Better late
“What David Knew”
2 Samuel 24:1-25
Sometimes God allows us to have ___________________. (24:1-9)
· The first lie we tell is ___________________.
· Sin is an ___________________ act.
Conviction of our sin often comes in a ___________________. (24:10-14)
· True conviction leads us to be ___________________.
Conviction makes us recognize the ___________________ of our sin. (24:15-17)
· God allows us to ___________________.
When we’ve experienced God’s mercy we always ___________________. (24:18-25)
· Worship is a reminder of _____________________________.
ANSWER KEY: [our own way, to ourselves, inherently selfish, quiet place, vulnerable before God, lasting consequences, face consequences, worship sacrificially, where we should place our trust]
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STUDY GUIDE
“What David Knew”
2 Samuel 24:1-25
“To escape the distress caused by regret for the past or fear about the future, this is the rule to follow: leave the past to the infinite mercy of God, the future to his good providence: give the present wholly to his love by being faithful to his grace.”
Jean-Pierre de Caussade in The Joy of the Saints
Day 1: Read the entire chapter, preferably in a translation other than the one you normally use? How does God use this event in relation to David? In relation to Israel?
Note: Taking a census was not inherently wrong – Moses (Numbers 1:1-4; 4:22) and Saul (1 Samuel 11:8) numbered the people for different reasons. Why was it wrong for David to take this census? God desired that in Israel, a census should be taken only if commanded by God. You were only to count what you owned, and Israel belongs to God, not to David.
Day 2: How long does it take the military commanders to compete the task David assigned them? Why does the writer include this detail?
Note: The Law (Exodus 30:12-16) stipulated that one half shekel per person was to be collected for each person counted to go toward the upkeep of the Tabernacle. This eventually grew into the “temple-tax” to pay for temple expenses.
Day 3: How does the text describe David’s response when he became aware of his sin?
Day 4: David was given a choice among three options? What (if any) difference is there in the options?
Day 5: What attitudes did David display regarding the consequences of his sin? (Verses 14-17)
Note: This land purchased by David would be the site of Solomon's temple (1 Chronicles 21:28-22:5). It is the same hill where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22:2) and it is on this same set of hills that Jesus died on the cross.
Application Questions:
In what ways do people lie to themselves? In what way do they “number their army” by counting what they have? What does this say about what they are really trusting?
How can we make sure that the way we respond to God’s mercy is appropriate?
“When grace introduces us to repentance, the two of us become best friends. When anything else introduces us to repentance, it feels like the warden has come to lock us up. But when grace gets involved, the truths of repentance reveal a fabulous world of life-freeing beauty.”
Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and John Lynch in True Faced
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