David is forgiven, but there are still consequences to his actions. God sends the prophet to give David a choice: seven years of famine; or three days of pestilence; or for David's enemies to pursue him for three months. David does not like the thought of falling into the hands of men, and from there he lets God decide. An angel, as well as THE angel of the LORD, appears in order to deliver the three days of pestilence...
(2 Samuel 24:15-17) So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16 When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough! Now relax your hand!” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, “Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s house.”
We need to realize that the consequences of our sins can affect others as well as ourselves. And ignoring our sins or trying to justify our sins is not the answer. David is instructed to build an altar to the LORD in that very spot He appeared, so David approaches the owner of that land...
(2 Samuel 24:21-25) Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” And David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be held back from the people.” 22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what is good in his sight. Look, the oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. 23 Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.” 24 However, the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Thus the Lord was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel.
This is not say we are to "gamble and make deals" with God. We need to take ownership of our own sins and deal with them appropriately as David did - - - confess - apologize - reconcile with God - change our behavior! As well as confess - apologize - and find peace (while changing our behavior) and reconcile with all involved to the best of our abilities (because the people we're dealing with may not have as much love, forgiveness and grace as Jesus has)! And no matter how others react or behave - it is up to us to do our part! We should not be surprised if there is a COST to our sins!!! Yet, we should still do as we should... Consider the cost if we continue in our sin???
(1 John 1:1-10) What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
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