Wednesday 09/16/20
Series: Thru the Bible
Message – In the Lord’s hands
Podcast: Download (110.3MB)
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Thru the Bible: 1Chron. 21; 2Sam. 24
Israel’s sin & David’s disobedience
We are going to toggle back and forth between 1Chron. & 2Sam. for a bit here at the beginning in order to not lose details in the comparison between the two accounts.
The first historical incident we are looking at tonight is when David ordered a census in Israel. Now a census in itself would not have been wrong, but context and motive can turn ANY action, regardless of how innocent, into sin and I believe that is the case here.
Now, it would have taken far too long to confirm with Google searches becoming more and more inaccurate every day, but David Guzik makes a statement regarding this which I found interesting. He said that in the ancient middle east, to number something indicated ownership.
Now believe it or not, unless you are Rainman, humans are not that traditionally good with numbers. We tend to deal in generalities and often mistakes are made through those generalities.
In many cultures around the world even today, if the number of something (like oranges or people in a room) goes beyond 2 or 3, the account of the number is reduced to the word “many” – not something specific, like 14.
This seems incredible to us in the western world, since we are obsessed with numbers but when you consider the reasons why we are obsessed with numbers, David’s sin and Guzik’s implied reason WHY it was sin begins to sound plausible.
In most cases, it is not important how many of something we have, unless we are attempting to gain status out of it (like how many dollars we have in the bank or how many cars we own) OR unless we are attempting to squeeze the last dollar out of what makes us money (like knowing number of sheep we have or the number of dollars we put into something versus how much we are able to make for it.) Now not all of this is bad of course. Some numbering is important in order to be a good steward, but I think we can all think of instances where reducing things down to numbers has caused more problems and has perpetrated more harm to our fellow man than not.
Now, as I said the first thing we are addressing is Israel’s sin & David’s disobedience.
Regarding Israel’s sin, details are not offered, but when we compare the account of 1Chron. 21 with the one in 2Sam. 24 we get boths sides of the coin and enough information to hazard some guesses.
Israel’s sin seemed to be like most sins. It was most likely reactionary with little thought or provocation. Given Israel’s immediate past in these chapters it probably had something to do with rebellion against establish authority…but we don’t know.
David’s sin on the other hand, though also reactionary, required him to get angry with Israel and react to their misstep with one of his own. When he witnessed the anger of the Lord towards Israel’s sin – he was incited to act out of anger.
Now, let’s read the two accounts and we will unpack those before we continue.
1Chron. 21:1-8,
“(1) Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to count the people of Israel. (2) So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan and bring a report to me so I can know their number.” (3) Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply the number of His people a hundred times over! My lord the king, aren’t they all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?” (4) Yet the king’s order prevailed over Joab. So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel and then returned to Jerusalem. (5) Joab gave David the total of the registration of the troops. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 swordsmen and in Judah itself 470,000 swordsmen. (6) But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count because the king’s command was detestable to him. (7) This command was also evil in God’s sight, so He afflicted Israel. (8) David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now, because I’ve been very foolish, please take away Your servant’s guilt.”
2Samuel 24:1-25,
“(1) The LORD’s anger burned against Israel again, and it stirred up David against them to say: “Go, count the people of Israel and Judah.” (2) So the king said to Joab, the commander of his army, “Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba and register the troops so I can know their number.” (3) Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops 100 times more than they are–while my lord the king looks on! But why does my lord the king want to do this?” (4) Yet the king’s order prevailed over Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army left the king’s presence to register the troops of Israel. (5) They crossed the Jordan and camped in Aroer, south of the town in the middle of the valley, and then proceeded toward Gad and Jazer. (6) They went to Gilead and to the land of the Hittites and continued on to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon. (7) They went to the fortress of Tyre and all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites. Afterwards, they went to the Negev of Judah at Beer-sheba. (8) When they had gone through the whole land, they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and 20 days. (9) Joab gave the king the total of the registration of the troops. There were 800,000 fighting men from Israel and 500,000 men from Judah. (10) David’s conscience troubled him after he had taken a census of the troops. He said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I’ve done. Now, LORD, because I’ve been very foolish, please take away Your servant’s guilt.”
Now, several things help us understand what was going on here.
First of all let’s look at two sets of words, which are important to understand. ‘To stand up against’ and the word ‘incite’.
