NOTE: To all my readers…I am still in Kuwait and am awaiting my flight to my new assignment. Please bear with me during this trip as I adjust to new time zones and surroundings. I am currently 7 hours ahead of EST but intend to continue writing every day while sharing the words the Lord places on my heart. Please keep Grace and I in prayer as we endure yet another separation…our final one before I retire. God bless all of you and thanks for your faithful readership and comments. In Christ, Mark
Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are."
But Joab replied, "May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord's subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?"
The king's word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.
But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king's command was repulsive to him. This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.
1 Chronicles 21:1-7
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Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."
So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, "Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are."
But Joab replied to the king, "May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?"
The king's word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.
After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer. They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon. Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.
After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.
David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of Your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."
Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David's seer: "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.' "
So Gad went to David and said to him, "Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the One who sent me."
David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."
So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, "I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let Your hand fall upon me and my family."
2 Samuel 24:1-17
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
As Chapter 24 opens, we find David making a decision he later wishes he would have never made.
The decision revolves around David ordering a census to be taken of “Israel and Judah” but not all people were counted. Rather, only those who were of age and able to fight were to be included.
How David came to order the count is interesting to say the least. If you only read 2nd Samuel, Chapter 24, then you would be led to believe that it was the Lord who “incited David against (Israel)”. But as we see in other places in the scriptures, particularly as we read the gospels, there are often parallel texts that offer a different perspective and help us reach a deeper level of understanding.
Such a passage can be found in 1st Chronicles, Chapter 21, where we read how Satan was the one who “rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census”. And so David did just that.
So why would one passage say that the Lord incited David while the other attribute it to Satan?
Well, we have seen before in the scriptures where the Lord is the Lord of all, having power over good and evil. And so as David was on the brink of sinful behavior, the Lord didn’t stop that sin from happening but instead allowed Satan to enter in and lead David to order the count.
Now, not everyone was onboard with David’s idea. We have seen before where a voice of reason has entered in and changed the heart of one about to make a bad choice. In this case, the voice comes in the way of Joab who sees that David’s plan is one that is ill-advised as he says to David:
"May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord's subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?"
Joab highlights the root problem with David’s order. For any success that Israel had in battle wasn’t as a result of the number of troops that were sent forth to fight but rather because the Lord was with them when they went. In fact, we saw in Chapter 23 where single mighty men had great success fighting alone…all because they had the Lord on their side who was leading them to victory.
And so David’s desire to count all his men was done more out of a desire to boast about power in sheer numbers of soldiers instead of faith in the only One needed to win in any battle…and that was faith in God.
How often do we make the same mistake as David and place our faith in the wrong places?
Maybe we feel prideful in our longevity…boasting in the number of years we have lived because we have taken care of ourselves or have done this or that, choosing to take credit for our longevity instead of attributing it to the Lord’s mercy and grace and providence.
Maybe we have found success in the work place and have climbed the ladder, receiving monetary gains and promotion along the way. And as we share our successes with others, we tell them about how hard we have worked to set ourselves apart from the competition and get to where we are. But in doing this, we forget to attribute our successes to God’s blessing and provision.
Or maybe, we have reached financial wealth through any of a number of means. Perhaps, we have invested wisely and followed the advice of financial advisors. Or maybe we have enjoyed a hefty inheritance, receiving a bounty from our deceased loved ones. And no matter how we may have found our fortune, we become care-free and not having to worry about the bills anymore or where our next meal might come from. In fact, we get so caught up in our good fortune that we lose sight of our Good Master…the One through which it all came from.
Yes…it’s very easy to fall into the hands of sin and Satan, allowing ourselves to be blinded by pride and self accomplishment…and in doing so, failing to give the Lord the glory He deserves.
Well, as we have seen and will continue to see, if we don’t give God the attention He deserves, then He’ll get our attention and show us the wrongs of our ways.
For as David overrules Joab’s voiced concerns and sends Joab off to do the census, we read where his command was not only repulsive to him (Joab) but also “evil in the sight of God”.
