1 CHRONICLES 21 (NOTES OF A READING)
1 CHRONICLES 21 (NOTES OF A READING)
CAC I think this part of David’s history is typical of the exercises of a believer, particularly the believer who is marked by having considerable light and a very considerable degree of spirituality. If there is anyone here who regards himself as being particularly spiritual and as having much light, this scripture has a particular bearing on that brother or that sister.
The house was to be built by the coming in of one who had the place of son (one of a suitable spirit — not a man of war), that is, the house is connected with sonship as is always the case in the New Testament. Are we characterised by the spirit suitable to the house? God had to expose in David at this time a spirit working which was unsuitable. The same thing may be working in any one of us tonight. Are we characterised by not having the spirit of the house? David had greatly lost ground here as regards his spirituality; he was unduly severe in carrying out what was right (chapter 20: 3). Wrong has to be dealt with but it should be dealt with in the spirit of the house. I must confess I am not up to that, I am apt to be harsh and use hard language, but that spirit will not do for the house.
Though Satan is put forward here, God had in mind that David was to be developed in the spirit suitable to the house, and that is what God is after in every one of us, and He will take the most severe means, if necessary, to bring this about. The numbering was done in a wrong spirit, in a spirit of self-importance, a thing Satan can always work on, and God allows it to be brought to light in order that it may be judged. “Bring the number of them to me, that I may know it”, David said. He was not thinking of Jehovah at all, he was only thinking of his own self-importance. God will not have that spirit, he absolutely refuses to have it in His house. But when David acted in shepherd character in numbering, that was acting in the spirit of the house. It is very important to pray for the Lord’s servants on that line, but we need to begin at home.
David’s sin comes to light through Gad the seer. David at once realises the serious nature of his sin and he takes the blame on himself; that is the spirit for the house, and God is not going to leave any one of us alone till that has come to pass. It results in a much greater appreciation of Christ — everything hanging on Christ.
Ques Is it to develop the spirit of sonship?
CAC Yes, so that David himself has to die in order that the son may come into view who would carry out everything that was for the pleasure of God; and all that was made known to David.
We have all to come to the threshing-floor where we learn to divide between the flesh and the work of God, the wheat separated from the chaff, and get the light of God’s mind. All that comes out in the last chapters of this book shows that the wheat had been separated from the chaff, and it is connected with sonship. God’s standard for us is sonship. David was a far more valuable man after the threshing-floor than before, and this is always the result of the threshing-floor, to develop spiritual value in the saints. It is beautiful to see this readiness of David; he shows no resentment at all under discipline. It was Gad and not Nathan here. Nathan could bring the prophetic word to bear on David’s conscience, but Gad was David’s seer. Seers see what God is at at any given moment, whether individually or collectively, and what is going on in a spiritual way. Without a vision the people perish. It is beautiful as bringing out the effect on David’s spirit, something comes out in him which is much greater morally than the failure. We are to look out for something much greater than what went on before the failure. The Lord is concerned that even the sense of failure may not weaken the saints. “I have besought for thee that thy faith fail not”, He said to Peter (Luke 22: 32).
David did just what he was told to do. That is the beautiful spirit that is to be admired and emulated.
A choice was given him of the kind of discipline. There were three days with Jehovah. David saw great spiritual results to be gained from those three days and quickly. We may count upon God to make quick work in regard of discipline; we should desire quick work. I think we can shorten God’s discipline, it rests with us. Discipline is always a great advantage to us in view of the house. It is all to prepare us for going up to the threshing-floor where is the altar. It is great light. God had been talking about it for hundreds of years, but God had never indicated where He would place it till that moment. There is nothing more remarkable than that it was the altar of burnt-offering. David moves right over to God’s side, and we must move over to God’s side. It is a magnificent finish, and God answers by fire. It shows how God recognised and had never left the thought of the true spiritual value that was in David.