Why was King David sinning when he held a census?

[SilentShout]

I'm confused! :hehee


2 Samuel 1-17.

David’s Census of Israel and Judah
1 Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”
2 So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, “Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people.”
3 And Joab said to the king, “Now may the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times more than there are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing?” 4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the army. Therefore Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel.
5 And they crossed over the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the right side of the town which is in the midst of the ravine of Gad, and toward Jazer. 6 Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi; they came to Dan Jaan and around to Sidon; 7 and they came to the stronghold of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went out to South Judah as far as Beersheba. 8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king. And there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.
The Judgment on David’s Sin

10 And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
11 Now when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12 “Go and tell David, ‘Thus says the LORD: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.”’” 13 So Gad came to David and told him; and he said to him, “Shall seven[a] years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”
14 And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
15 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people died. 16 And when the angel[b] stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah[c] the Jebusite.
17 Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.”


From what I see, David is commanded to count the number of the people, and then when he does so, he get's into big trouble?



Thanks for your help! :hug

[I Believe!!!]

I wondered about that for a long time myself. We are always to depend upon God for our strength, not things, not other people. By counting all the military men that David had he was putting his faith in these men to protect Israel instead of the Lord. That was a dangerous step towards the process of taking God out of the picture of things.

I'm tired tonight....hope this makes sense. :hug

The chapter is 2 Samuel 24, here's my bible's notes (Tyndale Life Application Study Bible):

A census amounted to a draft or conscription for the army. The land was now at peace, so there was no need to enlist troops. Israel had extended it's borders and become a recognized power. David's sin was pride and ambition in counting the people so that he could glory in the size of his army, it's power and defenses. By doing this, he put his faith in the size of hi army rather than in God's ability to protect them regardless of their number. We sin in a similar way when we place our security in money, possessions, or the might of our nation.

[SilentShout]

I wondered about that for a long time myself. We are always to depend upon God for our strength, not things, not other people. By counting all the military men that David had he was putting his faith in these men to protect Israel instead of the Lord. That was a dangerous step towards the process of taking God out of the picture of things.

I'm tired tonight....hope this makes sense. :hug

The chapter is 2 Samuel 24, here's my bible's notes (Tyndale Life Application Study Bible):

A census amounted to a draft or conscription for the army. The land was now at peace, so there was no need to enlist troops. Israel had extended it's borders and become a recognized power. David's sin was pride and ambition in counting the people so that he could glory in the size of his army, it's power and defenses. By doing this, he put his faith in the size of hi army rather than in God's ability to protect them regardless of their number. We sin in a similar way when we place our security in money, possessions, or the might of our nation.

Thank you so much! This definitly makes sense now, thank you thank you!!! :yeah & :hug

[I Believe!!!]

Your welcome! :-)

[firstoftwelve]

Pastors need to be careful of this in regard to their churches as well.
yes, round numbers may be needed to know how much in supplies to have on hand,
but when they start measureing blessing of the Lord or their effectiveness based on numbers, that can become a problem.

[KBKMNN]

Pastors need to be careful of this in regard to their churches as well.
yes, round numbers may be needed to know how much in supplies to have on hand,
but when they start measureing blessing of the Lord or their effectiveness based on numbers, that can become a problem.

Oooh, that's a good point! Of course I hadn't ever seen this particular part about David and will read it tonight more in depth. Interesting stuff!

[ANewCreature]

I wondered about that for a long time myself. We are always to depend upon God for our strength, not things, not other people. By counting all the military men that David had he was putting his faith in these men to protect Israel instead of the Lord. That was a dangerous step towards the process of taking God out of the picture of things.

I'm tired tonight....hope this makes sense. :hug

The chapter is 2 Samuel 24, here's my bible's notes (Tyndale Life Application Study Bible):

A census amounted to a draft or conscription for the army. The land was now at peace, so there was no need to enlist troops. Israel had extended it's borders and become a recognized power. David's sin was pride and ambition in counting the people so that he could glory in the size of his army, it's power and defenses. By doing this, he put his faith in the size of hi army rather than in God's ability to protect them regardless of their number. We sin in a similar way when we place our security in money, possessions, or the might of our nation.

Thanks; that's a point I hadn't thought of before. It makes sense.

I always saw pride when I read that portion of Scripture - that David wanted to take a census to say to himself, "Look at my great kingdom,"lifting himself up instead of God, who had given him that great kingdom. Hence, when he did this, God whittled down the numbers to show David that his wasn't a self-made kingdom, it was all that God had given him, and nothing more.

Still might be some of that, too, but your explanation also makes a lot of sense.