The Book of II Samuel
Chapter 24
David Takes a Census
Pride Goeth Before Destruction
The Bible does not say what motivated David to number the people, nor what sin there was in it. The most viable explanation appears to be that it was pride of heart which moved David to commit such folly. If he was focused on the successes which the Lord had given him, and was more occupied with them than their Giver, then that would credibly account for his disastrous lapse, for "pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
The Perils Of Prosperity
This lesson deals with the perils of prosperity. David had defeated all his enemies and all the nations around Israel. Now he was secure in his kingdom. Although he knew that all his victories came from the Lord; he still became lifted up with pride. Self-sufficiency had set in. He wasn't relying on the Lord.
David had taken great quantities of spoil from the surrounding nations. The nations paid him tribute. Fabulous amounts of gold, silver, brass, iron and cedar logs had been dedicated to the Lord for his temple which was soon to be built. It was a glorious age for Israel. The problem is that when our barns are filled, when our bank accounts are fat we are likely to forget the Lord. That might be why the Lord gives material wealth to so few of his people. It's when we are buffeted with trials and tribulations that we become most reliant upon the Lord.
A Picture Of Christ's Atonement
David had also broken a law which typified Christ's atonement:
Ex 30:11-16:
30:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
30:12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
30:13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
30:14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
30:16 And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
This price to be paid by each man counted in a census was called a ransom "to make atonement for your souls". The ransom was typical of the price that Christ paid for our souls. It pictured his own sacrifice. David broke this picture when he failed to collect the ransom.
This is very similar to what happened with Moses when he struck the rock the second time. When the nation of Israel was passing through the desert at Horeb, they complained against the Lord and cried for water (Ex 17). The Lord told Moses to strike a rock and that water would gush forth from the rock. We know that the rock pictured Christ because Paul said that it did in 1 Corinthians 10.
Later on when they were at Kadesh, the people again cried for water. This time the Lord told Moses to speak to the rock and that water would come forth from it. That was because Christ only needs to be crucified once. However Moses became angry with the people and struck the rock twice. In doing that he broke the picture of the Lord. That is also what David did by not collecting the ransom. He did not respect the typical picture that the Lord had commanded.
Church Is Not A Numbers Game
A secondary lesson in this chapter is for the Lord's churches today. The Lord's work is not to be played as a numbers game.
In the Lord's early churches we see that only saved, scripturally baptized people were admitted to the fellowship (Acts 2:41, Acts 8:37, Acts 10:48). We should welcome visitors, but they should be coming for the right reason: to hear the Word of God. We need to reach out to people, but we want them to come with the proper motives. We should not pump up church attendance with worldly programs. It's alright to do things together as a church outside of the worship service, but we need to be careful that those activities are not the primary reason why people come. We don't want to fill the church up with unsaved people just so we can achieve a certain level of attendance.
Today many churches have strayed away from the pure, joyful simplicity of the original church. The worldly mega-church has emerged with its high-powered marketing tactics. These churches have become big business with their own bosses, corporate organizational charts and Lear jets. Entertainment has replaced the preaching of the truth. It's one big tax-deductible ice cream social. People go to have their carnal natures fed instead of the spiritual. A social gospel of self-improvement and the "7 Steps To Happiness" have replaced the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
It all becomes a numbers game. Ministers will not mention any unpleaseant subjects such as 'sin' or 'repentence' that might alienate people and cause them to leave the church. So they preach only bland pleasantries that the docile 'sheeple' want to hear: "You are basically a good person and just need to improve yourself a little bit in order for God to accept you". They have to keep revenues up so they can make those fat payrolls. " For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." (Rom 16:18).
This is exactly how Paul said it would be in the end times: "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." 2 Tim 4:3-4
Many times you can slip in and out of these churches' services and never exchange a single word with a living soul. Many people in them have become a namelss bump on a bench. So today many view church as a boring set of 'do's and don'ts'.
Church is not a place that you go to.
It is not something you do.
Church is something that you are.
II Samuel Chapter 24
24:1 And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
The parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 21:1 reads, "And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel." This statement is complimentary to 2 Samuel 24:1. The Lord used Satan to move David. God is not responsible for evil but he can even use the evil intents of Satan to accomplish his righteous purposes.
2 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 Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.
3 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?
4 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.
5 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:
6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and about to Zidon,
7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hibites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba.
8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9 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.
10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.
16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.
18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.
20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.
21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.
23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.
24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
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