Ignoring God

     

    If you are able to read this, then that means you have access to God's Word.  If you have access to God's Word, then you can't say that you don't know His expectations.  The more you know God's Word, the more you are held accountable, but we are all expected to know what He wants.

    When you know God's Word very well, you can begin to presume that you understand enough not to step out of line, but that just is not true.  King David was the one man that had a true heart for God and he still sometimes overlooked what he knew.  Satan got into his head and made him think that a census was a good idea.  It was about proving how strong his army was.  Whenever God wanted a census it was for sacrifice, not strength.

    David had wise counsel that told him it was not a good idea, but he persisted that he knew what was best.  When God approached him on the subject, David repented immediately.  However, there were still consequences.  He had three options and he chose the plague that killed 70,000 men.  God saw the death and was grieved, so he called off the Angel of Death.  

    David saw the angel between heaven and earth.  Maybe God allowed it, so that he could see the full significance of his bad choice.  David saw the full impact of his sin and it greatly grieved him.  He made an altar and then a sacrifice to stop the plague at the door of Ornan's home.  David was humbled and scared by meeting the angel of death and surviving.  

    If David had remembered the scripture about the census of God's people while in the wilderness, then he would not have done the census.  If he had listened to to wise counsel, then the plague could have been avoided.  He chose to ignore God's warnings and it was his people that paid the price.  We all have vulnerable spots in our lives for Satan to attach.  We are all capable of making these kind of bad decisions.

1 Chronicles 21