Two tellings of a same story. I looked these verses up in several translations (NIV, NLT, NKJV) because the wording perplexed me. Each translation maintained the perspective: in 2 Samuel 24, the anger of the Lord was aroused. In 1 Chronicles 21, Satan rose up against Israel. Each of these verses leads into the same story, and I found myself pondering the lead, one of the Lord’s anger and one of Satan rising up. How do I make sense of this? And it is in this: nothing gets past God. He is sovereign. He let a tormenting spirit have its way with Saul. He gave Satan permission in Job’s life. Jesus told Peter he would be sifted. These are just some examples of the spiritual realm interacting with our reality.
Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” (2 Samuel 24:1, NKJV)
Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel. (1 Chronicles 21:1, NLT)
It’s easy to live oblivious to the spiritual realm because we can’t see it. But the Bible gives plenty of examples of the intersection of the two worlds (the one we see, and the one we don’t see). How could one read over this and fail to be awestruck?
14 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. 15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
16 David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown. (1 Chronicles 21:14-16, NIV, emphasis added)
David witnessed this intersection. More and more, I am so grateful for reading the Bible. It helps me to see clearer and to know truth. I would be lost (discouraged, deceived) without God’s word in my heart. I take fresh hope and courage.
4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” (Romans 4:4-8, NIV)
I put these words here to remember the goodness of God.
13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. (Romans 4:13-25, NIV, emphasis mine)
These are words I put in my heart: against all hope in hope believed … did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God … being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised …
Father God, I turn down the sound of a blaring world and sit quietly at your feet. Your word feeds me and strengthens me in hope and faith. I come back for more and more because it is precious–to know you and to see it written out so I can return to it again and again.
Courtney (66books365)
Sixty-six books in a year 