Which One Would You Choose?

Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”  2 Samuel 24:14  NASB

Fall into the hand of the Lord – Are you in great distress?  Oh, maybe not now, but have you been?  Think about the last time you went through that pain and agony.  What did you do?  Before you answer, reflect on David’s insight.  David suggests that it is better—much better—to throw yourself onto the hands of the Lord than to seek comfort and remedy in the hands of other human beings.  That doesn’t make a lot of sense unless our distress comes from tragic circumstances or unexplainable evil toward us.  Then, yes, maybe we can see David’s point.  If you’re feeling attacked by the devil, you run to God for rescue.  Completely understandable.  But that’s not what’s happening to David.  David is greatly distressed (ṣā·rǎr mĕʾōd) because of what he did!  He counted the people despite God’s directive not to.  He sinned.  He’s the one who’s responsible for this agonizing condition.  Why would he ever want to throw himself on the very God he offended?  No, that doesn’t make sense.  If we have offended God, we expect Him to punish us.  That usually means we try to avoid Him.  No one deliberately presents himself to the executioner.  But that’s precisely what David is doing.  He’s going to the God he offended rather than trying to find refuge in other human beings.  It seems crazy.

There’s an incredibly deep lesson here.  First, David’s insight about human nature rings true—chillingly true.  Human hands often show little if any mercy.  Human beings can be incredibly cruel, intentionally vindictive, certainly untrustworthy.  If I have seriously offended another person, and then I go to that person to beg forgiveness, I am never quite sure what the outcome will be.  I might be forgiven, but I might not.  I might find that all I’ve really done is expose myself to retribution.  I’ve walked into the lion’s den.  My intentions might be noble, but that doesn’t secure the result.  I am pretty sure we all know exactly how this works which is one of the reasons we are so hesitant to really be vulnerable before another person.

Second, David knows God’s character.  He knows that when God forgives, He doesn’t harbor ill will.  He doesn’t store up His anger to use it later.  He doesn’t remember transgressions in order to use them against us later.  When God forgives, we get a fresh start.  David would rather throw himself on the possibility that God will forgive than risk the chance that men will say they forgive but continue to remember.

David’s statement seems counterintuitive until we understand why he’d rather walk into God’s lion den than ask for mercy in the public square.  It’s all about bāṭaḥ, trust.  I can trust God, even when it comes to offenses against Him.  But, frankly, I really can’t trust another person because that other person is just like me, quite capable of trading mercy for vengeance.  If you’re going to fall, better fall where you have a chance of landing softly.

Topical Index:  nāpal, fall, lie, be cast down, fail, trust, bāṭaḥ, forgiveness, mercy, 2 Samuel 24:14