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The story of David’s census, found in 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 in the Bible, is one that raises important questions about God’s response to human actions and the consequences of pride and disobedience. Let us explore the events surrounding David’s census, the reasons behind God’s condemnation, and the lessons we can learn from this biblical account.
The Story of David’s Census
2 Samuel 24:1-2
2 Samuel 24:1-2 (NKJV): “Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, ‘Go, number Israel and Judah.’ So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, ‘Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people.'”
In this passage, we see that God’s anger is aroused against Israel, prompting Him to incite David to take a census of the people. David, influenced by this prompting, instructs Joab to carry out the census.
Joab’s Concern
2 Samuel 24:3 (NKJV): “And Joab said to the king, ‘Now may the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times more than there are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing?'”
Joab, the commander of David’s army, expresses concern about the purpose of the census, questioning why David desires to know the number of the people.
Completion of the Census
2 Samuel 24:8 (NKJV): “So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.”
After completing the census, the results are brought to David. The count reveals that there are 800,000 men of war in Israel and 500,000 men in Judah.
God instructed Moses hundreds of years earlier concerning any census taken among the Israelite’s. He said: “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a[a] ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them. This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord” (Exodus 30:12-13, NKJV). David clearly didn’t teach the Israelite’s to give a ransom for the Lord to avoid the plague.
The census to be taken of Israel was for military purposes, a form of registration for military service. The number sought was to calculate the fighting strength of the nation (1 Chronicles 21:5). David thought to increase the honor of Israel by increasing his military might. David wanted the nations around to think that Israel’s strength lay in its powerful army and not in God.
But this action was a cause of pride and confidence in the power of man not God. David desired to achieve worldly ambition to be like the neighboring nations. And the attention was directed away from God who gave all the successes in the past to the military power of soldiers. God had blessed David with abundance and had given Israel peace from its enemies. So, taking a census demonstrated a lack of faith on David’s part.
As the census was taken with no indication that they offered a ransom to avoid being plagued, a plague attached the people, exactly as God had warned. Obedience to God’s instructions could have prevented the plague. David realized that he made a mistake. And he confessed his mistake before God and asked for forgiveness (1 Chronicles 21:8) and the Lord heard his prayer.
God’s Condemnation and David’s Repentance
David’s Realization
2 Samuel 24:10 (NKJV): “And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.'”
After the completion of the census, David’s heart is troubled, and he realizes that he has sinned greatly by taking the census.
God’s Judgment
2 Samuel 24:11-13 (NKJV): “Now when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, ‘Go and tell David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.”’ So Gad came to David and told him; and he said to him, ‘Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.'”
God gives David a choice of three punishments: seven years of famine, fleeing from his enemies for three months, or three days of plague in the land.
David’s Decision
2 Samuel 24:14 (NKJV): “And David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.'”
David chooses to fall into the hands of the Lord rather than into the hands of men, acknowledging God’s mercies and sovereignty.
The Plague
2 Samuel 24:15 (NKJV): “So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people died.”
As a result of David’s choice, a plague is sent upon Israel, resulting in the deaths of seventy thousand men.
God’s Mercy
2 Samuel 24:16 (NKJV): “And when the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, ‘It is enough; now restrain your hand.’ And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
At the threshing floor of Araunah, God shows mercy and relents from further destruction upon Jerusalem.
Interpretation and Lessons
Pride and Self-Reliance
One interpretation of the story of David’s census is that it reveals David’s pride and self-reliance. By taking a census of the people, David may have been seeking to bolster his own sense of strength and security apart from God.
Displeasure with David’s Motives
God’s condemnation of David’s census suggests that God was displeased with David’s motives for taking the census. Instead of trusting in God’s protection and provision, David sought to rely on his own military strength and numbers.
Humility and Repentance
David’s response of humility and repentance demonstrates a key lesson from this story. Despite his sin, David acknowledges his wrongdoing and seeks forgiveness from God.
God’s Sovereignty and Mercy
Ultimately, the story of David’s census highlights God’s sovereignty and mercy. Despite David’s sin and the consequences that follow, God ultimately relents from further destruction and shows mercy to His people.
Conclusion
The story of David’s census is a narrative that raises important questions about human pride, obedience to God, and the consequences of sin. The story serves as a reminder of the importance of humility, obedience, and reliance on God’s mercy.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team