1 Chronicles 21:1 – 30 “David’s Military Census (2 Samuel 24:1-9)
Then Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan and bring me a report, so that I may know their number.”
But Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply His troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all servants of my lord? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”
Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. So Joab left and traveled throughout Israel, and then he returned to Jerusalem. And Joab reported to David the total number of the troops. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, including 470,000 in Judah. But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the count, because the king’s command was detestable to him.
Judgment for David’s Sin (2 Samuel 24:10-14)
This command was also evil in the sight of God; so He struck Israel. Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. Now I beg You to take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.” And the LORD instructed Gad, David’s seer, “Go and tell David that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am offering you three options. Choose one of them, and I will carry it out against you.’” So Gad went and said to David, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Take your choice of either three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies and overtaken by their swords, or three days of the sword of the LORD—days of plague upon the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should reply to Him who sent me.” David answered Gad, “I am deeply distressed. Please, let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.”
A Plague on Israel (2 Samuel 24:15-17)
So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. Then God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, but as the angel was doing so the LORD saw it and relented from the calamity, and He said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand now!” At that time the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. When David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem, David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown. And David said to God, “Was it not I who gave the order to count the people? I am the one who has sinned and acted wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, but do not let this plague remain upon Your people.”
David Builds an Altar (2 Samuel 24:18-25)
Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. So David went up at the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD.
Now Ornan was threshing wheat when he turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. David came to Ornan, and when Ornan looked out and saw David, he left the threshing floor and bowed facedown before David. Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the site of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar to the LORD. Sell it to me for the full price, so that the plague upon the people may be halted.”
Ornan said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever seems good. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering—I will give it all.”
“No,” replied King David, “I insist on paying the full price, for I will not take for the LORD what belongs to you, or offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold for the site. And there he built an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. He called upon the LORD, who answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. Then the LORD spoke to the angel, who put his sword back into its sheath. At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there. For the tabernacle of the LORD that Moses had made in the wilderness and the altar of burnt offering were presently at the high place in Gibeon, but David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.”
In this day and age when censuses are commonplace, we might wonder why David was so wrong in calling for a census. In David’s time, censuses were generally used to generate additional taxes and draft more fighting men. Some teachers have suggested that David sinned by attempting to build up his power, rather than relying on God as God ordered in Deuteronomy 17:16 – 20.
“But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’ He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold. When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes. Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.”
Even Joab, who’s not exactly a spiritual giant, realizes this census is a terrible mistake and refuses to count the tribes of Levi and Benjamin. The priests wouldn’t be taxed anyway; however, omitting the tribe of Benjamin means omitting some of the best fighting men.
The prophet Gad goes to David to rebuke him. God gives David three choices: three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies and overtaken by their swords, or three days of the sword of the LORD—days of plague upon the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel. David chooses plague and 70,000 men of Israel die! We have no idea how many women and children may have died also. The angel of the Lord is standing near the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, preparing to destroy Jerusalem when God commands him to relent. David sees the angel and begs God for mercy upon his people, accurately stating that the sin is his and not that of his innocent citizens. David prays, “O LORD my God, please let Your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, but do not let this plague remain upon Your people.”
The angel of the Lord then orders David to build an altar on the threshing floor belonging to Ornan the Jebusite. Ornan and his sons have seen the angel and are terrified and more than ready to give David anything he asks for. But David refuses to simply take the land, the sledges, the oxen, and the wheat, paying full price for the land. (600 shekels, or 15.1 lbs. or 6.8 lg of gold.) Notice that only after David has paid for the threshing floor and has built an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings does God order the angel to put away his sword. Notice also that when David makes the offerings, God answers with fire from heaven. After this, David uses the threshing floor of Ornan to make sacrifices because he fears what might happen if he goes to the Tabernacle at Gibeon. David realizes that his people and he have had a very narrow escape and he doesn’t want to take any more chances.
APPLICATION: One of the key phrases in this passage is David’s assertion when Ornan, shaking in his sandals, offers to give David everything just to save his family and himself. “No,” replied King David, “I insist on paying the full price, for I will not take for the LORD what belongs to you, or offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”David might have made mistakes, but what distinguishes David from other kings is that he receives correction from the Lord and is willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to make things right. Very few other kings of Israel or Judah are this generous or this honest. David is appalled at the devastation that has resulted from his arrogance. David also begs God to let the plague fall on himself and his family but to deliver the Israelites from the results of his bad judgement. David may be a great sinner, but he is also just as great at repenting!
How much do we sacrifice when we are offering things to the Lord? Do we give of our best, or do we only give our cast – offs and things we haven’t wanted in the first place? If God asks us to get out of our comfort zones, are we willing to do it, or do we argue? One missionary friend recently posted an interesting description of a time when God demanded that she minister to rich people rather than to the poor to whom her heart was drawn. Our friend had to learn that God loves all kinds of people and that her first challenge was to love those to whom God was calling her. God forced our friend to confront her prejudices and to see them as obstructions to ministry. Only then was God able to use our friend. Our friend had to learn how to relate to those far wealthier than herself in such a way that they felt valued and not used. May God help us to hold everything in our lives lightly, so that we are willing to give back what He has given us whenever He asks for it!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to hold everything You have given us lightly. Help us to remember that if You ask us to give up anything, You can replace it with something far far better. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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