April 16

Son of a gun if Joab isn't still the commander. He seems to have good advice this time.....not to count the troops, it will bring guilt on Israel. I agree with the author. The motivation for counting the troops had to be either pride of ambitions of taking over something that Israel had not been given by God. And I agree with the author that David has come a long way from the shepherd boy with 5 stones and a contented and confident heart. However, he is still a great model for us in that he is quick to confess his sin.

Interesting about the seer. Those of you who know me, know I am pretty conservative. I watched an interesting program in the middle of the night (which I often do on the internet when I can't sleep) about a seer. I really couldn't find anything to disagree with even though it was pretty radical! This man claimed to have had the gift of 'seeing' for 30 days. He saw demons, angels, spirits....All the same kinds of things that the Yanamamo people from the primative rainforest report seeing all the time. If it intruges you...watch it. http://www.lightsource.com/ministry/its-supernatural/20100412/ Even if you don't believe this guy is a seer, it is well done as far as the video effects and gives you some idea what maybe the seers of the Bible saw. When I looked for an angel in Israel, because my mom collects them, I found none (except one that went to a nativity set). I think that they know that angels are not cute little babies and girlies but might warriors!

David chooses as his punishment the hand of the Lord. Again, his sin is responsible for many peoples deaths! 70,000 people!!  The spot that God stops the angel from destroying Jerusalem, on the threshing floor of the Jebusites is (I believe from what I've read AND heard) the very spot that under the Dome of the Rock of today. In the story it is also the future site of the temple (and also probably the very spot where Abraham would have sacrificed Issaac if God had not provided a ram in the thicket). I wonder what a 'seer' would see in the spirit world in the that location today. I'm going to guess it is not good!!

David begins making preperations to build the temple. To this day, they are not sure how part of the wall were built. The stones here HUGE and went back beyond what you can see about 15 feet. The theorize that a system of pullys and oxen did they job but they really don't know. This picture is taken in the western wall tunnels. Talk about a firm foundation!