1 Chronicles 20-23
Forgiven
Chapter 20 begins with the same words as 2 Samuel 11. Israel is at war with Ammon. It is spring time and that is the time when nations went to war. We also read that this time David stayed at home.
In 2 Samuel 11 we read of David’s sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. All of this is conspicuously absent from 1 Chronicles 20. In 2 Samuel God sent Nathan the prophet to confront David regarding his sin. At first David was angry with the story Nathan told David of a rich and powerful man taking advantage of a poor person. When Nathan told David he was that man, David fessed up and sought forgiveness for his sin. Psalm 51 and Psalm 32 are David’s testimonies of repentance. God did forgive David of his sin and I believe this is the reason why the story was omitted from 1 Chronicles 20.
David understood what being forgiven did and did not mean. In Psalm 103 David writes that God performs righteous deeds because God is patient, compassionate, gracious, and abounds in lovingkindness. In verses 11&12 we read, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him, As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” NASB
David knew something about the world we live in. He knew that our earth has a North Pole and a South Pole but there is no east pole or west pole. If we were to head north eventually we would cross the North Pole and start heading south. However, if we head east we will never go west. David knew and understood God’s forgiveness.
Although God had forgiven David of his sin this did not mean that David was free from the consequences of his sin here on earth. David had to deal with those consequences right up to the time of his death. Some people think that because they are forgiven of their sin, they should be set free from the consequences as well. This type of thinking is rooted in the world and the here and now. It is the type of thinking that has little or no thought of eternity and is void of understanding of God. God is seen as a get out of trouble free card that a person can play in order to avoid the consequences.
Without God’s forgiveness of sin there would be no hope of heaven or spending eternity there. Those who seek forgiveness of their sins and turn to God have an understanding of this world God created, just as David did when he spoke of our sins being removed as far as the east is from the west. They understand that there is a God and eternal life. They understand regarding where they will spend eternity, that there is a heaven to be gained and a hell to be avoided. They also understand that all have sinned and sin blocks the way to heaven.
Because of sin, no one can make it to heaven on their own because all have sinned. God has given us His Law and we have all crossed the line and broken the Law in one way or another. This is what transgression means. Sin also means missing the mark or target. The Law is the target. There is only one way that we can enter heaven. Our sins need to be forgiven. The charges against us must be wiped clean.
God sent His Son Jesus to pay for our sins. His betrayal, arrest, phony trial, the government that failed to treat Jesus justly but caved to political correctness and pressure, the torturous death on the cross as people mocked Him, are just examples of what eternity in hell will be like. Jesus did not deserve any of this. He was without sin. How do we know this? The Bible tells us that the consequence of sin is death. Death could not hold Jesus. After three days Jesus rose from the grave and later ascended to heaven. Jesus was sinless.
God placed on Jesus our sins. The death He died was our death. He took the sins placed upon Him and buried them in Hades. Death in the Bible means separation. In physical death our soul, or breath, is separated from our body and the body dies. But where does the soul go? Deep down inside we know that we were meant to live forever. We get this from our soul. It is our soul that tells us we are still young and able to do the things we use to do. It is the body that tells us we can’t. It is our body that grows old, not the soul. So the soul goes somewhere. The choices are two, Heaven or Hell. And we are the ones who make the choice.
Jesus paid for the sins of the world we are told in 1 John 2:2. The records of our sins are kept in a book in Heaven. To be forgiven of our sins we must ask Jesus to forgive us of our sins. He has already died the death. When we ask Jesus to forgive our sin the record of our sin is removed and our name is recorded in another book. The Lamb's Book of Life. Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb that took away the sins of the world. He has done it, but we must ask Him for forgiveness just as David sought forgiveness from God. If we do not ask for forgiveness we miss the whole goal and scope of what God has done in order for us to have life eternal in Heaven. There is no other option.
When we ask for forgiveness we are given a new life. We are born again, born from above, born of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our heart and as a result we are a new creation. Paul describes the new creation in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, but I would advise you to read the surrounding context of these verses in order to understand the transformation that comes with a new life.
Have you been born again? Have you asked Jesus to forgive your sin? If you haven’t, I urge you to do it now. Your new life in Christ is just a prayer away. On the tool bar of our website is a link, “Know God” you can click it to lead you to the new life in Christ.
May God bless and guide.
Pastor Dave