Read 1 Chronicles 21
Questions from the Scripture text: Who stood up against whom by doing what (1 Chronicles 21:1)? So, what does David tell Joab and the leaders of the people to do (1 Chronicles 21:2)? But how does Joab respond (1 Chronicles 21:3)? What does he say that David will end up doing if they do this? Who prevails (1 Chronicles 21:4)? What does Joab report (1 Chronicles 21:5)? What doesn’t he report, and why (1 Chronicles 21:6)? Who responds in what way (1 Chronicles 21:7)? And how does David respond to this—Whom does he ask for what (1 Chronicles 21:8)? To whom does YHWH speak (1 Chronicles 21:9)? What is Gad to tell David (1 Chronicles 21:10)? What do the three things turn out to be (1 Chronicles 21:11-12)? Which does David choose, and why (1 Chronicles 21:13)? What does YHWH do, with what effect (1 Chronicles 21:14)? How (1 Chronicles 21:15)? But why and how does it stop (verse 15)? Who see the stopped Angel (1 Chronicles 21:16)? How does David now pray (1 Chronicles 21:17)? Who has sinned? But what two things does he call the people? Who commands whom in 1 Chronicles 21:18? What does Gad tell David to do? How does David respond (1 Chronicles 21:19)? Who see the angel in 1 Chronicles 21:20? How do they respond? Whom does Ornan see in 1 Chronicles 21:21? How does he now respond to him? What does David ask in 1 Chronicles 21:22? And what does Ornan offer (1 Chronicles 21:23)? But upon what does David insist (1 Chronicles 21:24)? Why? How much does David give him (1 Chronicles 21:25)? Then what does David do (1 Chronicles 21:26, cf. 1 Chronicles 21:18)? How does YHWH answer? What does YHWH now command (1 Chronicles 21:27)? And what does the angel do? So what does David continue to do, where, why (1 Chronicles 21:28)? What/where doesn’t he (1 Chronicles 21:29)? Why not (1 Chronicles 21:29-30)?
What hope do we have, when we are suffering for sin? 1 Chronicles 21 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirty verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the hope that we may have, when we are suffering for our sin, is that YHWH’s compassions are very great.
Real agency of the devil. When we compare 1 Chronicles 21:1 to 2 Samuel 24:1, we find that it was in YHWH’s sovereign providence that Satan did this, on account of Israel’s sin. We deserve to be given over to the temptations of the devil. When we pray for otherwise, we pray for grace. When the Lord does otherwise, it is grace. So, let us not take lightly that there is an enemy of our souls, who hates us individually and the church corporately whose desire is that we would sin against God.
Real consequences of our sin. The overarching story of this passage is that indeed, YHWH’s compassions are very great (cf. 1 Chronicles 21:13) and that He was providing a place of worship more permanent and glorious than the tabernacle (1 Chronicles 21:25-29). And, in the context of Scripture as a whole, the point is that the Lord was bringing into the world a Prophet better than Gad, a Priesthood better than that of the tabernacle and temple, Mediation better than David’s, and a King better than David. But if we skip straight to these themes, we will miss that God’s grace, and God’s gracious work in the world, can never be an excuse for us for our sin. David’s sin had real consequences. David’s sin had severe consequences. 70,000 funerals in one day. How the land was filled with grief over David’s sin! Let us never misuse sovereign grace to treat sin as a small thing.
Real grace sovereign over all of it. We do not know what manner of striking is indicated in 1 Chronicles 21:7, but David evidently perceived it (verse 7). Grace gave him a soft heart to be genuinely contrite before God (1 Chronicles 21:8). Grace also sent him God’s Word in 1 Chronicles 21:9. Even before there were the three options, or the staying of the Angel’s sword, or the provision of worship that God accepted, grace was operating. When we have a soft heart to see our sin, that’s grace. When God’s Word comes and convicts us of sin but points us to God for mercy, that’s grace.
Grace makes David not only contrite about his own sin, but confident about God’s mercy. All three options are under the sovereign providence of God. The famine option seems to be rather directly done by God. But there is something about the Angel of YHWH that David perceives. He is a messenger not only of justice and vengeance, but of “compassions that are very great” (1 Chronicles 21:13). Now, this Angel is sent by YHWH, but also is YHWH Himself, into Whose hands David asks to fall. He is not only a messenger (for that is what “Angel” means), but He speaks by the prophet (1 Chronicles 21:18) just as God does. And David is exactly right; His compassions are great. YHWH relents of His own accord, and the Angel stands at the ready (1 Chronicles 21:15). The sacrifice is not in order to stop the plague, but a privilege that the Lord gives David in order to respond to the stopping of the plague. Grace gives David to see the Angel, with sword drawn (1 Chronicles 21:16). Grace prompts David to respond as Mediator for the very people who were suffering for his sin: “these sheep” … “Your people” (1 Chronicles 21:17). The sacrifice is an answer to that prayer (1 Chronicles 21:18).
We also see the effect of grace upon Ornan. Grace makes him courageous before the power and justice of God, even as his sons dive for cover (1 Chronicles 21:20). Grace gives him humility before the Lord’s anointed (1 Chronicles 21:21). Grace gives him generosity to contribute sacrificially, abundantly, even completely (“I give all”) to the Lord’s worship (1 Chronicles 21:23).
Finally, grace provides the temple ground. Here is the most expensive parcel of land in the Bible: six hundred, not of silver, but of gold (1 Chronicles 21:25). And here is a place where YHWH gives David to see that He receives the worship there (1 Chronicles 21:26-27), so that David is encouraged to offer God worship that God Himself has provided and approves of (1 Chronicles 21:28-30).
Stepping back to see the bigger picture, we see that Christ is a Mediator Who has no sin of His own. Instead of suffering for His sin, His people are blessed for His righteousness. He is the Angel of YHWH, a holy and just Avenger, but Whose distinguishing characteristic is that His compassions are great. He is a King Who is perfectly obedient, a Prophet Who announces God’s grace to us, a Priest Who brings us near to God with acceptable worship. And He gave all for that worship. And it is accepted. Hallelujah.
How have you suffered for your sin? Who else has suffered for your sin? What do you deserve for the devil to do to you? How are you resisting him? Whom has the Lord sent to you to announce His grace? How has the Lord given to you to come near to Him for worship?
Sample prayer: Lord, forgive us. For, we have given in to Satan’s incitements to trust in Your good gifts to us, rather than trusting in You Yourself, Who gave them. We know that, like Israel, we deserve to be given over to his hand. And, like David, our sin has been costly for those whom You have placed under us. So we come to You, hoping in the fact that You have placed Christ over us. For the sake of His righteousness and sacrifice, forgive us. Show that Your compassions are very great in how You deal with us. We thank You for the worship that You have purchased for us, not at the cost of six hundred pieces of gold, but at the cost of Christ’s own precious blood. For His sake, forgive us, cleanse, us and receive us, we ask in His Name, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP52B “From My Sins, O Hide Your Face” or TPH434 “A Debtor to Mercy Alone”
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