And so God chose to punish Israel…but as we will see, He did it in a very interesting way…one that would teach David a valuable lesson.
For after the “end of nine months and twenty days”, Joab returned from the census and reported to David that “the number of the fighting men…were eight hundred thousand…who could handle a sword”. In Judah, there were “five hundred thousand”. Now as we look at the 1st Chronicles account, we will see that the numbers are different and this can be attributed to different people giving the accounts. What we need to stay focused on is the intent of David to take pride in the size of his fighting force instead of his relationship with God.
So what often happens when we do wrong in life…when we choose sin over obedience?
We become convicted of our wrongs…and as we see, this happened to David.
For we read where David becomes “conscience-stricken” after the census and this led him to turn to the Lord and confess, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of Your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."
David had taken the first necessary step in reconciling himself with the Lord…confessing his wrongs. But as we have seen and all have experienced ourselves at some level, the Lord will often discipline us to teach us a life lesson and help us to not make the same mistake twice.
In David’s case, the discipline would be costly.
For after David’s confession, the Lord sent a message to him through the prophet Gad, giving David three penalties to select from. David had willingly made a decision to sin and take the census…and now he would have another decision to make from three options that each brought hardship from God.
The three options…
The first involved famine…three years worth that the Lord would send over Israel.
The second involved David himself, covering three months through which he would have to flee from the pursuit of his enemies…something David was familiar with since he had done that before.
The third choice again involved all of Israel but was of a shorter duration…three days of plague which would come upon Israel.
Note that David did not have the option of none of the above. He would have to select one of the three choices presented. No doubt it was a tough decision to make…and thus no wonder why Gad would finish his message from God by saying, “…think it over and decide how I should answer the One who sent me."
What would you do if given these options?
After I thought about it, I decided I would choose to go through three months of pursuit by my enemies. After all, I (putting myself in David’s place) had made the decision to do the census in the first place. It was my choice that led to the Lord’s disfavor and so why would I place any penalty on my people. No…I would face the consequences for my actions.
Well, we see where David doesn’t quite see things the same way. For after pondering his options, he says to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."
David had faced the pursuit of enemies before. He knew it wasn’t any fun and as we see, wasn’t willing to go through it again. Instead, he decides to throw himself and Israel “into the hands of the Lord” and into His mercy that David affirms is great.
Maybe David thought that his decision would cause the Lord to show leniency…that the Lord in His great mercy might spare the people of Israel for David’s action.
But that’s far from what happened. David decided to allow Israel to face God’s judgment for his sin and this is exactly what happened in the way of the three days of plague that the Lord sent on Israel “from that morning until the end of the time designated”. When all was said and done, a heavy price would be paid for David’s sin…as “seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died”. And the destruction didn’t stop until the Lord deemed it to stop, ordering His destroying angel to withdraw his hand as he “stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem”. The Lord had exercised mercy but not before many had perished.
Now…imagine that you’re David. You have witnessed 70,000 of your people struck down by plague…all because you had sinned…all because you chose to have the plague come.
How would you feel?
Well, I suspect we would feel just as David felt. For as he witnessed his people die, David cried out to the Lord saying, “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let Your hand fall upon me and my family."
Now David chose to take personal accountability for his actions. But it was too late. A heavy price had already been paid.
And this is just what happens sometimes when we willingly decide to sin…when we decide to place our faith in the wrong places and when we decide to take credit for matters that deserve credited to God.
Too often, others get hurt and face the consequence that belonged on us.
This Lenten season, let us ponder this point as we get set to journey again to the cross with Jesus…to the place where He bore the cost of our poor choices and sinfulness…dying where we should have died for the sins we should have died for.
And as we reflect on this, may we surrender our will to the Lord so that all we do in word, thought or deed, might be in accordance with His will for us…a will that will always lead us to do right…a will that will always ensure that our decisions are His decisions…a will that will always ensure that we place our faith in the only right place…in Him.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
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