Introduction: Back in elementary school my parents enrolled me in this Friday night event called “Awana”. It was church event for kids and all they did was did like a lesson time, games, and snacks. And honestly, I don’t remember much other than the games we played and I think one of the reasons for that is because at the end of every year we would have some sort of Olympic-type competition. And I would look forward to that single moment in time where I would just let my frail little body shine for all the world to see. And I guess that’s one of my biggest problems…the one of pride. I mean, no matter what it is, I have to dominate in it…So if you challenge me to like a taco eating contest…I’m going to prep for it, train myself, just to destroy you in tacos. It’s a pride thing. So this one Olympic competition was the highlight of all events, it showed who is the greatest. And in years past, the 5th graders would always claim the gold; which makes sense because they’re the biggest and stuff. So times comes for us to compete and my friends and I are all pumped for it. Event number 1 – dodgeball, no problem; Event number 2- team games…got it in the bag…and then event 3 – races. Our grade wins 2 of the 5 and it puts us tied with the 4th graders. And that’s just like drama city. It would be the biggest upset ever. So for the tie-breaker the race is a long-distance race and my team elects one of the younger 5th graders…and I go “Uh…let me takes this one, I’m older…I’m faster…don’t worry, I got it”. And my team says to me “Yeah, but look…it’s just a game, and plus Mike hasn’t even gone yet today”. “No, I think I should go…trust me” I say. The race starts and I just flew out of the starting line…I keep my head down the whole time so I know where I’m going. And I’m just like flying out there…and surely I was way ahead of the crowd. But it was a long-distance race right? So I remember thinking after 3 laps “you’re going to win and be famous forever Justin!” So I continue to keep my head down and just run…and as I pass the finish line I throw up my arms and yell “I am the greatest!” Little did I know…while I had my head down all the other grades had lapped me in the race. Actually everyone was watching me finish last and my team just starred at me.
Pride huh? I think some times God has to humble us to the point of where it hurts in order for us to put to rest our pride. And the crazy thing is that no one is immune to getting prideful. Not me, not you, not Kobe Bryant, not Moses, not even the man after God’s own heart.
And sometimes…pride can carry along with it devastating effects, not just on us…but on those around us. There’s a story in 1 Chronicles that I want you to look at with me that if we can pay attention and heed its warning and adhere to its advice, perhaps we might be saved.
Background: Now we have to set up some background information before we get started. As far as the Bible and the nation of Israel is concerned, we’re pretty far into history by the time we get to our story. Our main character is David, and if you don’t remember who he is…David was chosen by God to be Israel’s king and leader. He was the one who took out Goliath, he was the one who succeeded King Saul, and he was the one who ascended to the throne. But at the time when David was King, if you remember God had promised him that someone who always be on the throne if they obeyed God. So David put on this massive campaign throughout the Promised Land to take out the other nations. And if you read the accounts of his life, David does fairly well…God tells him, “Alright, take your army and go wipe out this nation” and he does…and adios friends…Israel takes out another one. And sooner or later it becomes obvious who is going to win at these wars…it’s like “Oh man…here comes the Israelites again with their Lord” and it’s funny because you read the accounts and people know this and try to join up with them just so they’re not wiped out. Well…sooner or later, David’s army becomes this colossal beast. He has charioteers, he has foot soldiers, if there were guns…he would have those too. But when someone starts to get big…I mean, they start to really flourish and succeed in a way where everyone takes notice, it usually gets to their head or they get prideful…and they do stupid things. Does this happen to everyone? Does pride affect everyone?...even kings?
Pride comes before destruction (Proverbs 16:8)
1 Chronicles 21:1-2: Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, "Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it."
David must have an idea of how big and mighty his army and renown is getting. Nations fear him and he’s winning battles left and right. It’s sort of like coming into the Olympics with the Dream Team in 1992 and you just know that you’re going to dominate. David feels it and it says that he was moved to number Israel. However, we need to address the fact that the author said that “Satan stood up against Israel”. While Satan can’t force people to sin, he can surely tempt, seduce, and allure them. He plays to David’s pride and he says, “Hey…that’s a pretty nice army you have, how big is it again?” What you and I have to remember is that back in Exodus 30 God speaks about taking censuses. The principle behind Exodus 30 was speaking about God’s ownership of His people and when a man counted, he should only be counting what belonged to him.
Many times today we don’t think twice about this principle…while it seems like an arbitrary rule, God understands the motive of the heart better than you and I can. And tell me every person doesn’t wrestle with this problem. “Look at my house, look at my success, look at how well my kids are doing…do you see that car outside? Yeah…that’s mine!” We want people to notice us, we want people to give us compliments…at the depth of our soul, our pride craves attention. “It’s about me…and how great I am”. David doesn’t even think twice and says to his commander “Hey Jo! Tell me how massive my army is”.
