Apr | 11 | Beware of Your Own The Doomsday Book

Dream Word – MERCY

2 Samuel 24:14 And David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man." NKJV

Beware of Your Own The Doomsday Book

When it came to spanking naughty boys, one of my old headmasters had a fine collection of light coloured whippy canes, all kept in a glass fronted cupboard, from which to choose his particular weapon of retribution. My own backside has in long time past, had very hot fellowship with a number of these canes..

The Olde English word ‘Dom,’ means accounting or reckoning. Thus the last time these islands were aggressively invaded, it was William The Conqueror who instigated a six year survey of the land, it’s owners and possessions, to attain knowledge, understanding and of course taxation information. This 'Dom'esday Book of accounting was completed in 1086 and its two volumes are available for your perusal to this very day. Now of course, they are of course even available on-line. Amazing!

The Domesday Book had the main purpose of determining the fiscal rights of the king. In other words, just how much money he had available to him to finance his projects and no doubt especially his expansionist projects in particular. I wonder if King David had the same expansionist ideas bouncing around in his head, when in 1 Samuel 24, he decides to institute a census and maybe take taxes from it? David wanted a people poll, if you will, with the sole purpose of taxation. Yes, here maybe is an account of the very first poll tax. It is fascinating that even God was against it?

1 Chronicles 21:1 tells us very clearly that is was Satan who tempted David in this matter, in that he put the idea into David’s probably now proud heart. Now watch this friends, for I want to suggest that the greatest danger for a proud expansionist heart, often comes with the gracious opportunity granted by deliverance from close calls and near misses. Second chances, you see, can often leave the heart reaching down its sinful roots into the ready mulch of self empowerment and such sinful sucking of selfish roots produces only black flowers, which in turn exude the sickly scent of an ‘I’ll show you now’ kind of attitude. This, God detests! Yes, with Absolom’s and Sheba’s rebellion, David had almost lost the kingdom! So, I wonder now if he was determined to show everyone just how strong and blessed and justified he really, truly was in being the King of Israel. Time was moving on for King David, he wasn’t as young as he was and there was a lot of recovery needed from recent disasters. The second deep intake of recovery breath is always the one which just might expand the sinful heart. Watch this now, for Satan is never far away and is always ready to slip his wilful wailing wall notes into the cracks produced by such evil expansions.

God was undoubtedly angry at Israel’s rebellion against His anointed king and so, maybe to give them a good spanking, when David took that second but sinful deep recovery breath, it was God who allowed Satan to slip the idea into his cracked heart and then David, against all good counsel, especially as it was given from the lips of some very bad men, went against that good advice and sinned. This was not a sin of arithmetic neither a sin of conscientious planning. No, God sees the heart here of both David and the people and steps in to deliver a spanking that pride will both smart at and withdraw from.

David, whilst looking at his own Domesday documents, now has clarity move into his conscience and is convicted of his sin. He is aware that he now holds in his hands some ‘Dooms Day’ documents and starts to repent of what he has done. I wonder how bad the spanking would have been without this gift of convicting, conscience clarity? Never the less, as good old Mathew Henry has commented, 'Those who truly repent of their sins, and have them pardoned are yet often made to smart for them in this world.’ The prophet Gad is sent to David with three courses of spanking. Which cane of correction will David choose?

Now David, that bloody warrior of old, that circumciser of pressed Philistine men, that old forager of foreskins, knew what merciless evil man’s heart was capable of, and no doubt, especially his own. To that end, he places himself in the hand of Him who both judges righty and shows most mercy.

When it came to spanking naughty boys, one of my old headmasters had a fine collection of light coloured whippy canes, all kept in a glass fronted cupboard, from which to choose his particular weapon of retribution. My own backside has in long time past, had very hot fellowship with a number of these canes. Be careful now.

Listen: - But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

Pray:- Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? You do not retain Your anger forever, because You delight in mercy. You will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old.
(from Micah 7:18-20) NKJV