In 2 Samuel 24, God orders King David to take a census of the people. After he is finished he apologizes to God for doing it and God sends a pestilence that kills 70,000 people. So God kills 70,000 for David’s sin of following his command.
What possible explanation is there for this story?
I am definitely going to look at this is more detail. Just a few thoughts, though.
(1) God did not order David to take a census. Specifically, David was “prompted” to number Israel. The word prompted here gives no sense of forcing or demanding an action in any way. The Hebrew word is “cuwth” which means to prick or stimulate. It therefore seems that this was a test of David. This can be further seen by the fact that when God does communicate with David, it is through the prophet Gad.
(2) David failed the test and understood himself as having done so: “I have sinned grievously in what I have done. But now, LORD, forgive the guilt of your servant, for I have been very foolish.” 2Sam 24:10. Presumably, his error was to assume that Israel was his to do with as he pleased, not God’s. God knew this and his test revealed that fact to David.
(3) It seems that initially David chose to have all the people suffer with him, instead of suffering by himself for his sin:
2Sam 24:14: David answered Gad: “I am in very serious difficulty. Let
us fall by the hand of God, for he is most merciful; but let
me not fall by the hand of man.”
(4) God honored David’s decision as King and sent the pestilence.
(5) When David saw the result of his decision for all the people to share in his punishment, he truly repented:
2Sam 17: When David saw the angel who was striking the people, he said to the LORD: “It is I who have sinned; it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong. But these are sheep; what have they done? Punish me and my kindred.”
(6) God stopped the pestilence in his mercy:
2 Sam 16: But when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD regretted the calamity and said to the angel causing the destruction among the people, “Enough now! Stay your hand.”
(7) There seem to be parallels to the redemptive work of Christ here as well:
Code:
(a) God was angry with Israel.
(b) By God's prompting, David eventually took the entire fault on to himself, calling
himself their shepherd.
(c) God told David through Gad to make an offering at the place where God himself
had already halted the pestilence (in his mercy)
(d) David paid for the sacrifice instead of offering it without any cost to himself.
2Sam 22 But Araunah said to David: "Let my lord the king take and offer up
whatever he may wish. Here are oxen for holocausts, and threshing
sledges and the yokes of the oxen for wood.
23 All this does Araunah give to the king." Araunah then said to the king,
"May the LORD your God accept your offering."
24 The king, however, replied to Araunah, "No, I must pay you for it, for I
cannot offer to the LORD my God holocausts that cost nothing." So
David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty silver shekels.
Thanks for this posting, you gave me a lot to think about. Turned out to be a great bible study!
God Bless,
Jack Handy
