The Hand of the LORD | Timothy J. Keller [2 Samuel 24:10-21]
Series: The Life of David
This sermon was preached by Rev. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 25, 1996.
Sermon Summary: Inviting GOD's Wrath
The hand of the LORD, this sermon is available thru the Gospel & Life. But what we're going to be doing is break down some key points for personal study & reflection, & meditation in a small group.
So we're going to jump right into it.
The question that Tim Keller is seeking to answer in the sermon was what was so wrong with David counting his men & this was taken from a passage in 2 Samuel 24.
You can also find it in 1 Chronicles 21, and it's an interesting story because it does on the surface bring up the question or the issue well.
• What exactly was the deal here? • Why was this such a big problem?
I know when I've read through that passage I've also found it to be a little bit confusing and not really understanding why taking a census on the Army & how that would be such an offense?
Obviously as we'll see, there's going to be quite the punishment that comes as a result of doing this action — so Tim starts by stating kind of an aside up front and making an overarching point
Which is this: that any time that we disobey the command of GOD that's already cause for being disobedient & we're wrong just for that reason.
……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… And just for that purpose, it typically makes a great point right up front & that is we don't just obey GOD because it aligns with our reason or our own understanding of why it's important to do something or not not do it ……………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………
In American society, we run into this philosophy of pragmatism & we always want to know why & if we don't understand conceptually what's right or wrong about the thing that we're doing often -times we tend to not obey.
It's got to align with our own understanding.
We have to be in agreeance with it; & what Tim states here is if it's agreement & that's the thing that's driving you to comply then you don't have obedience—agreement and obedience are two different things & we can't put GOD through that lens and say I'm only going to follow YOU when it follows suit with my own understanding.
And I'm okay with it because it obeys some kind of objective reasoning of my own—we live in a world where there's a morality of:.
……………………………………………………………………………… IF it feels right—then it's okay to do it, & that is the way the world thinks & as Christians—that's not the same type of understanding that we can apply to GOD's Word & to HIS commands for us. ………………………………………………………………………………
And Tim uses a metaphor here of being a parent sometimes when your kids ask you why you do not necessarily have an explanation that they're going to be able to understand at their level
especially if they're younger & you expect your kids to just obey & do what you tell them to do because you know what's best for them even if you don't have intent to explain the rationale behind your decision making
And it's the same way with us, as GOD's children what's interesting is Tim shows us in Scripture who the first pragmatist was the first time this comes up & it's right in the Garden of Eden:
1.] Serpent Presses For Rationale
In Eden with the serpent asked Adam & Eve “did GOD really say that you can't eat from this tree?” & what is he doing there? He's trying to play to their sense of rationality & if they can't see a reason why this would be bad to do—then therefore it must be OK
And what did they do?
They went ahead & they participated in that sin & now we have the context of life where we have today as a result of that decision a rational framework is not proper framework to evaluate GOD's commands for us...
And so Tim makes that point right up front before he goes into some of the essential truths or kind of really digs into the passage with a more fine-tooth comb to get to the intent behind it.
2.] Pits King Saul as Deserving Wrath
So what Tim does next is he gives us some historical context about the time that Israel was living in & he really goes back to some of his earlier teachings on the time of King Saul—he evaluates Saul's conquest of the Amalekites.
It teaches us a little bit about the Amalekites — so the Amalekites, like all ancient peoples, were living in sort of a power complex society
Meaning that anytime that your military have the might or the strength to take out a smaller power—the temptation would be to do it then when you would do it you'd conquer the other nation's King & capture them — and plunder all their wealth & their resources & their goods & you would take it for your own.
……………………………………………………………………………… So might was kind of the rule of law & Israel was the only exception to those types of societies— where they were a society that ruled thru justice & mercy.. ………………………………………………………………………………
When GOD told Israel to go in & conquer another nation—it wasn't due to their ability to go in with superior forces & superior power & the superior military — it was at HIS command and with HIS provision.
That's how they would win battles & it would be for the purpose of either inflicting justice/mercy on that opposing force of those other peoples..
……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… And so there was a very stark distinguishing line there between how other ancient peoples would live & how they would flex their military might ……………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………
—whereas it was very different with Israel in the way that they would go about their conquests & so you have to be able to distinguish those two points of position in terms of how they would go about their conflicts or their battles or fighting against other people.
3.] Now what Saul did, when he went in & fought against the Amalekites—he actually did capture their King and he did take a small percentage of the wealth of that nation.
He brought it back to Israel & so when you look at that passage—it seems like a small thing esp- ecially given the justification that Saul used of
“Hey I'm going to take these goods & I'm going to sacrifice them to YOU LORD — and that's my intent behind doing that”
And that sounds like well okay..
You know he's taking something from this other people because GOD gave him this great victory & he's giving it back to the LORD..
This sounds like a good justification.
But it's not!
