“He that will be angry and not sin, must not be angry but for sin.” –John Trapp
In Psalm 30, David urges the saints of God to sing to the Lord and to praise his holy name. (v.4) One of the reasons that should motivate us to praise him is the way that God handles his anger toward his people. God’s anger was replaced by his favor. David noted the short-lived nature of God’s anger and the everlasting character of God’s favor.
Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime. (v.4-5a)
What had David done to stir God’s anger? And how can we avoid doing the same thing?
Some commentators think this psalm may have been written after the events that are recorded in 2 Samuel 24. At that time, David ordered Joab, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.” (v.2, NIV) The idea of taking a census was repulsive to Joab who asked, “But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?” (v.3) Why did David want to do that? David was looking to human resources (his troops) rather than to divine resources. Thus, in this psalm, he writes:
As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
By your favor, O Lord,
you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed. (v.6-7)
God is never pleased with his children when they depend more on what they have than on who he is.
God, in order to humble David, sent a plague on the nation of Israel. God became actively involved to deplete David’s resources. Then God, through the prophet Gad, ordered David to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David did just that and demonstrated to the Lord that he had learned his lesson. Araunah offered the floor free of charge to David. The opportunity was there for David not to expend any of his resources but instead, he says, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24 NIV) One way to demonstrate to the Lord that we trust him is in our willingness to part with our resources. Our time, talent, and money are some good examples of resources. Consider this: If your walk with God is costing you nothing that might be all its worth. Have a blessed week and we will see you on Sunday.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Dale