2 So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, ‘Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enrol the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.’
3 But Joab replied to the king, ‘May the Lord 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?’ 2 Samuel 24
Joab, the commander of the armies of Israel didn’t always do the right thing, but on this occasion he tried to stop David’s folly. The people around us may not get it right all the time or even behave honourably at times, but GOD CAN STILL SPEAK AND CAUTION THROUGH THOSE NEAREST US. Don’t discount a familiar voice just because you’ve often heard it before!
11 Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: 12 ‘Go and tell David, “This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.”’
Gad, David’s seer, brought the Word of the Lord early next day, normal business had ceased. Judgement was coming and David had to decide what form it would take. A terrible dilemma for anyone, especially as it was a result of his actions.
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.’
Gad was seer to King David, but he was firstly God’s messenger. He demanded an answer from the King and we’re told David’s choice and how he arrived at it.
14 David said to Gad, ‘I am in deep distress. LET US FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LORD, FOR HIS MERCY IS GREAT; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.’
There may be times when we have to face judgement in our own lives, but we can still come to God, confess our faults and submit to His Justice. David and Israel were punished, but his knowledge of the Mercy of God proved true and the seer was now sent again with another message.
16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD RELENTED CONCERNING THE DISASTER and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, ‘Enough! Withdraw your hand.’ The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
18 On that day Gad went to David and said to him, ‘Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.’ 19 So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad.
THE LORD SHOWED MERCY TO JERUSALEM AS DAVID HAD PREDICTED and if we’re sincere before Him, He has all authority to stop or reduce whatever we may deserve.
May God bless you and show you mercy in any trials today.