To stand up against – is ‛āmaḏ and in its causative usage, like here, it takes on the meaning of setting up, and is used of causing persons to do something.
Incite – is sûṯ A verb meaning to incite, to entice, to mislead. It has the sense of stirring up persons with the intention to get them to deviate, to act with destructive, harmful purposes or results in mind; to incite people to be evil, to lead them astray.
Satan is a master manipulator, so if you are good at it too, you know where you got it from…so be careful…manipulation is not too distant a cousin from sorcery and witchcraft! So in Israel’s case, satan simply asserts his influence (or evil grace) against Israel knowing their weaknesses well enough to all but guarantee the results. This is SO true that it is said that he “caused” them to sin. Of course you and I know that they had a choice, but this implies that they were so weak and so predisposed to this particular sin that it took little more than him making his influence felt among them.
David on the other hand, was stirred to righteous anger. Now it is anyone’s guess as to his motivation for numbering Israel but we have several clues.
- He only wanted to know the number of his army
- He was reacting to God’s anger against Israel
- If Guzik is right, then David was treating the armies of Israel as though they – as Israelites – belonged to him rather than to God.
The problem was clearly obvious to Joab, who we have seen many times was more insightful than David (though not always) and was good enough of a commander and friend to speak his mind before the King.
Listen to his words, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops 100 times more than they are–while my lord the king looks on! But why does my lord the king want to do this?”
Oh for all of us to have good enough of friends as Joab, who will attempt to ground you and consider your motivations before you take action.
Joab, however, did not take an account of everyone. He excluded the tribe of Benjamin and Levi and he did this as a type of silent protest to hide the true number from the King.
Now a word on census’ in Israel.
The first official census taken is found in
Exod. 30:11-16,
“(12) The LORD spoke to Moses: “When you take a census of the Israelites to register them, each of the men must pay a ransom for himself to the LORD as they are registered. Then no plague will come on them as they are registered. (13) Everyone who is registered must pay half a shekel according to the sanctuary shekel (20 gerahs to the shekel). This half shekel is a contribution to the LORD. (14) Each man who is registered, 20 years old or more, must give this contribution to the LORD. (15) The wealthy may not give more, and the poor may not give less, than half a shekel when giving the contribution to the LORD to atone for your lives. (16) Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will serve as a reminder for the Israelites before the LORD to atone for your lives.”
So we can see that to the LORD, a census was connected to HIS Ownership of them and for the atonement of the households in Israel. The men of the household stood as the representation for their house. This is true both in this and the second census taken in Israel and so it could be argued that it was this distortion of the purpose for a census, that David’s census incurred guilt. Up to this point in Jewish history, a census was directly connected with the fall and redemption of man – not man’s ability to provide for and save himself.
Also, this is why only men were numbered. Let’s look at a few verses regarding this…
Rom. 5:12-21,
“(12) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned. (13) In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to one’s account when there is no law. (14) Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a prototype of the Coming One. (15) But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift overflowed to the many by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ. (16) And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification. (17) Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. (18) So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life-giving justification for everyone. (19) For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (20) The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more, (21) so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
1Tim. 2:5-6, “(5) For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, a man, Christ Jesus, (6) who gave Himself–a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.”
As I have said many times, this has been an argument to ignore the scriptures by modern feminists claiming the bible to be “hopelessly patriarchal”, but this is a juvenile reaction and comprehension of the history and truths behind its necessity. Men are NOT considered better than women by God in scripture, though they were sometimes treated that way – it was NOT by God’s instruction or design. It is a matter of responsibility.
I do not have time to go into it right now, but this census business of David’s involves a rather large cross-section of several fundamental and key truths which we have already covered in here, but I feel is important to grasp how they intersect with this occurrence.
The nature of man is passed down from one generation to another through the blood and while the body of the child is supplied by the mother the life giving principle which animates that flesh is the blood and that comes from the father. Thus the sin nature has passed down from father to child, father to child throughout the countless generations since Adam. Adam was the head and therefore the responsible party between he and Eve in the garden. It was to him that God gave the command not to eat of the tree. It was through him that Eve learned of this command. Adam was present with Eve when she took the fruit and ate it and he did NOTHING to stop her, but rather placed himself under her influence and ate himself after she did. She was completely deceived and so though it was sin, it was not a bare-faced rebellion, but Adam’s sin was one of preference – it was treason. So all through the ages, the sacrifice was male (except in certain circumstances) and so it was that the final redemption of man was through the MAN Christ Jesus.
