BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Sam. 4-7
Thursday, January 20th, 2011
When Leaders Sin
Memorise: “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so
by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. ” (Romans 5:19)Read: 2 Samuel 24:1-12
1 ¶ And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he
moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with
him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to
Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the
people.
3 And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the
people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of
my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in
this thing?
4 Notwithstanding the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against
the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went
out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.
5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side
of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward
Jazer:
6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they
came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,
7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the
Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of
Judah, even to Beersheba.
8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem
at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king:
and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew
the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
10 ¶ And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the
people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I
have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of
thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came
unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,
12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three
things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
One lesson from God’s dealings with Pharaoh and the Egyptians is the
consequence of the disobedience of one man. Sin has widespread
consequence. God told Pharaoh to release the children of Israel whom
he had enslaved for 430 years but he refused. When the judgement on
his defiance would come, it affected all of Egypt – men, beast,
vegetation, even the sun. One man sinned but a whole nation suffered
for it. That was in a nation that did not know God. What about in a
godly nation? In 2 Samuel 24:1-17, after David regained his throne and
was established, he forgot that he got there by God’s power and so
requested a census of his people. Joab saw his request as an act in
self-will and reliance on the arm of flesh and warned him against that
exercise. The king paid deaf ears to Joab’s plea for reason and took a
census all the same. The following morning, the Lord sent Prophet Gad
to ask him to choose one of three judgements. Thereafter, David
realized his sin and asked for forgiveness. But do you know that at
least 70,000 people died of pestilence, and more were to follow if not
that God showed mercy? Many innocent Israelites died, even though the
culprit-King David-was spared.
“And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the
people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but
these sheep, what have they done? Let thine hand, I pray thee, be
against me, and against my father’s house” (2 Sam 24:17). When the
head of a family sins, his whole family can be brought under
judgement. When a pastor sins, the whole congregation can be judged.
When a president sins, the whole nation can suffer for it. This is one
reason we should always intercede for our leaders. When a leader sins,
his cover over the flock is weakened or compromised. Are you a leader?
Keep far away from sin, especially for the sake of those under you.
Another lesson here is that even after confessing, the judgement may
still fall on you, like it happened to David; In other words,
confession may secure forgiveness, but not a cancellation of the
consequences. Total avoidance of sin is the best way of preventing
judgement. As a leader, what are you bringing upon those you are
leading?
The judgement many are facing today is as a result of the errors of
their leaders. Are you calling for more of such judgements by your
actions?