This chapter can seem confusing –
why was what David did so wrong? Whilst it’s not clear, we see one possible
explanation from the context of the Israelite censuses such as we see in Exodus
30:12. Counting something, whether it be objects, livestock, or people, implies
a level of ownership. Israel
belonged to the Lord and him alone, and David’s attempt to count them is an
attempt to show ownership what is rightfully God’s. David wanted to know how
many men there were to identify growth in the size of the nation and army, and
thank himself for it.
Do we ever do the same in the
Church? Do we play the numbers game, and compare ourselves to other churches?
Or previous generations? Wanting growth isn’t a bad thing, but as Joab points
out in verse 3, it is the Lord who is responsible for that growth. This is also
an example of when Joab advises correctly.
David realises the error of his
ways, and is faced with two difficult decisions. The first is to decide what
his punishment will be; he chooses three days of plague. Verse 14 shows us that
David is more afraid of man than God; he trusts God’s mercy, but underestimates
God’s justice, and knows that men can be very wicked. David chooses a quick
plague that results in his people suffering and dying in huge numbers. David
sees this and recognises his sin. It is God’s compassion for his people that
halts the plague before it reaches Jerusalem ,
not anything David does. That God shows compassion where David showed fear
emphasises that God is the rightful owner, and that we should desire to be
under God’s kingship. This resonates with 1 Kings 3:6-28, where Solomon identifies
the true mother of a baby because of her compassion, not her greed.
David finally catches up with
things and goes about making amends, and it is here that he is faced with his
second, perhaps more subtle decision. Does he accept Araunah’s gift of a free
sacrificial spot? David knows that coming before the Lord in repentance isn’t
supposed to be an easy ride. Sin matters, and he has to deal with it and it is
going to cost him. Do we have the same awareness of the seriousness of our sin?
Do we take repentance seriously enough? Gloriously, in Christ we know that we
have full forgiveness of sins when we come before the Lord, and that he will
answer our prayers just as he answered David’s.
(Christ Church