Nathan goes & tells Saul that this act of small disobedience is massive disobedience because what Saul had done here according to Timothy Keller is he now used a tactic or approach that was aligned with how other nations conquer..
—just by doing that in a small way, it is still the same technique that these other nations would do & it blurred the distinguishing line about how Israel would approach battle
as opposed to how other nations would do it & that was a pure act of disobedience — now that was merging Israel with other nations — rather than distinguishing them.
And in fact, that was what was in it Saul's heart is he was comparing & contrasting himself with other Kings & wanted to be kind of part of that fraternity & that was his deep justification?
And that's what made it such an egregious sin?
4.] Distinction for David vs. Saul [unforgiven]
When David was going to count his fighting men —he was in a sense doing that same thing where other nations would look at their fighting force & that would be their symbol of strain — and by David wanting to take a census of his military, he was a sense doing that.
In a sense doing that same thing where he was trying to measure himself up to other nations that were out there & that's what made it such an egregious thing to do.
———————————————————————— So Tim states there's a contrast & how we are to live & how others are to live, so we can live thru justice & mercy or through power & exploitation ————————————————————————
And that is the heart of what is going on in this passage—it's when we trust GOD & allow HIM to rule our lives, and when we're obedient to HIM —HE's going to enable us to live with a sense of equity, justice, & mercy towards others
serving them & relying on HIS strength & power to give us what we need—or would we put GOD aside? Our temptation is going to be to live with a sense of power & exploitation that we're going to use the same tactics in the world.
their same moral framework to take what it is we want thru the means we think is most appropriate
We are not to do that.
5.] Racism Symbolic of Worldly Mentality
Tim uses the metaphor of racism.
So in the United States of course there's this egregious history of racism & exploitation & what Tim says the temptation is:
To do this when tide turns, and the aggrieved party becomes the party that now has a power position, the #temptation would be to exploit & exert power to inflict pain [extract revenge]
And that's not what we as believers are to do whether we're in the power position or in the exploited position—that our approach should always be justice & mercy & reliance on GOD
And it's hard to not fall into the trap of surrounding empires, or in our case the other people around us live, whether:
• it's in the workplace or • it's in the community or • it's whatever your position is or • it's school you're trying to get good grades or • if you're manipulating people & using power & exploitation to get to your goal
Then you're mimicking & mirroring the world & the way they would approach solving problems & we need to come at it from an approach of service/justice/mercy.
Tim references here his favorite book it's the LORD of the Rings & he pulls a metaphor out of that book showing that the rings of power the evil forces use power & exploitation to inflict pain in order to gain territory & to seek out their goals or the lead protagonists were very unassuming & had a sense of service and duty. And at the end of the day, we know they end up winning out.
In the book J.R.R Tolkien was trying to illustrate this concept thru story & in the same way Israel was not to have a standing army..
———————————————————————— They were supposed to be a force of defense which when they were called to go out & do battle—it was with this overarching sense of justice & that GOD had a design and a plan for each time they were to go out to march & take out another country. ————————————————————————
6.] Personal Application
So to zoom in again to our lives:
What Tim is asking us to do is, he asked us to evaluate our own heart—& he starts with the concept of wealth.
Are we using money to build a fortress in our lives that we can trust?
Are we counting it?
Are we looking at it as our security & safety or Are we relying upon GOD?
Are we in relationship with HIM in the sense of that we're praying, & we're trusting in HIS Word to guide us & not looking to material possession to be our strength — in the same way that David counted his troops?
If we're counting what we have & we're looking to that as our comparison to others around us & finding our strength in that source then we are off track & the same is true in all areas of our lives & our relationships & our title at work..
All those areas need to be evaluated & if we're putting our confidence in our strength in those things—then we're not where GOD wants us to be, so why did GOD handle David differently than HE did Saul???
or Saul was punished & he lost his Kingdom —GOD still punished David, but David didn't lose his Kingdom.
He didn't lose his destiny.
And Tim says the reason why GOD distinguished between the two men in different ways — was because of David's penitent heart.
He was truly sorry for his sin, he was truly repentant for his action & Tim states that the more you mature & grow as believer the more penitent your heart will be.
—the more you're going to be conscious of your own sin & you're going to repent of it & finally
7.] Significance of Location
David offers himself as a sacrifice for the nation of Israel.
And at the point, where GOD is at the threshing floor to kill David, he finds mercy — and it was actually at the same spot where Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac & GOD spiritize
it was the exact same spot where eventually Solomon actually built the Temple to GOD &
finally it's important to note that when GOD sent JESUS to die for our sins, HE didn't send JESUS down to Earth with the sword, but HE sent HIM to serve & to sacrifice & redeem us
And so we need to model that behavior, we need to put on the holiness of JESUS & follow HIM wholly & with full devotion
—not always understanding the answer why, but trusting GOD in our lives.
Well I hope these notes were helpful to you if they were to leave a comment below like this content & subscribe to my channel where I'll continue to produce these summaries & thank you so much for joining me today GOD bless!