David Takes A Census

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“David takes a Census”

2 Samuel 24

Ticket in Linn County Missouri

- Going to see Dalyn at here home in Northern Kansas

- I was in a hurry, hadn’t seen her in a week

- driving up from Ozark I had 220 miles to travel

- at the time the speed limit was 55 most of the way

I was trying to go the speed limit:

- but I wasn’t trying very hard

- I still remember cresting the hill and

- seeing the police cruiser flipping on his lights

- I looked down and I was going about 80 mpg

- the policeman called it 77 in a 55 mpg

- I called it $200

Lessons I learned:

- don’t speed over the top of the hill, you don’t know what’s on the other side

- Don’t speed in Linn County, Missouri

- the most important lesson was

- if you are going to break the law, be prepared to pay the price

Today we will read about Israel being punished:

- we are not told why they are being punished

- we just know that they have SINNED AGAINST God

- Now they have to pay the price

- Hopefully they learn the lesson God is teaching them

Turn in your Bibles to 2 Samuel 24

1. SIN (2 Samuel 24:1-9)

2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 are parallel accounts of David’s census:

“Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” 2 Samuel 24:1

“Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.” 1 Chronicles 21:1

David was:

- instructed by God and

- incited by Satan

- to take a census of Israel and Judah.

David numbered the people:

- which in God's eyes never mattered and

- should not have been done, but

- David did it anyway.

A census was taken….

“Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king. And there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand.” 2 Samuel 24:9

God always wants people to trust in Him:

- not in how many soldiers a king had.

Later David regretted that he had counted the people:

- He knew this was something that did not please God

I had a real problem putting this all together:

- How could God seemingly put the census into motion through David

- and then be mad that David took a census

- it ALMOST seemed to me like God was punishing David for being obedient.

Things are not as simple as that:

- Israel was lead by David and supposed to follow God

- apparently neither David nor Israel were obedient to God at this point

- Israel needed to be disciplined, and God used David to accomplish it

What we do know is that:

- David sinned and knew it

- God acknowledged that David sinned

- therefore since we know David is guilty

David’s motivation for the census was probably pride:

- he had won some victories

- now he wanted to look with pride on his large army

Warren Wiersbe writes

“God gave David nearly ten months to change his mind and avoid discipline (v. 8). God even used the wise counsel of Joab to discourage him, but David would not listen. It is too bad that God’s children sometimes become stubborn in heart and insist on their own way.”

2. Suffering (2 Samuel 24:10-17)

David knew he was wrong:

- convicted by his own heart that he had sinned, and

- he admitted that he acted very foolishly

- that he should not have taken the census

- and he begged God to take away his sin.

God did not NEED to confront David:

“And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” 2 Samuel 24:10

David had:

numbered the people and

this displeased God

He confessed his sin and asked for forgiveness

Here are a few possible reasons God would be angry about David’s census:

- it could be that an enemy in the region inspired David to take a census,

so that he could figure out his potential fighting force

- Taking a census was about arrogance,

trusting in the size of your army for safety rather than in God.

- He took the census but didn't collect the half-shekel "ransom" required by Exo 30:12

God gave him a choice of his consequence for his sin: