Read 1 Chronicles 21
David Counts the Fighting Men
21 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”
3 But Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over.My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”
4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. 5 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.
6 But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him. 7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.
8 Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
9 The Lord said to Gad, David’s seer, 10 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’”
11 So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice: 12 three years of famine, three months of being swept awaybefore your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lordravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”
13 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”
14 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. 15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
16 David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.
17 David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Lord my God, let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people.”
David Builds an Altar
18 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 Araunah the Jebusite. 19 So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the Lord.
20 While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves. 21 Then David approached, and when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground.
22 David said to him, “Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price.”
23 Araunah said to David, “Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. 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 all this.”
24 But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”
25 So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site. 26 David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
27 Then the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. 28 At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there.29 The tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at Gibeon. 30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.
Go Deeper
Satan hit a weak spot in David. David was a leader of God’s army, he wanted to fight for the Lord…and win. Satan knew that. He tempted David in a way that he knew would get him. It seems David was trying to figure out where he stood–looking to find security (or pride) in the size of his army. Now, let’s remember: Satan is not creative, but he has been around longer than any of us and has learned what makes humans tick. He knows how easily pride or insecurity can take us out.
We read as David acts on Satan’s prompting, he even loops Joab into his sin (even though Joab tries to convince him otherwise and reminds him of God’s power). After Joab followed through on the king’s command, David felt great remorse.
In 2 Samuel 24:10, we read:
David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
God is gracious, but just. David deserved a consequence, but God let him pick what would be done to him. David knew his God. He knew that all of the choices were terrible, but he knew his Lord cared for him, so he chose whatever the Lord would dish out.
In 1 Chronicles 21:13 we see that David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.” We need a reverent fear of God, but we can also know he is always the safest choice. Our God has our best interest in mind! He is our father, although he disciplines us, he does it for our good–not just for fun. Our Lord loves us more than an earthly father can and loves a repentant heart.
Today, let’s remember the truths laid out in Hebrews 12:9-10:
“Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.”
Questions
- Do you believe God has your best interest in mind? Why or why not?
- How have you experienced God’s mercy?
- Do you have a friend or Life Group member you can text to encourage them in how you’ve seen God’s mercy and ask them where they have seen it? Do it!
Pray This
Thank you for how you love and discipline me. Remind me of your love! Even if it’s through discipline in this season. Help me to identify Satan’s promptings and bring others into the fight with me. Give me ears to listen to wise counsel. Destroy my pride and conform me more into the image of your son.
Thank you, Lord! Thank you for salvation and the opportunity to turn from my wicked ways and repent!
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6 responses to “1 Chronicles 21”
Beware of pride, we are at war, a spiritual war just like David. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6)
Our actions have consequences. Our actions affect others not just ourselves.
God corrects us. “For whom the LORD loves He chastens” (Hebrews 12:6)
Where there is sin, there are consequences. BUT GOD can redeem all sin IF we admit, confess, repent, and truly desire to be transformed. God gave David a choice of consequences but David let God decide.
But God had other plans. God was faithful to:
The Israelites who broke the covenant over and over again.
Abraham who didn’t trust and lied.
Moses who disobeyed in frustration.
David whose heart was a strength and a weakness.
Us, no matter how many times we fall.
We fall and God saves. God has had a plan and through and because of the blood of Jesus Christ we have the ultimate redeemation plan.
Side note: look in the threshing floor part of this story, it is also amazing
God thank You for Deuteronomy 31:7-8. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. Thank You that You give us these words to encourge us but to pass along to children, grands, and other people in our life. BUT GOD, it is YOU who is strong within us, to help us to be strong when satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. BUT GOD it is You who gives me courage to know that You love me and will forgive my prideful self. BUT GOD, it is You, who says 365 times in Your word to not be afraid or fearful. BUT GOD it is You who gives me encouragement daily through You word to know that You have me in the palm of Your hand and know the hairs on my head, personally. God thank You for showing me through Your word daily how to be the overcomer. God thank You for these minutes of this day that I can be the woman You have called and do all that You ask me to in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is much to unpack/process in this chapter, but the major theme God is teaching us is humility. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride is a dangerous offense and most often leads to humiliation. I’m taking note of David’s response after his blunder, he admitted his sin to God, he chose God’s mercy, he endured his punishment, he obeyed the angel of the Lord’s order, and he called on the name of the Lord. Every time pride raises its ugly head, let’s recall this narrative and quickly squash it.
Verses 17 through 19 is what caught my eye this morning. David pleas with God, it was I, not them and then God asks him to build an alter. Big eye emoji moment. Reminds me of Abraham and Isaac. I wonder if David expected or if it crossed his mind what the sacrifice would be on that alter God asked him to build.
Amazing is his repentence and obedience and more amazing is God’s mercy and grace!
11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice:“
This is fascinating! Don’t see this often in the Bible where one has a choice of consequences, albeit all very bad ones!
While reflecting on the events in this chapter, my first thought was of the verse in Psalm 20:
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
David likely wrote Psalm 20 as something he prayed before battle:
“Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed; he answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!”
-Psalm 20:6–9, NIV
IOW, he wrote and prayed these words BEFORE his disastrous census-taking.
What gives?
It sounds like David knew better than to trust in chariots and horses. If he was truly sincere in his Psalm 20 prayer, why did he contradict that belief so decisively? (And even AFTER Joab warned him not to?!)
It sounds like David failed to walk his talk. So when he decided to “take stock of his own military might,” he was not only unfaithful to God — he was untrue to himself.
It’s devastating to cross God.
It’s heartbreaking to cross ourselves.
But the two together?
No wonder the consequences were so severe! Not only did they hurt David, they were deadly to those he led.
Today’s chapter convicts me as I consider the following:
Even a single poor decision can be “deadly serious” if it’s one in which I’ve failed to trust God — and failed to act with integrity. The ripple effects can be far more destructive than I ever imagined.
Integrity becomes even more crucial when our actions are visible to others. Greater responsibility inevitably comes with greater accountability. (If I’m not watching my own steps, there are is always someone who will!)
That’s one of the aspects of public service I’ve found tough to shoulder — not only does public action expose me to public scrutiny, it leaves me open to false accusations and unfair criticism.
Thankfully, the “Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense” — when I live GOD’S way, I live under God’s protection. When I live with integrity — “walking my talk” — even if others do question my character, their accusations don’t stick because they don’t ring true.
We can’t prevent others from treating us wrongly. But we can try to make sure we’re not taken down by our own wrongdoing.
As David’s story reminds us, it’s not enough to believe the right things — we need to ACT like they are true.
Pride can lead us away from trusting in God.
May I always remember to humble myself before the Lord, acknowledging that all I have and all that I am, comes from Him.