Sermon text: 1 Chronicles 21:1-18 Preacher: Olaf Latzel / Ev. St. Martini Congregation Bremen (Schlachte) Homepage: https://st-martini.net/ Mp3 download: https://st-martini.net/audio/2023/202... St. Martini Congregation Donation account: Bank: NORD/LB IBAN: DE04 2505 0000 1070 1400 09 BIC: NOLADE2HXXX Satan opposed Israel and provoked David to number Israel. And David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan and bring me news, that I may know how many there are. Joab said, May the Lord add to his people a hundred times as many as they are now. But, my lord O king, are not they all subject to my lord? Why then does my lord ask about this? Why should guilt come upon Israel? But the king's word stood firm against Joab. So Joab went and went through all Israel and returned to Jerusalem and gave David the number of the people that were numbered. There were eleven ten thousand men who bore the sword out of all Israel, and four hundred and seventy thousand men who bore the sword out of Judah. ​​But he did not number Levi and Benjamin, for the king's word was an abomination to Joab. But all this displeased God greatly, and he struck Israel. And David said to God, I have sinned greatly in doing this thing; now therefore take away the guilt of your servant, for I have done very foolishly. And the Lord spoke to Gad, David's seer, saying, Go, speak to David, and say, Thus says the Lord: I offer you three things; choose one of them, that I may do it to you. And Gad came to David and said to him, Thus saith the LORD; Choose for thee either three years of famine, or three months of flight from thine adversaries, and from the sword of thine enemies, that it may overtake thee; or three days of the sword of the LORD, and pestilence in the land, that the angel of the LORD may destroy throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore see what I shall answer him that sent me. David said to Gad, I am in great distress; yet I will fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but I will not fall into the hand of man. And the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel, and seventy thousand of Israel died. And God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. But as it was destroying, the LORD looked on, and relented of the evil. And he said to the angel that was destroying, It is enough; restrain thine hand. Now the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. And David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. And David said to God, Am I not the one who numbered the people? I am he who has sinned and done evil; but what have these sheep done? O Lord my God, let your hand be against me and against my father's house, and not against your people, to afflict them. And the angel of the Lord said to Gad, Tell David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. (1 Chronicles 21:1-18) Three basic questions 1. Who is responsible? 2. How is punishment averted? 3. How does it all end? Homework: Monday: Luke 13:1-9 Tuesday: Psalm 130:1-8 Wednesday: Romans 1:18-31 Thursday: Joshua 7:1-26 Friday: Revelation 16:1-21 Saturday: Ezekiel 13:1-16 May the Lord God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bless and keep you! Streaming of church services, devotions and Bible studies: Information about GEMA & VG Musik can be found at the following link: https://www.ekd.de/informationen-zur-... © This YouTube channel is operated by the Evangelical St. Martini Congregation (Martinikirchhof 3, 28195 Bremen).