Day 173 – 2 Samuel 24:1-9
Scripture Review
2 Samuel 24:1-9
"And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah."
(2 Samuel 24:1)
Kindled means set on fire or stirred up. Something within the nation had provoked God, though this verse does not tell us the exact national sin. God is holy and does not tempt men to commit evil. Yet God may, in judgment, withdraw restraint and allow a sinful desire already present in a person's heart to come forward. A parallel account says, "And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel" (1 Chronicles 21:1). These passages are not teaching that God and Satan have the same purpose. Satan provoked David maliciously, seeking evil. God sovereignly permitted the temptation as part of His righteous judgment upon Israel. David was not forced to sin. The command arose through his own willing choice. God remained sovereign, Satan acted wickedly, and David remained responsible. This causes me to think about how dangerous it is when God allows a person to follow the pride already forming within him. Sometimes one of the severest judgments is not an immediate obstacle, but God allowing us to have our own way.
A heart after God should ask the LORD not only to forgive sinful actions, but also to restrain sinful desires before they become decisions.
"For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people."
(2 Samuel 24:2)
David tells Joab to travel "from Dan even to Beersheba." Dan was in the far north, and Beersheba was in the south. This expression means the whole land of Israel. David's purpose is, "that I may know the number of the people." The problem was not that God is opposed to accurate records. God had commanded Israel to be numbered before. The problem is that David appears to want this number for himself. He says, "that I may know." There is a difference between counting because God commanded it and counting because pride wants assurance. David had already seen that the LORD could save by many or by few. His victories had never depended upon the size of his army. Yet now he wanted the security of a total. Numbers can be useful, but they can also become idols. A pastor may see people only as attendance. A ministry may value totals more than souls. A man may measure his worth by possessions, followers, or accomplishments.
"And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?"
(2 Samuel 24:3)
Joab objects to the command. Even he recognized danger in David's decision. He is not against Israel growing. He is saying God can multiply the people far beyond the present number. Then he asks the searching question, "Why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?" Why did David take pleasure in knowing the number? What satisfaction was he seeking from it? Why did the total matter so much to him? Joab's question reaches beyond the action to the affection behind it. Sin is often exposed not merely by asking, "What am I doing?" but, "Why do I delight in doing it?" It is interesting to find that wise counsel sometimes comes from an imperfect messenger.
"Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel."
(2 Samuel 24:4)
In spite of what had been said, David's authority overruled the objection. Joab warned David, but David would not listen. Joab and the other captains did not agree, but the king had the power to command them.
"And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer:"
(2 Samuel 24:5)
Joab and the captains begin the census east of Jordan. They "pitched" in Aroer. Aroer was in the region east of Jordan, near territory associated with Gad. Jazer was another town in that area. The geographic detail shows how thorough this census was. This was not a quick estimate made in Jerusalem. The officers physically moved through the land, region by region.
"Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan, and about to Zidon,"
(2 Samuel 24:6)
The census continues through Gilead, Tahtimhodshi, Danjaan, and toward Zidon. Some of these ancient locations are difficult to identify with certainty today. But the understanding received is that Joab's company is moving steadily northward and covering the outer reaches of the kingdom. No region is being casually skipped. The officers are giving the king exactly what he requested.
"And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba."
(2 Samuel 24:7)
The route has now covered the north, the border regions, the east, and the south. The whole land is being measured. David had been given a kingdom through the promises and power of God. Yet now he is trying to understand its strength through the number of swords it can produce. This is how pride can change the way we look at blessings. What God gave as a trust becomes something we examine for personal confidence. We begin to say, "How much do I have? How strong am I? How secure does this make me?"
"So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days."
(2 Samuel 24:8)
The census takes nine months and twenty days. That is a long time. This means David had many mornings in which he could have changed his mind. He had many opportunities to call Joab back. He could have remembered Joab's question: "Why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?" But the work went forward until it was finished. The longer pride is served, the more normal it begins to feel. The continued absence of immediate judgment may even be mistaken for God's approval. But silence is not approval. Progress is not proof of righteousness. A plan can advance successfully and still be wrong before God.
"And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men."
(2 Samuel 24:9)
Joab gives David the total number. Israel had eight hundred thousand and Judah had five hundred thousand men. These are enormous numbers. David finally receives what he wanted. He now knows the military strength of Israel and Judah. But the total brings no lasting peace. David's problem was never a lack of information. His problem was misplaced confidence.