The Counsel of the Lord Stands Forever

Psalms 33: 11,12

The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

 

I have been praying the above verse regarding our nation. Early in the morning at the beginning of April, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, as I was heading down the stairs to pray. I heard, “remember the pride of David as he counted the men.”  I thought, to myself, I recall the story, but I need to read it in light of what was just spoken. The passage below is what I discovered of David during that particular time. I believe it profoundly states the revelation of God’s ways, for such a time as this.

 

2 Samuel 24 & 1 Chronicles 21 gives the account of David’s order for a census of Israel and Judah. Joab, a general object’s to David census in numbering the men.

2 Samuel 24 gives the account from a Political view

1 Chronicles 21 presents the report from a Religious view

It’s important to note both; the political and religious views as the revelation, while in part, renders a remedy that I would humbly like to offer remains a truth for the nation and for us.

 

We read excerpts from the account from 1 Chronicles 21

 

While scripture doesn’t tell us directly what David did was wrong. It implies his motive in doing so was wrong.

 

⁷ And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel. ⁸ So David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing; but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

 

David didn’t trust God; he was worried about the military power of the nation.

 

⁹ Then the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying, ¹⁰ “Go and tell David, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.”

¹¹ So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Choose for yourself, ¹² either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the Lord—the plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”

 

Sound familiar, three-months of being defeated by a hidden foe, in our day and time, I’d like to suggest for us, it’s namely a virus.

 

¹³ And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

 

The Lord was drawing David to Him.

 Ps. 46 God is our strength, a very present help in trouble.

¹⁴ So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell. ¹⁵ And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was destroying, the Lord looked and relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

 

Whoa! …all at the result of foolish-sin from their leader.

 

¹⁸ Therefore, the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David that David should go and erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

²² Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar on it to the Lord. You shall grant it to me at the full price, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people.”

²³ But Ornan said to David, “Take it to yourself and let my Lord the king do what is good in his eyes

²⁶ And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on the Lord; and He answered him from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering.

²⁷ So the Lord commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.

 

We see David take full responsibility for his actions before the Lord, yet lives were lost on account of his foolishness, the Lord received his sacrificial repentance, and the Lord relented.

 

Likewise, our response is to seek security only in God.

 

I understood the Lord impressed upon me to implore to leaders both Political and Religious equally, to repent, repent of any pride, foolishness, repent of sowing sins of wickedness, seek the Lord while he can be found, call upon Him while He is near.

 

If you are an intercessor and or a righteousness leader, I implore you as well to stand in the gap, offer a sacrificial prayer for another. May we unite in continue to sow righteousness as stated in Hosea verse that we might as a nation reap mercy and find healing in our land.

 

Hosea 10:12

Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.