1CH 17-21Mamma. Here we read of David's desire to build a house for God, and of God's reasons for not allowing David to do so.
Sophy. Oh, yes. You read that to me in the Book of Samuel; because David was a man of war, God would not let him build a house; but God said that his son who should reign after him, might build a house for God. And God would put His name there.
M. Just so. David rejoiced in the blessing of the Lord, and the Lord prospered him in his wars with the Philistines, and against the children of Ammon who behaved so badly to David; and God allowed David's brother to kill another giant, son of the great Goliath whom David slew with a pebble from the brook, when he was only a shepherd boy.
But now, just as David was so happy and thankful, Satan, the old serpent and deceiver, stood up against Israel, and he provoked David to number the people.
S. Why did Satan do so?
M. Because he hates God's people and cannot bear that they should be prosperous; and he knew that if he could put it into David's heart to be proud of them, it would be a sure way to injure them. Joab told David that it was a wrong thing to do; but when Satan gets us to listen to him, our wills become very strong; so David was determined to do it. And God was displeased, and He smote Israel.
Poor David! at once he felt what he had done; and he said to God, I have sinned greatly, do away with the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly. Then the Lord sent Gad the prophet to tell David of God's judgment upon him for this. David's answer shows his confidence in God, for he said: Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for great are His mercies, but let me not fall into the hand of man. So the Lord let seventy thousand people die from the pestilence and as He was destroying, the Lord repented from the evil, and He said to the angel: It is enough, stay now thine hand. And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord stand between earth and heaven, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. And David said to God: I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me and on my father's house, but not on thy people, that they should be plagued. A little while before David was proud to think that they were his people. But when he turns to God to intercede for them, he says: Thy people.
S. Was God displeased with Israel before David numbered the people?
M. Yes. We learn from Samuel that they had provoked the Lord. Doubtless He would not have allowed Satan to tempt David, to do what would bring judgment upon them, if, in His holiness God had not seen that they needed to be chastened. Here, as so often before, we find mercy in the midst of judgment; for God stops the angel lest he should touch Jerusalem. And on the spot where the angel stands still, David sets up an altar and offers burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and calls upon the Lord. The Lord answers him from heaven by fire which came down upon the altar and burnt up the offerings.
S. Why did God answer by fire?
M. To shew that His righteousness was satisfied and that He accepted David and his offering. It is very beautiful to see the way that David always speaks to God Himself. Even when God only sent messages to him by the prophet Gad. Nothing would satisfy David but telling all his sin, his sorrow and everything about it, to God Himself. David knew that He would hear, and he felt that he must have God's own answer. Now having answered by fire, and having accepted David and his offering, the Lord commands the angel to put up his sword into the sheath. And when David finds that God has answered him, he again offers sacrifices to make sure to his heart the forgiveness of his God. And David said: This is the house of the Lord God and this is the altar of the burnt-offering for Israel. And immediately David began to prepare stones, and iron, and cedar trees in abundance to build the house of the Lord.
S. Why did they not bring the tabernacle that Moses made to Jerusalem?
M. Because they had taken the ark out of it, thinking it would save them from their enemies, the Philistines, and God had let the Philistines take away the ark, and God had said, The glory is departed from Israel because the ark of God is taken. So God would no longer acknowledge the tabernacle, except as a judged thing that was set aside. The ark and the mercy-seat were not in it, and David longed for these; not for the tabernacle.
The tabernacle and the altar were still at Gibeon, but David could not go there to inquire of God, for he was afraid, because of the sword of the angel of the Lord. The place of judgment was David’s only place of safety, and there he stood beside the sacrifice, till God answered him by fire. And at this spot, where mercy rejoiced over judgment, God's house is to be set up in a new way. The person of the king is accepted and everything depends—not now on the keeping of commandments written on stone—but upon the Lord's Anointed: