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September 14, 2003 |
"The Joy of Giving" Series |
Pastor Brian Shimer
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"THE JOY OF GIVING -- AS A SERVANT"
2 Samuel 24:1-25
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Those who were here last week remember the Unjust steward who never
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discovered the joy God intended for him because he was serving another master: the love of money. Like the Pharisees, he was not motivated to give but only to get for himself. The writer of Proverbs wrote about him saying: "Trust in your money, and down you go!" (11:28).
Today, instead of going down with this selfish steward again, we are going to step up to a mountaintop with a humbled King -- the steward of all of Israel.
You heard read in 24:1 that King David's experience began because Israel had sinned and God was angry. Sin is serious business. We cannot begin to think we can "go our own way" and get away with it. In this account, late in his career as King, David fell into pride and ordered that a census be taken of all the people.
The sin in numbering the people lay in the heart-- the only reason to get a number is to trust in the number available rather than trusting in God. David's decision was motivated by pride. Did you notice? David did not pray; did not seek the wisdom of God's Word and refused to listen to Joab's question: "Why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?"
As stewards of God's resources we must guard our hearts! Proverbs 4:23 cautions: "Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the wellsprings of life!"
Self-reliance is easy to slip into. David was King, but momentarily forgot who he was in relation to God -- He served Israel as God's servant.
For a fatal moment David only experienced his "right" to command, his own kingly rule. Nine months later when the census was nearing completion, conscience-stricken David experienced remorse.
A. He repents by praying: "Lord, I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing" (24:10).
This is the beauty of David: even when he swerves from God, he returns. Can the same be said of you? Are you aware of when you have detoured away from God? Do you respond to the pangs of conscience with heartfelt repentance?
Following his repentance, a most remarkable scene unfolds. The seer, or prophet, Gad comes and gives David a message from God. In this word from God, David is given a choice of the kind of judgment that will fall upon Israel: famine for 3 years, war for 3 months or a plague from the Lord for 3 days (13).
Understandably, David is in great distress over this decision but chooses the third saying: "Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men" (v. 14)
At that moment a devastating plague begins sweeping through Israel from Dan to Beersheva, following the steps of those who had taken the census. It sweeps the entire length of the nation, killing 70,000 men in its wake. 70,000 families were grieving in Israel because of David's sin!
It says in Scripture David sees the Angel of the Lord with his sword poised over Jerusalem. The Lord stopped the plague before its time -- he had had mercy. Many commentators believe the plague lasted only one rather than three days based on the Hebrew text. However much shorter it was cut, we do know it was shortened for the Lord, grieved because of the calamity, said to the angel who was afflicting the people: "ENOUGH!"
When God said stop the angel was standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Scripture says that David saw the angel from a distance (v 17), but Araunah who was right there, did not! Just think of all the times you may have been standing right next to one of God's heavenly warriors and not even known it!
David is grieved because of the judgment. He cries out to the Lord: "I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family" (v. 17).
B. Gad is sent to David again with instructions to go and build an altar at the site where the angel had stood. So, David and his men go to the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
A threshing floor was a place located at a point where winds would be helpful for winnowing. The floor itself was either a rock outcropping or a soil area coated with clay. The sheaves of grain were scattered about a foot deep over the floor and protected at the edges by a ring of stones. Animals or a wooden sled was then driven over the grain to loosen it and chop the stocks into small pieces. The grain was then winnowed -- or tossed into the air with a large wooden fork (like a pitchfork). The chaff separated from the grain and was blown away by the wind. Scripture uses the terms chaff and grain to refer to the wicked and the righteous: Psalm 1 says: "(the wicked) are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind." (Eerdmans' Bible Dictionary, c 1979, p 19) John the Baptist painted the picture of Jesus as the farmer who "is ready to separate the chaff from the grain with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, storing the grain in his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire" (Matthew 3:12).
Araunah's threshing floor was on the top of Moriah a ridge to the east of Mt Zion where David's fortress was.
God had established this location as a place of worship and testing in the time of Abraham. As a test of his faith, God sent Abraham here with Isaac when his son was about 33 years old. Isaac was to be offered to God as a sacrifice, but was spared by God's command for Abraham's obedience demonstrated that he feared the Lord. At 33 Jesus, God's only Son, whom Isaac foreshadowed, was crucified lower down on this same ridge. He died to make possible salvation and open access to God the Father. David is sent here to purchase this site and worship God here. It became established as a place of national worship as the temple was built here. This property contended over by Jew and Palestinian today is known as the Temple Mount.
C. So, here is Araunah the Jebusite working the grain when the King arrives. Imagine you working outside in the yard only to have President Bush pull up with his secret service staff. Araunah is certainly surprised and falls at the King's feet saying: "Why has my Lord the king come to his servant?"
Although David had forgotten he was the servant of God at the start of his experience, Araunah remembers who he is and demonstrates devotion and humility before the king.
David announces: "To buy your threshing floor, so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be stopped."
Imagine being asked to be a part of healing the nation! Araunah is astounded and offers all he has freely to the King, saying in essence: "It is all yours, take it!"
D. Can you hear Araunah's heart? He loved his king! It was not with resignation but with singular joy that he wanted to give to his Lord not
even fully knowing the reason the request was being made. What a sacrifice that would have been for him: to give it all away.
David however cannot sacrifice to God what is not his. Neither can you or I. David has not physically suffered a bit in this plague. He must pay. "No I insist on paying you for it," he responds. "I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that costs me nothing. "
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II. |
These two servants demonstrate the heart God calls us to as we are stewards of
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all he has given us.
A. There is Araunah -- the joyous release of what God has given into the purposes of God. It is not always God's will that we "give it all away" -- but the attitude is God's will -- that we hold in our hearts: "nothing is ours but all is God's." Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling.
Sometimes we are less than willing to release what we have to the Lord. We cling to it rather than release it. This release begins with our willingness to give our time to God. It continues with our willingness to give our dollars to God. I remember a note I received from two dear people in the church in San Jacinto years ago who had scraped together all that they had in their home one Sunday before coming to church and between them had come up with 58 cents. Joann wrote: "I took it and placed it in the offering. Then before the day was over we received $10 a piece from two different and unexpected sources. We had no such thought in mind, but speak of casting our bread upon the water!" Their story of giving little to the Lord that he viewed as much, reminds me of the widow the disciples and Jesus watched. She put into the offering just two small coins, but Jesus said her gift was far more than any of the others, for it was all she had to live on. Let your giving cost you something and it is like opening your hands to freely receive from God.
Holding only onto Jesus -- not onto the things in our lives -- is the way beginning of worship.
B. There is David -- who knows he cannot give what is not his. He insists on paying for the threshing floor. He purchases Moriah for the Kingdom and worships there -- his costly worship ends the plague.
1. The passage shows that worship is the fitting end to any circumstance. And worship will usher in God's presence and healing! Where in your life do you need to bow down and worship rather than carrying guilt and remorse over past failures? Notice that the plague was stopped by worship. Notice, too, God invites David into worship on the mountain instead of allowing him to dwell any longer in the valley of guilt and remorse!
2. Also, notice that David insists that his worship must cost him something. He has just lamented that the plague has not touched his own family nor himself. He wants to pay! He buys the threshing floor.
What does worship cost you?
Let it cost you something - remembering always that your worship, your giving, cost Jesus His life!
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THE JOY OF GIVING... AS A SERVANT
Luke 16:1-15
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| I. |
A parable has one message - a single focus.
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| This one is no exception. Can you summarize that message?
In this parable how is the manager being dishonest?
Why is the master impressed with his actions?
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| II. |
The manager, or steward, in this parable had fallen prey to what problem?
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A. Is it possible to serve two masters? Jesus says no, several times. First here in Luke 16:1-15 and also Matthew 6: 11-34.
Tell your neighbor: When have you fallen prey to such concerns?
B. What are some cultural beliefs about money?
1. Things bring ______________ True?
2. Debt is ______________ & ________________
True?
3. If I just had ___% more, I could make ends meet...
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| III. |
What does Jesus suggest here?
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