2Sa 24:3 | KingComments | STEP | The book ends seriously, but also beautifully. It ends first with a serious sin, but then follows an altar and a sacrifice and a mountain. Through this history God makes clear where the temple will be, but that is more the side that is highlighted in the first and second book of Chronicles. Israel has done something that raised the anger of the LORD ( ). What it is, is not mentioned. It is about the LORD’s reaction to this. He holds David as the leader of His people responsible for this. Therefore He incites David against the people. From the first book of Chronicles we know that He uses satan for this ( ). The first and second book of Chronicles describe the history of God’s people as God loves to remember it. God wants to indicate the place where He wants to be served according to His counsel, and satan wants to prevent this. We see there that God does reach His goal not despite , but through the sin of David. This is also the case with the Fall, which is used by God for the execution of His counsels. We cannot understand this, but it is so. Here it is about the side of man. Satan cannot do anything without the permission or will of God. The temple is not mentioned here. It is more about God’s dealings with David. It is about his responsibility. David’s heart is filled with the desire to know how great his army is. God is not the origin of sin, but lust in the heart of man ( ). Sin is already in David’s heart and that is what God sees. God brings that sin to light, that David may judge it. With his desire to know the power of his army, he takes the place of God. What he actually says with his command to register them is that he regards the land of God as his own land and sees his army as his own means of keeping it in possession. He has lost his dependence on God. He commits in principle the sin of the people when they said they wanted a king, just like the people around them ( ). Now the king wants to know the strength of his army, just like the kings of the nations around him. Why is it wrong to number the people? Surely God has done so several times ( )? We must think that with David it is about knowing the power of his army ( ). He wants to know how strong he is and that depends on the number of soldiers he has. That is his mistake. He forgets that he depends on God’s power. It is serious if we start thinking in numbers to measure our strength. We can think for example of the number of those we meet with and the number of gifts. In the history of Gideon we see how God thinks about numbers ( ). God always wants to prevent the flesh from praising itself (cf. ). With Nebuchadnezzar we see something similar when he pats himself on the back about “the Babylon the great”, of which he says: “Which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty” ( ). He is judged for this. With Herod we see the same thing. He accepts the honor to which only God is entitled and is killed for it ( ). God’s government is equal for everyone. He can never give His honor to another ( ). If the Lord wants to use us for the benefit of His people, let it be so that we are always aware that they are His people. David commands Joab to register the people. Joab, however, objects to this. It seems that Joab here has a better assessment of this plan than David. He foresees that this command is not according to the will of the LORD. This is not because he wants to do the will of the LORD, but because he fears the anger of the LORD. He also speaks to David about “the LORD your God”. The LORD is the God of David. He himself has no relationship with Him. This time David does not allow himself to be told by Joab and perseveres his will. We can ask ourselves whether we will be warned if we intend to do something about which other people are expressing their objections. Do we want to reconsider our plan before the Lord, even if those who warn us may have their own interests in mind? Despite the objections of Joab and the other commanders of the army, the country is counted. After “nine months and twenty days” David gets the result. All this time God has been patient with the sin David commits. However, David’s conscience does not awaken until after evil has been done. When David gets the outcome, at least he knows on what he can trust. What is not described here, is that Joab did not get around completely ( ). He has not registered all the people. Remarkable is that in the distinction between Israel and Judah comes to the fore. Here again we see the reference to the division of the empire that is already present subcutaneously.

‏ 2 Samuel 24:3

Introduction

The book ends seriously, but also beautifully. It ends first with a serious sin, but then follows an altar and a sacrifice and a mountain. Through this history God makes clear where the temple will be, but that is more the side that is highlighted in the first and second book of Chronicles.

The Registration of the People

Israel has done something that raised the anger of the LORD (2Sam 24:1). What it is, is not mentioned. It is about the LORD’s reaction to this. He holds David as the leader of His people responsible for this. Therefore He incites David against the people. From the first book of Chronicles we know that He uses satan for this (1Chr 21:1). The first and second book of Chronicles describe the history of God’s people as God loves to remember it. God wants to indicate the place where He wants to be served according to His counsel, and satan wants to prevent this. We see there that God does reach His goal not despite, but through the sin of David. This is also the case with the Fall, which is used by God for the execution of His counsels. We cannot understand this, but it is so.

Here it is about the side of man. Satan cannot do anything without the permission or will of God. The temple is not mentioned here. It is more about God’s dealings with David. It is about his responsibility. David’s heart is filled with the desire to know how great his army is. God is not the origin of sin, but lust in the heart of man (Jam 1:13-14). Sin is already in David’s heart and that is what God sees. God brings that sin to light, that David may judge it.

With his desire to know the power of his army, he takes the place of God. What he actually says with his command to register them is that he regards the land of God as his own land and sees his army as his own means of keeping it in possession. He has lost his dependence on God. He commits in principle the sin of the people when they said they wanted a king, just like the people around them (1Sam 8:19-20). Now the king wants to know the strength of his army, just like the kings of the nations around him.

Why is it wrong to number the people? Surely God has done so several times (Num 1:2-3 ; Num 26:1-4)? We must think that with David it is about knowing the power of his army (2Sam 24:9). He wants to know how strong he is and that depends on the number of soldiers he has. That is his mistake. He forgets that he depends on God’s power. It is serious if we start thinking in numbers to measure our strength. We can think for example of the number of those we meet with and the number of gifts. In the history of Gideon we see how God thinks about numbers (Jdg 7:2). God always wants to prevent the flesh from praising itself (cf. 1Cor 1:27-29).

With Nebuchadnezzar we see something similar when he pats himself on the back about “the Babylon the great”, of which he says: “Which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty” (Dan 4:28-33). He is judged for this. With Herod we see the same thing. He accepts the honor to which only God is entitled and is killed for it (Acts 12:21-23). God’s government is equal for everyone. He can never give His honor to another (Isa 42:8 ; Isa 48:11). If the Lord wants to use us for the benefit of His people, let it be so that we are always aware that they are His people.

David commands Joab to register the people. Joab, however, objects to this. It seems that Joab here has a better assessment of this plan than David. He foresees that this command is not according to the will of the LORD. This is not because he wants to do the will of the LORD, but because he fears the anger of the LORD. He also speaks to David about “the LORD your God”. The LORD is the God of David. He himself has no relationship with Him.

This time David does not allow himself to be told by Joab and perseveres his will. We can ask ourselves whether we will be warned if we intend to do something about which other people are expressing their objections. Do we want to reconsider our plan before the Lord, even if those who warn us may have their own interests in mind? Despite the objections of Joab and the other commanders of the army, the country is counted. After “nine months and twenty days” David gets the result. All this time God has been patient with the sin David commits. However, David’s conscience does not awaken until after evil has been done.

When David gets the outcome, at least he knows on what he can trust. What is not described here, is that Joab did not get around completely (1Chr 21:6). He has not registered all the people. Remarkable is that in 2Sam 24:9 the distinction between Israel and Judah comes to the fore. Here again we see the reference to the division of the empire that is already present subcutaneously.