2 Samuel 24:1-25
Q.1. What made David decide to have a census of Israel? – (2 Sam.24:1-9)
David had been rocked by the division created by the rebellion of his son, Absalom. He probably wanted to reassure himself of the strength of his kingdom, so called for a numbering of his people. However, there was more to it. It was recorded that – again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel and stirred up David against them to say – Go number Israel and Judah’ (2 Sam.24:1 c.f. 2 Sam.21:1-2). The above verse explains, that even though at this point it was David who sinned, ultimately the plague was punishment for the people of Israel for their disobedience. David stubbornly resisted Joab’s caution (2 Sam.24:2-4). – Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, ‘Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s house’ (2 Sam.24:17 c.f. 2 Sam.24:15).
Q.2. How did God respond to David’s census? What made David decide the punishment option proposed by God? – (2 Sam.24:10-14)
God brought conviction to David’s heart. However, in spite of David’s appeal for forgiveness, God sent the prophet Gad with His judgment (2 Sam.24:10-11). He gave David three options: (i) Seven years of famine; (ii) Three months of terror from his enemies; (iii) Three days of plague on the land. Though David was devastated, he asked for the 3-day plague at God’s hand. Why? 14 Then David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the Lord for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man’ (2 Sam.24:14). Though God’s judgment could be much more severe than that of men, David, throughout his life, had relied on God’s mercy. Nothing would change that.
Q.3. How significant was the plague in the land? What important lesson do we learn from David’s offerings? – (2 Sam.24:15-25)
The anger of the Lord burned against Israel. He inflicted the nation severely. Seventy thousand men, all the way from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, died (2 Sam.24:1 & 15). The fact that God inflicted the men suggests that the Lord was punishing the sins of the men (although we are not told what the sin was). In response to David’s pleading for his people, God sent Gad to him with a way of escape – So Gad came to David that day and said to him, ‘Go up, erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite’ (2 Sam.24:18). Araunah offered the land and animals as a gift to the king. David responded magnificently – 24 … No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing. So, David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then the Lord was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel (2 Sam.24:24-25). Even in his failure, David gave us a lesson of great value. Give God your best. We should not pretend to be giving if the gift does not cost us anything.