Willful Sin

Willful Sin
Words of Faith 4-15-25
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2025
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com

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2 Samuel 24
[11] Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David's seer: [12] "Go and tell David, 'This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.'" [13] So Gad went to David and said to him, "Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me." [14] David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men." [15] So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. [16] When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. [17] When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, "I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family."

     One might think-- What is the big deal of a census? But this census was rooted in David's pride and sense of superiority in himself apart from God. This was a willful act of rebellion against God that repulsed even Joab. 1 Chronicles 21:7 points out that the Lord punished Israel for the evil of the census.
     The Lord gave David a choice of punishments. This is not common, but Gad, a prophet, presented David with a list of three calamities from which he could choose and by which the Lord would register His displeasure and purge out the evil. The choices were three years of famine, three months of enemy pursuit, or three days of pestilence. One would hurt the economy. The second would be personally uncomfortable. The third will probably result in some deaths, but it would be over in just three days.
     David did not "think about it" as the prophet had asked. Instead, he quickly chose the third option, throwing himself at the mercy of God. He made an assumption that this would be better and even sought to protect himself. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men. Rather than endure more pursuit by his enemies, David chose for the people to bear the pain of his sin. The result was a plague that took the lives of 70,000 people before it was over.
     The problem here was not that God's mercy fell short. All of this was buffered by the mercy of the Lord! There just was no atonement equal to the offense against God. We may not think of a census as a great sin. Still, for a nation and king that was called to live in dependence upon God, it was a willful rebellion that smacked of self-reliance rather than God-reliance.
     The plague was horrific, but when Jerusalem was threatened, the Lord intervened and commanded His angelic destroyer to desist. David then confessed his sin and urged the Lord to spare His innocent people.
     David confessed, "I have sinned," like he did before the prophet Nathan, but this time, the Hebrew shows he added the word "greatly." He may have become more sensitive to the enormity of his willful rebellion against God.
     Not waiting for a prophetic word of absolution this time, David begged the Lord to "take away" his guilt. David wrote of this sin at another time in his life: Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression (Psalm 19:13).
     As we read this, we must remember that all of this was before the coming of Christ. In fact, what we see here underscores the necessity of Jesus' coming and His ultimate sacrifice. These events led to the establishment of a place of sacrifice on Mount Moriah, where the Temple would eventually stand.
     We could make all sorts of social commentary regarding leaders who choose to let the people bear the pain of their offenses rather than take responsibility themselves. But the focal point is willful sin. This is not the sin of making a mistake. This is not the sin we slip into by accident or neglect. This is the sin that we plot against God and smacks of self-reliance.
     Willful sin declares independence from God. It could be as big as bolstering our arsenals in self-confidence or as small as passing by prayer because of a healthy bank statement. It is a sin that fails to count the cost of rebellion and must learn from dire consequences. It is a sin rooted in a callous heart that chooses to let others take the pain rather than ourselves.
     The problem with willful sins is that we think we are ruling over them-- but they are ruling over us. Keep your servant from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
     Do you have any willful sin? Are there areas of your life that you have willfully not surrendered to God? Is there an area that you have refused to trust to God? Is there something you have chosen to "rule over," yet it has ruled over you. Is there a relationship that you have refused to entrust to His care? Is there a part of living you have retained independent from God because of stubborn self-reliance?

Dear God. I have sinned greatly in the areas of life that I have kept from You in stubborn and willful disobedience. Forgive me. By the blood of Jesus and His great mercy, cover those sins and cause a spirit of repentance within me. Turn my heart toward You that I may live in complete reliance upon You. Keep your servant from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.