 3:1, 2. Matth. 4:10. Luke 10:18. 1 Cor. 7:5, &c. To ver. 28, 2 Sam. 24:1–25.
b See 1 Kin. 21:25 marg. So Job 2:3 (Heb.).
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Ch 21). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
b ch. 21:1.
|| Satan. See 1 Chr. 21:1.
c Comp. 1 Chr. 27:23, 24.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 2 Sa 24:1). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