Now, how does this have anything to do with the census? Well, the census was always of men who were of age to make decisions independent of their father – those who were 20 years and older.
This first census was to clarify the need for each life to be redeemed and the redemption price was a male. God has always required a substitution for human life, and so money, or animal sacrifice or lives rendered in service have been substituted for the offering of humans as blood sacrifices.
In this first census, all were numbered – even the Levites. In the second census the Levites were excluded.
Num. 1:2 & 49, “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually,…Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor take a census of them among the children of Israel;
In the first census every male 20 years old and above were counted including the Levites. In this census, money was given to the temple as a substitutionary price for they and their family’s redemption. In the second census, only those able to go to war were numbered and the Levites were excluded. This has led many to believe that the Levites were not allowed to fight in wars. This is not true however, because they were called upon to fight in the war against the Midianites, though in wars involving conquest and settling of the land they did not participate. This is likely because they had no inheritance in the land being fought for. The reason given for the exclusion of the Levites was that God was giving the Levites service to the priests and the temple as a substitution for the redemption price of each male in Israel.
The Levites were to attend to the needs of the Tabernacle of meeting with the restriction that they could not come near the articles of the sanctuary or of the altar or they would die.
They bore their own iniquity and could have no natural inheritance in the land (Num. 18:23,32). Their inheritance and reward for their service was the tithes of the nation of Israel (Num. 18:24, 31).
They in turn offered 10% of the best of the tithe they received from Israel to the Priests (Num. 18:26-30) it was a type of heave offering to the Lord.
We can read this in Numbers 3:40-51.
“(40) Then the LORD said to Moses: “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names. (41) And you shall take the Levites for Me–I am the LORD–instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.” (42) So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded him. (43) And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names from a month old and above, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three. (44) Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (45) “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites shall be Mine: I am the LORD. (46) And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the number of the Levites, (47) you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs. (48) And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.” (49) So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites. (50) From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. (51) And Moses gave their redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.”
You can refresh your memory of these things in the lesson I taught which included the census of Israel called, Census & Duties.
Now, back to our census here with David. This was a census of the army of Israel, as was the one in Numbers. Since it was not in direct preparation for war, the Levites would most likely have been included as should have the tribe of Benjamin both of which Joab deliberately did NOT include.
It is my opinion (and I stress that this is ONLY an opinion) that David ordered this accounting for reasons of pride and protection. He knew God was angry with Israel – PROBABLY – because their sin stirred them again against their king. Traditionally, even when Israel was disloyal to David, his armies still followed him. So numbering them makes some sense IF this was the nature of Israel’s sin. But in doing this he would be seeking his own protection through the strength of what he undoubtedly was seeing as HIS own army.
So we have the sin of seeking to secure his own protection by discovering the strength and numbers of what he saw in his pride as his own army. This would have been a gross distortion of the historical purposes of a census – which was to point to God’s provision for redemption and salvation. This would be similar to, but not nearly as blatant as, Moses’ striking of the Rock in the wilderness.
Again, I cannot stress enough that this is conjecture at best – but the sin was such that it seems that Joab knew David’s motives and spoke to them in his statement about watching as God increased the army. Joab’s words could be seen as encouraging David to trust in God rather than an earthly army for increase and protection. When we number something we create a delusion of control. Nothing about knowing the number would have made David more or less secure, but IF the number had been great, it would have given him occasion to rest in his own earthly strength. It would make sense that David would write psalms about how futile it is to trust in men and armies following this hard learned lesson.
Psalm 20:6-7, “Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. (7) Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
You know the lessons we as humans learn are often learned the hard way and the damages are rarely if ever only ours to pay. No man lives unto himself and no man dies unto himself. Like with the theoretical possibility of the flap of a butterfly’s wing beginning a series of circumstances which lead to a whirlwind, so are the actions of each human being. When you think of it like that, it is nothing but the intervention and mercy of God which has keep us all from annihilating each other through simple missteps and sins.
Let’s return to the story in 1 Chron. 21:7, where we see that David’s conscience caught up with him exactly 9 months and 21 days following his command to take the census. Now remember that the stated punishment for numbering Israel outside of purposes for redemption was a plague and where we read words I have lived by, relied upon and prayed for years!
