Friday, August 25th
Devotional written by Pastor Curtis Johnson, Adult Ministries Pastor
THE PEOPLE NUMBERED
To read today: 2 Samuel 24
David was conscious stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” Before David got up the next morning, the word of the Lord had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose of them for me to carry out against you.’”
2 Samuel 24:10-11
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For further understanding of this passage, I went back to my “old reliable” Bible Handbook.
At first, it’s difficult to see just where there could be sin in taking a national census. God himself had ordered such a census both at the beginning and end of the 40 years of wilderness wanderings (Numbers 1:2; 26:2). Perhaps in this case, it may have indicated that David, who consistently relied on God all his life, might have been beginning to slip, in a tendency to rely on the greatness of his kingdom. The census was Satan’s idea (1 Chronicles 21:1). Satan may have considered it an opportunity to move David away from his trust in God to trust himself. At any rate, God regarded the act as a sin to be punished. As punishment, God sent the angel of pestilence to Jerusalem.
Final thought: David’s sin was pride and ambition in counting the people so that he could glory in the size of his nation and army rather than in God’s ability to protect them regardless of their number. Centuries later, we find ourselves doing something similar, giving credit for what we have amassed due to our hard work and astute financial decisions rather than the blessings and resources of God. When you count your blessings, are you looking at a list of assets, or are you praising God for the joy, protection, and forgiveness he has provided?
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