Naranasan nating lahat na magkamali at magkasala. Ang masaklap, kapag humantong ito sa masamang pangyayari, na madalas nangyayari. Buti na lang, sa panibago nating series, matututunan natin na sa kabila ng ating pagbagsak, laging nandiyan ang mahabaging Diyos para tayo iangat. Samahan n’yo kami ngayon sa ating series na “The Great and Sovereign Mercy of God”.

Sumagot si David, “Hirap na hirap ang aking kalooban sa nangyaring ito. Sapagkat mahabagin si Yahweh, ang pipiliin ko’y ang tuwirang parusa niya, kaysa ako’y mahulog pa sa kamay ng mga tao.”

2 Samuel 24:14

Kung ikaw ang nasa kalagayan ni David, anong gagawin mo? David committed a sin by ordering Joab to count the Israelites and see how many of them could serve as soldiers (1 Chronicles 21:2,5). Bakit masama ang census na ginawa niya? Back then, they believed that counting people opens the door to evil spirits for which God provided a way to redeem them (see Exodus 30:12). May nagsasabi rin na may ginawang kasalanan ang Israelites kaya’t nagalit si Lord. So King David’s solution was to give an offering in the sanctuary using the money collected from the census. Because of this, God was angry: first, with the sin that was committed, and second, with the way that was chosen to appease God.

After the census, nakonsensya si David at inamin ang kanyang kasalanan. When God, through the Prophet Gad, told him to choose from among the three punishments (2 Samuel 24:13), David said, “I am in a desperate situation! But I don’t want to be punished by people. Let the Lord himself be the one to punish us, for he is merciful” (24:14 GNT). So God sent a three-day plague to the Israelites.

David believed that the Lord is merciful and He will not punish beyond what is just, di tulad ng tao na kadalasan ay sobra kung magparusa. God proved even further how merciful He is when He sent His Son Jesus to bear the punishment for our sins. Because of Jesus, napatawad ang lahat ng ating mga kasalanan (Hebrews 10:17-18), tinubos tayo sa sumpa (Galatians 3:13), pinagaling at binigyan ng peace (Isaiah 53:5-6). Magkaroon man ng hindi magandang result ang ating pagkakamali’t kasalanan, we can trust in the mercy of God.

Abangan bukas ang continuation ng ating series na “The Great and Sovereign Mercy of God”.