22

22

“WE ARE UNPROFITABLE BONDMEN”

J. Taylor

… David has to go through the school. This event in 1

Chronicles 21 is late in his life; he is a highly disciplined man

already. It is a warning to us, we may have been going on for

forty years, and yet we may be exposed to the devil. Let none

of us think we are beyond discipline—our very thoughts

expose us to the devil—a little bit of pride, may be, spiritual

pride. David was an old brother. Old brothers are apt to think

of the numbers in the meeting; they have had to do with this

one’s and that one’s conversions. We have been flattering

ourselves that we have had to do with that. Do not let us be

mistaken—Satan is in that. “Go, number the people!” God said

to the devil, Go and make David number the people. You may

be sure, David had often thought of it. At that time Israel was a

very powerful nation numerically. You know how modern rulers

are counting their people. It is natural to men to do that.

So God said to Satan, I allow him to number, the people. I do

not know of anything more solemn—David the beloved king,

the great prophet, the sweet Psalmist of Israel being allowed

to give way to this temptation. How solemn that is. What a

warning for us, dear brethren, that we should not be priding

ourselves in our achievements. After all we are unprofitable

servants. The Lord would put us in our places. Paul says,

“That I might not be exalted, there was given to me a thorn for

the flesh, a messenger of Satan”—Who sent him? God. “That

he might buffet me, that I might not be exalted”. He asked the

Lord thrice that it might depart from him, but the Lord said, No,

“My grace suffices thee”. Jacob’s limp stayed, Paul’s thorn

stayed, and he is contented, his power increases as he is

subject to the Lord in this matter.

(Vol. 86, pp.61, 62)