Pride and Arrogance are two people with bad hearing (Proverbs 21:24)
1 Chronicles 21:3-7: 3 And Joab answered, "May the LORD make His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?" 4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem. 5 Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israel had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword. 6 But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king's word was abominable to Joab. 7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel.
So the story continues to build in anticipation. We, as readers and listeners, see the next scene unfold. David’s general, Joab, goes to him and says “Hey…I know that your army is great and mighty, but aren’t you forgetting something kind of important?” See Joab knows better and tries to warn his king that this perhaps isn’t the wisest action to take. If you look at his last question, “Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?” Joab knows that this isn’t just a simple command that is to be carried out, but this is going to have consequences. He warns him “Are you sure you want to do this?’ But pride and arrogance doesn’t allow David to hear even when one of his closest friends is telling him. It says in verse 4 “nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab”. The author of Chronicles actually puts an ironic negative spin on this word “prevailed”. This word is defined “to be strong” and every time he uses it it is in the context of “Be strong and courageous” just when Israel is about to defeat another nation. But David’s words, the word of the king over rules Joab’s warning and he plugs his ears and “prevails” over it.
Have you ever been in the situation where you or someone you know has gotten to that place where they’re blinded by their own pride? And you go up to them and say “Hey…you might want to consider this, or changing that because I think you’re headed in the wrong direction” but they fire back “Don’t worry about it, I know what I’m doing…I’ve done this before” or they try to pull rank on you? Are you in the position where you don’t take people’s advice or suggestions any more? That’s pride and arrogance plugging up your ears. Pride says “I know what is best, I don’t need to listen to anyone else…or I’m going to listen to them, but in the end, I know what I need to do” and we don’t sit back and evaluate if there might be any truth in what they are saying. It is a dangerous place to be in when we disregard wisdom…
Pride always wears his guilty backpack on his shoulders (Psalms 109:7)
1 Chronicles 21:8 So David said to God, "I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly."
The story continues with David finally being crushed by the weight of his sin. He finished counting his people and laying in bed terror grips him…”Why did I do that? Not only did I sin against my people and brought calamity upon them…but against a Holy God”. And the weight and the guilt and just knowing that he stands in front of a just God all come to David’s mind. And when you and I have the fog of pride lifted up from us and are finally exposed what will we do? You’re finally told that you’re not big enough to handle your marriage…all of your resources are stripped from you…now what? David’s pride is shattered and runs crying back to God.
And what does God do? Does he forgive him? Psalms 51 tells us that the broken and contrite he does not despise. And in Hebrews 8 we know that Jesus died on the cross for us so that we always have a place to go…and we can always come running back to God. But like a loving Father, God punishes those he loves.
Pride invites his cousin Consequence over
1 Chronicles 21:9-14 9 And the LORD spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying, 10 "Go and tell David, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you." ' " 11 So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Choose for yourself, 12 'either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the LORD -- the plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.' Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me." 13 And David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man." 14 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
God sends David a message and tells him “Bad news…you’re either going to have 1) 3 years of famine; 2) 3 months of your enemies hunting you; or 3 days of plague…but the good news is that you get to choose one”. But look closely at this passage…he says in verse 11 “Choose for yourself”. The first two options are implied that David is going to suffer these consequences…and the third the author adds “the plague in the land…all the territory of Israel”. 3 years of famine would mean that Israel would be dependent on other countries to provide for them. 3 months of their enemies overtaking you would seem counterproductive to his whole military campaign. But David chooses what seems to be the quick fix…3 days of the plague.
Pride doesn’t just affect us and our well being…but it is like a mist that engulfs everyone around us. Our personal decisions affect those around us. David’s position as the king of a nation led to 70,000 deaths. It is a scary thing to think about isn’t it? That our decisions as leaders could cause such large repercussions? But the story continues…
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)
1 Chronicles 21:15-17 15 And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was destroying, the LORD looked and relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, "It is enough; now restrain your hand." And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 16 Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. 17 And David said to God, "Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father's house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued."
So as God was exercising his punishment over the nation of Israel for David’s sin…something in the heart of God was moved and he says to his angel “stop…no more”. But we see as readers that David doesn’t know that the punishment is over. He looks up and sees the angel of the Lord about to continue his destruction and at that moment, his pride is stripped away and he and his elders fall to the floor with their faces. And finally, David finally takes full responsibility for his action…”I am the one who has sinned…but these sheep, what have they done?” Unfortunately, it takes David guilt, punishment, and death before he finally understands that pride is a stifling evil.
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