David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

1 Chronicles 21:7-14

7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.
8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” 9 The Lord said to Gad, David’s seer, 10 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”

11 So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice: 12 three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.” 13 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.” 14 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead.

Today’s title is “How To Be Punished Well”

What makes a general a hero? The obvious answer would be “a great victory”. That is true. But I heard another insightful story about a true hero. According to the insightful story, a true hero in a war is a general who led a successful retreat. What do you think? I think there is great truth in it. A war hero who had a great victory is great mostly because he and the army he led routed the enemy by smashing victory. The greater the number of enemy soldiers they killed, the greater hero he becomes. But the other war hero, if we may call him a hero, might not have killed as many enemy soldiers but must have saved the great lives of his own army and perhaps the civilians. David has been the former kind of war hero who had numerable victories so far militarily as well as spiritually. But now he made a spiritual blunder by falling into a prideful heart. He was completely routed by Satan and was facing a great setback. David himself confessed to God that he has done a very foolish thing. But such confession and repentance could not free David from God’s punishment. God gave David three options of punishments from which he can choose; “ three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ David fell in agony and dilemma. The three options all seem equally heavy. Still, this is a very unusual offer of God for anyone who sinned before him. No sinners were ever given options of punishments to choose from before as far as I know. The offer showed at least some compassion of God to David the sinner. He would better take it and take it wisely. David, albeit he was a sinner, knew the mind of God. God is righteous. But He has greater love. So he chose God over man and a thing. He chose the sword of the Lord. We later find out that it was the best choice. Have you ever been given the option to choose from multiple punishments of God? The answer will be no if you don’t know the gospel of the Son. But yes, if you know the Son. We all sinned before God a big time. But like David we are given an option to cast our punishment to the Son hung at the cross. Of course, we see the righteous anger of God at the cross. God crushed His own begotten Son for our sins. But we see a much greater love of God in the cross. Are you also sinners facing such option? Are you making a good and wise choice?