Putting faith in anything but God

2 Samuel 24:1-10

“Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”  You do understand God did not make David do anything, David, like you and I chose to do this act.  But God who is in total control used Satan as his tool to place fear of his enemy and place his trust in numbers and not in God.  Not a new thing if you read how God allowed Satan to work on Job in chapters 1:12- 2-6. 

Now the motive for taking a census was typically military, and God made it clear to Moses in Exodus to have each of the men pay a ransom of half a shekel each to avert a plague.  The shekel was a reminder to all of the people that they belonged to the LORD, and so did Israel, nowhere do we see David asking for the reminder.

“But Joab said to the king, “May the Lord your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?” But the king's word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel.”  Now, remember Joab has a lot of history with David and more than once David has not taken his counsel and got himself or the people in trouble.  But this time Joab had the backing of all his commanders and still, David was set on getting a census.  So they did as the King commanded, from Dan to Beer-Sheba and Israel had 800,000 fighting men and Judah had 500,000.

It took nine months and twenty days to do the census and then Joab gave the sum of the number to King David.  Now conviction comes from the Holy Spirit and look at how David reacts. “But David's heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”   What is the sin, one that each of us has often committed, putting our faith in anything but God?  We do it with people, family, money, and stuff, and if we are God’s kid He is going to remind us, or as I call it another bought lesson, those are never fun!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice