1. Study is taken from Charles Swindoll’s “David – A Man After God’s Own Heart”

2. David Enrolls the Fighting Men 24 Again the anger of the L ORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” 2 So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.” 3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the L ORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?” 4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel. 5 After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer. 6 They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon. 7 Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah. 8 After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand. 10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the L ORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, L ORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” 11 Before David got up the next morning, the word of the L ORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: 12 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the L ORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’” 13 So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.” 14 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the L ORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.” 15 So the L ORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the L ORD relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the L ORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the L ORD, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.”

3. David Builds an Altar 18 On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the L ORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David went up, as the L ORD had commanded through Gad. 20 When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. 21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the L ORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped.” 22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23 Your Majesty, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the L ORD your God accept you.” 24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the L ORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them. 25 David built an altar to the L ORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the L ORD answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

4. As God’s children, we don’t outgrow our worst habit of sin due to its appeal. And, those who fall the hardest are often those who have walked the longest with God. When spiritual leaders fall, they take a host of innocent people down with them. We see an aged mature David, once again, make a foolish decision based on pride with staggering consequences. David’s decision to take a census of Israel’s military was based solely on his desire to reinforce his sense of military security and pride. 1 Chronicles 21: 1-3, 6 21 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.” 3 But Joab replied, “May the L ORD multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?” 6 But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him. 7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel. When the Godly Fall

5. David’s decision to take the military census did not originate from David, but from Satan. Satan found a way to infiltrate David’s relationship with God through David’s own pride. David’s foolish decision reveals two things about his personal relationship with God: I. He was out of touch with the Lord: David did not pray and seek the Lord’s counsel. II. As king, he was unaccountable to anyone: David forgot that although he answered to no one as King David, he still had to answer to God. The enemy never rests, not even when we age. For the battle is not over until our physical death or our spiritual rapture. Therefore: BEWARE David’s Decision

6. David was not the only one to pay the price of disobedience. Our actions not only affect us, but those around us and/or below us – family, friends, co-workers, subordinates, etc. To makes matters worse, God had David choose of the following punishments for his actions: 1.3-4 years of famine 2.3 months of defeat from Israel’s enemies 3.3 days of pestilence David chose the latter and 70,000 Israelites died. This forced David to confess his sin. Why punish the people and not David? Consequences of Disobedience

7. To whom much is given, much is expected.. As leaders (spiritually and/or physically) we won’t bear the consequences of our sin(s) alone. If you play with sin, you will pay and pay you will. Innocent bystanders will fall victims to your decision(s). As a result, God instructed David to build an alter to serve as a reminder to future Israeli kings. Although David obeyed and built the alter, there were still 70,000 graves in Israel. A Leader’s Responsibility

8. I. Be Accountable: To live otherwise is to invite danger II. Remember Sin’s Consequences: Our action’s consequences affect the innocent around us III. Take God Seriously: Failure to take God seriously is to deny His lordship in our lives Three Practical Solutions

9. Although we will never outgrow sin, we can learn to hate it deeply and commit it less frequently by making God part of our every decision and move – whether they are big or little decisions/moves. Conclusion