A Grander Scheme: The Provocation (Part 4)
One Year Bible (July 18)
I Chronicles 26:12-27:34
A GRANDER SCHEME: “The Provocation” (Part Four)
The concept of a red devil seems to have taken appearance from the Greco-Roman Pan, who was like a horned goat. The singer, Irving Berlin made this red devil with horns quite popular with the 1913 song called, “At the Devil’s Ball”.
Lucifer, the real fallen angel who is called “The Accuser” and Satan throughout the Bible must have been filled with delight with all the notoriety. There is no better way to do your “slimy” work than to work “undercover” in the daylight.
Underwood Ham, a fireworks company, and even squadrons of the military would take the “Red Horned Devil” as their mascot.
Perhaps you have heard the phrase, “The devil made me do it!”
Flip Wilson made a lot of money off this phrase as a comedian, but how is it working for David?
What costume does the Devil wear? Well, his favorite all-time disguise is that of “a lying spirit” and that is how he is “INCITING” David to sin against his God.
2 Samuel 24:1 tells the original story about David and the census. “Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” Who moved David? The Lord did!
The parallel passage to this story is found in our main passage, I Chronicles 21:1: “Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.” Who moved David in this passage? It says that “Satan moved him.”
The word used in most passages is “INCITED”.
Why is Satan ‘INCITING” David to sin and what does God have to do with this?
This is paramount to our understanding of the big picture of scripture.
It is helpful to interpret scripture in light of scripture. What do we know about their relationship from scripture?
We have already discussed the fall of Lucifer and his desire to twist the truth just a little bit… 90 % truth with just a 10% slant of deception will do it to cause a man to fall… AGAIN!
Remember Satan’s description in Genesis? It calls him “Crafty”. (Gen. 3:1)
What is Satan’s goal or desire?
I Peter 5:8-9 tells us that, ‘Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to DEVOUR”. His goal for David and for us is to DEVOUR US.
In John 8:44 Jesus describes Satan for us. He says that he is a killer, liar, and devoid of truth. In fact, he is called, “the Father of lies”.
Let’s take a close look at the passage again, “Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel.” (I Chronicles 21.1)
Did you catch what the real battleground is here? Satan rose up against God’s chosen people, Israel and he is “INCITING” David to sin to harm the Messianic line of David. This plot is bigger than just one person. It is against a people… God’s chosen people.
Where is God’s role in all of this and why does it say that “God moved David”?
Let’s look for just a moment at an active temptation in the book of Job. We see that “the sons of God” came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. It says that the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”
Satan replies, “Does Job fear God for no reason?” (v 9) “Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” (Job 1: 6-11).
Do you think that Job is the only man that Satan has asked “to sift like wheat”? No, because that phrase is used to refer to the apostle Peter before he was tempted to deny Jesus.
The enemy had to hate that David was “a man after God’s own heart” and he came in to accuse and attack the people of God. His open door came through David’s anger and pride. God removed the hedge around Job and allowed him to be tempted.
In his sovereignty, he permitted his tempting just as Jesus went through in the wilderness. God was part of this process as He permitted it to happen. Satan provided the temptation and David did not seek God to find deliverance.
Satan’s goals are simple, (The 5 D's for DEADLY)
“Division. Delusion. Deception. Destruction. Death.”
Revelation 12:10-12 tells us more about “The Accuser” of the brethren ( a familiar name for Satan). It says that he “ACCUSES the brethren day and night before our God”. Then it goes on to tell HOW the saints of God will triumph over him. “They triumphed over them by the blood of the lamb.
For a short season, Satan is permitted to test, tempt, and try the Believer, but the ultimate TRIUMPH belongs to the LAMB!
All that come to the Mercy Seat will find MERCY and GRACE!