1Chron. 21:7-18, “(7) And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel. (8) So David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” (9) Then the LORD spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying, (10) “Go and tell David, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.” ‘ ” (11) So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Choose for yourself, (12) either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the LORD—the plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.” (13) And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” (14) So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell. (15) And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was destroying, the LORD looked and relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. (16) Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. (17) And David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued. (18) Therefore, the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David that David should go and erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.”
In 2Sam. 24:11-18, it says,
“(11) When David got up in the morning, a revelation from the LORD had come to the prophet Gad, David’s seer: (12) “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am offering you three choices. Choose one of them, and I will do it to you.'” (13) So Gad went to David, told him the choices, and asked him, “Do you want three years of famine to come on your land, to flee from your foes three months while they pursue you, or to have a plague in your land three days? Now, think it over and decide what answer I should take back to the One who sent me.” (14) David answered Gad, “I have great anxiety. Please, let us fall into the LORD’s hands because His mercies are great, but don’t let me fall into human hands.” (15) So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and from Dan to Beer-sheba 70,000 men died. (16) Then the angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, but the LORD relented concerning the destruction and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough, withdraw your hand now!” The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. (17) When David saw the angel striking the people, he said to the LORD, “Look, I am the one who has sinned; I am the one who has done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please, let Your hand be against me and my father’s family.” (18) Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
As to the quote I was referencing earlier, it is found in David’s initial response to the choice God gave David regarding judgment.
“Please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
Here are several lessons wrapped up in one occurrence.
- God’s relationship with this man David, was unique. When do we ever hear of God offering man a choice in regard to his own punishment? This was obviously an outcropping or result of knowing God relationally in a way which allowed God certain freedoms which could not always be afforded most people whose relationship with God is more centered on self. For all David’s faults – he was a man who loved, pursued, trusted and sought to honor God in genuine sincerity and that counts for something with God.
- David knew and trusted in the character of God which he KNEW to be abundantly merciful!
- David eventually asked to bear the guilt of his own sin rather than let it pass anymore to those God had placed under his hand as a shepherd. You can see his shepherd’s heart never truly left him in his words of pleading to God – “David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”
Not to be confused with an over-emotional push-over, but God is still easily moved by the feelings of our infirmities and is quick to relent of harm when He sees a contrite heart…and aren’t you glad it’s true!!!!
God requires sacrifice
2Sam. 24:19-25, “(19) David went up in obedience to Gad’s command, just as the LORD had commanded. (20) Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, so he went out and bowed to the king with his face to the ground. (21) Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the LORD, so the plague on the people may be halted.” (22) Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wants and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. (23) My king, Araunah gives everything here to the king.” Then he said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.” (24) The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 50 ounces of silver. (25) He built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer on behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel ended.”
1Chron. 21:19-30, “(19) David went up at Gad’s command spoken in the name of the LORD. (20) Ornan was threshing wheat when he turned and saw the angel. His four sons, who were with him, hid themselves. (21) David came to Ornan, and when Ornan looked and saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed to David with his face to the ground. (22) Then David said to Ornan, “Give me this threshing-floor plot so that I may build an altar to the LORD on it. Give it to me for the full price, so the plague on the people may be halted.” (23) Ornan said to David, “Take it! My lord the king may do whatever he wants. See, I give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering–I give it all.” (24) King David answered Ornan, “No, I insist on paying the full price, for I will not take for the LORD what belongs to you or offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” (25) So David gave Ornan 15 pounds of gold for the plot. (26) He built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the LORD, and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. (27) Then the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. (28) At that time, when David saw that the LORD answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there. (29) At that time the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the desert, and the altar of burnt offering were at the high place in Gibeon, (30) but David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was terrified of the sword of the LORD’s angel.”
So to me, this later response of God again points back to the nature of David’s sin. God alone can provide redemption and salvation. Even though God cut David’s reaping of his sin short in mercy – not allowing him to reap all he had sown, God still required a redemptive price to be paid. God is NOTHING if not tireless in His parental drive and skills in teaching us the most important of life lessons.
David’s response was not prideful but honoring. This Jebusite was willing to give it all, but David (like Abraham) was unwilling to offer to God anything which cost him nothing. NOT in an act of pride in order to have claim stock in his own redemption, but to place as it were, skin in the game and own his need for what only God could supply!
Blessings!
I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
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Blessings!
