The Lord...Incited David Against Them

2 Samuel 24:1 – Again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”

Exodus 30:12 – “When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them.

James 1:13-14 – When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

Job 1:12 – The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Acts 4:28 – They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.

2 Samuel 22:2-3 – He said: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—from violent people you save me.

1 Samuel 17:37,45,47 – The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”… David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied…All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

Application:

• ·         In 1 Chronicles, Satan incited David to take the census. Although Scripture is clear that God does not cause anyone to sin, it is also clear that the evil acts of people and Satan are under God’s sovereign control. David’s military census does not appear to have been prompted by any immediate external threat. The mere taking of a census was hardly sinful, but in this instance it represented an unwarranted glorying in and dependence on human power rather than the Lord.
• ·         Perhaps a census was taken on various occasions to enter the Israelites into an official roll for public duties in the Lord’s service, primarily military.
• ·         The verb “tempted” refers to temptations that test one’s moral strength to resist sin. Because God in His very nature is holy, there is nothing in Him for sin to appeal to.
• ·         Satan, the accuser, is given power to afflict but is kept on a leash. In all the evil he effects among human beings or in nature, Satan is under God’s power.
• ·         God may not compel people to act as they do, but He wills to use them and their freely chosen acts to accomplish His saving purpose.
• ·         David had often taken refuge among the rocks of the desert, but he realized that true security was found only in the Lord.
• ·         Reliance on the Lord was essential for the true theocratic king.
• ·         David’s strength was his reliance on the Lord.
• ·         Both the Israelite and the Philistine armies were shown the error of placing trust in human devices for personal or national security.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV