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David #11

 [DAVID] Misplaced trust_ 

1 Chronicles 21:1-22:1 

 
October 29th, 1929, is known as “Black Tuesday”, the day of the Wall Street crash and the beginning of the Great Depression. One person wrote, “The thing I remember most about the Depression is my father saying, ‘So and so killed himself today.’ And I suppose ten of my father’s friends committed suicide in the banking business.”  
Over 600,000 homeowners lost their property between 1930 and 1932. More than 5,000 banks failed. Depositors lost a total of $7 billion. By 1933, 25% of the workforce – nearly 13 million people – did not have jobs. 
What makes you feel secure? Is it a steady job? A big savings account? Good health? Family and friends? Each of these can be a gift from God and a reason for giving thanks. However, when we begin to trust in the gift rather than the Giver, we are headed for trouble. 

 

[Group discussion starter] What sorts of things contribute to your feelings of security? 

 
In this chapter, David discovers the terrible consequences of misplaced trust... 

 
[Read 1 Chronicles 21:1-22:1] 

 

What do you think motivated David to take a census of Israel? 
 

 
In what ways does the author make it clear that David’s action was evil? 
 

 
Unfortunately, the author does not tell us why David’s action was sinful. 
Why might the Lord have viewed David’s action as sinful? 
 

 
Why are we often tempted to trust in human strength and resources rather than in the Lord? 
If you were David, which of the three options for punishment would you choose, and why? (verses 11-13) 
 

 
In verse 14, in what sense was the plague on Israel appropriate to David’s sin? 
 

 
What are some of the perils of finding our security in something or someone other than the Lord? 
 

 
What contributes to the mood of fear and urgency in verses 16-27? 
 

 
Why do you think the author devotes half of the chapter to David’s purchase of the threshing floor? 
 

 
In 1 Chronicles 22:1, why was this an appropriate site for building the house of the Lord? 
 

 
Animal sacrifices are no longer necessary to atone for our sins (Hebrews 10:11-12). What, then, should we do when we discover we are guilty of misplaced trust? 
 

 
Take time this week to read and meditate on Psalm 37: 3-6... 

Trust in the Lord and do good; 
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 
Delight yourself in the Lord 
and He will give you the desires of your heart. 

Commit your way to the Lord; 
trust in Him and He will do this: 
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, 
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.   

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