WHEN THE LEADER SINS THE PEOPLE SUFFER

PROCLAMATION

“David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to The Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done.  Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of Your servant.  I have done a very foolish thing.’ …  He said to The Lord, ‘I have sinned;  I, the shepherd, have done wrong.  These are but sheep.  What have they done?  Let Your hand fall on me and my family.’”  2 Samuel 24:10-17 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

David commits a sin by taking a census and putting his trust in the size of his army instead of trusting in The Lord.  He confesses his sin and asks for God’s mercy.  David was given the opportunity to choose the punishment for his sin. (2 Samuel 24:11-14)  Each of the three punishments that he had to select from was also going to affect the people of Israel.  He could not make a choice, so The Lord chose for him and sent a plague over Israel which killed a large number of people. (2 Samuel 24:15)  Then David prayed that The Lord would punish him and his family and not the innocent people of Israel. (2 Samuel 24:17)

APPLICATION

Sometimes when we sin, we also hurt others.  Our punishment for our sins can also cause them pain. (2 Samuel 24:17)   Some of the bad times which we endure are the punishment for the sins of our grandparents. (Numbers 14:18)  We need to pray for ourselves and for others because our sins may be the cause of their suffering.

By Sin Man Fell From The Grace Of God

"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned ..."  Romans 5:12 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul, the Christian persecutor turned preacher, wrote to the believers in Rome and told them that it was because to the voluntary transgression of one man in the Garden of Eden that sin entered into the world. (Genesis 3:1-24)  Death also entered then because the penalty for sin is death. (Genesis 3:3 and Romans 6:23)  Since all men have sinned, all men must pay the penalty of sin which is death. (Romans 3:23)  

Just as sin and death entered the world through the transgression of one man, so then by the grace of God did the gift of righteousness and salvation enter into the world by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ. (Romans 5:17)  Jesus died so that we might be saved. (John 3:17, Acts 4:12, and Romans 10:9)  By His death, burial, and resurrection, He who knew no sin, paid the price for our sins. (2 Corinthians 5:21)  Jesus paid it all for us, He died in our place, and for that we owe Him a debt that we cannot repay.  That alone should be reason enough to give Him all praise, honor, and glory.  He is worthy of our worship.

God Knows All About Us And Still Loves Us

"Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.' The woman said to him, 'Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.' He told her, 'Go, call your husband and come back.' 'I have no husband,' she replied. Jesus said to her, 'You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.' 'Sir,' the woman said, 'I can see that you are a prophet' " John 4:10-26 (NIV)

When Jesus left Judea heading to Galilee, He went through Samaria. There He met the Samaritan woman by a well and asked her for a drink of water. She questioned Him and during their conversation He told her that if she knew who He was, she would have asked Him for the living water that He could give her. Even though she did not fully understand she asked for that water. Jesus told her to go and get her husband and return. When she said I have no husband, Jesus told her about her past five husbands and her current situation.

Jesus knew all about the Samaritan woman's past and that she was living with a man to whom she was not married. He still offered her the living water of salvation. He also knows all about our past, including all of our sins, and still loves us enough to offer us salvation and eternal life. He had to tell the woman about herself before she believed. Sometimes He allows things to happen to us so that He can show us who He is and what He can do for us. He loves us and He wants us to be with Him, but we have to accept Him.

Don't Be Like Eli's Sons

"Eli's sons were wicked men; they had no regard for The Lord ... Now Eli (the priest), who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear spreading among The Lord's people. If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against The Lord, who will intercede for him?" His sons, however, did not listen to their father's rebuke ... Therefore The Lord, The God of Israel, declares: ... Those who honor Me I will honor, but those who despise Me will be disdained." 1 Samuel 2:12-30 (NIV)

The point here, according to John Mac Arthur, was that if God would judge when one sinned against another man, how much more would He bring judgement against those who sinned against Him. There is a price to pay for flagrant disobedience. F J Dake states "Christ is the One who can mediate man's cause with God and He is the covering for the sins of all men should they avail themselves of such services of reconciliation." (Matthew 26:28)

Willful disregard for and rejection of The Lord Jesus, The Christ, will result in eternal damnation. Don't be like Eli's sons. When you mess up, "fess up", and get right with God. You cannot be saved from the penalty of sin without accepting the covering of the blood of Jesus.
Do not invite the wrath of God on your life.