June 5
2 Sam 23:24-24:25 | PS 123:1-4 | Prov 16:21-23 | Acts 3:1-26
Trust is what you place your full weight behind. For you, what Is it: the Lord, or is it wealth, power, etc? We read in Acts 3:4-6, concerning Peter and John's interaction with a lame man since birth begging for money beside the Temple gate, "And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”" It took a tremendous amount of faith and trust for Peter to do what he did next, as we read in 3:7, " And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength." Many years later the story is told that the pope was counting the silver and gold coins in his coffers one day when Thomas Aquinas walked in. "Greetings, Thomas," he said as he gleefully held up some coins for Thomas to see. "We can no longer say, silver and gold have we none, now can we?" Thomas looked at the pope and said, "And neither can we say, "In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Peter trusted completely in the Lord Jesus, how many mistakenly place their trust in amassing wealth.
Many might not recognize the sins behind David's actions as we read in 2 Samuel 24:1-2, "Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, “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.”" This same David who slew Goliath, ignoring the obvious mismatch between himself and the giant, this same David who placed his trust time and time again in the Lord as he fought often mismatched in one battle after another was now choosing to place his trust in the numbers behind his army rather than the Lord. As opposed to many who fail to see their error and are blinded in their misplaced trust, we see David quickly recognize where to place his trust as he must choose between a famine, a defeat by his enemies or a plague, as we read his response in 24:14, " And David said to 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.”" David chose to trust the Lord, how many choose to trust in apparent numbers and their own strength instead.
Very importantly, we should not miss the importance in the conclusion concerning this tiny plot of land in which 2 Samuel 24. This same plot of land, separated by a millennia each time, stands as the backdrop for so much. Abraham in Genesis 22 was told by God to offer up his son, Isaac at this same location, Mount Moriah. In sheer faith in the One True God, Abraham takes the three day journey to this location. When Isaac asks his father about what they would sacrifice, we see in his answer a look towards the ultimate fulfillment, as we read in 22:8, "And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide Himself the lamb for a burnt offering". Move forward 1000 years later, the plague has already resulted in the death of 70,000 men of the people of Israel. David, then seeing the Angel of the Lord (a pre-incarnate Jesus on earth) on the floor of Araunah, also Mount Moriah, we read in 2 Samuel 24:17, "Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.” We then move 1000 years later, and this time we come to another sacrifice. The plague was not the same as with David, but is the same plague that affected mankind since the time of Adam straight through to our current day. That plague is sin. Like Isaac, so many years beforehand, in faith, Jesus allowed himself to be offered up at this exact same location, Calvary or Mount Moriah. Like David, He knew that it had to cost something, in the case of Jesus and to cleanse us from sin, it would cost Jesus His life.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: