Satan Provoked David to Number Israel
The book of 1 st and 2 nd Chronicles, which cover much of the same history as the two books of Samuel and 1 st and 2 nd Kings, does not tell of David’s sin as it relates to Bathsheba and Uriah. But it does mention another thing that David did which greatly displeased the Lord. It relates, “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.” Joab was hesitant and replied this way, “The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?” Joab sensed that counting the people of Israel was, for some reason, not the right thing to do, but David’s will prevailed and he did it anyway. He counted 1,100,000 men of Israel who could fight as well as 470,000 f...