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 from Judah (it is not clear to me if the latter number is included in the first). But that apparently only included ten of the tribes, for “Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.” After this we read that “God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.” At this point David seems to have agreed that commanding this census was wrong and said, “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly” (1 Chronicles 21:1-8). The account in 2 Samuel 24:1-10 tells us that “Joab and the captains of the host” went from Dan to Beersheba (i.e. covering all the land of Israel) and numbered the people for “nine months and twenty days.” The totals related there were a little different than those in 1^st Chronicles, with 800,000 for Israel and 500,000 for Judah. The text continues, “And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people.”

So what was so wrong about David counting all of the men in Israel? One commentary says this about what David did: “God could not be angry with David for numbering the people if he moved him to do it: but… it is expressly said, Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. David, in all probability, slackening in his piety and confidence toward God, and meditating some extension of his dominions without the Divine counsel or command, was naturally curious to know whether the number of fighting men in his empire was sufficient for the work which he had projected. … He therefore orders Joab and the captains to take an exact account of all the effective men in Israel and Judah. God is justly displeased with this conduct, and determines that the props of his vain ambition shall be taken away, either by famine, war, or pestilence.” This makes sense to me—David was perhaps planning another war against his enemies, this one not condoned by the Lord, and so he wanted to count all his soldiers to confirm that he would have the men to conquer. This is consistent with the way that the census is described in 2 Samuel 24:5-9: “And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer: Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and about to Zidon, And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba.” These verses seem to suggest that they were taking a look at enemy cities as well: they visited the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites who were not Israelites. Tyre and Zidon were Phoenician cities and were also not part of the Israelites. If these census takers were visiting these non-Israelite cities, that suggests that David may have also been trying to size up his enemies in preparation for another attack. Thus David’s sin, it seems, consisted of trying to go to battle without the Lord’s approval in order to further grow his empire.

            The Lord’s punishment to David I think is consistent with this theory. Through the prophet Gad, He gave three options to David: “Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land?” All three of these options would diminish the power of Israel and their ability to fight their enemies: famine would undoubtedly prevent them from going to war, fleeing three months before their enemies would mean they would not prevail in war, and three days’ pestilence would reduce their ability to support themselves and likely reduce the number of men who could fight. The latter option was chosen, and indeed seventy thousand men died from the pestilence. The story then stands as a warning against “vain ambition” and against the temptation that the devil gave to the Savior: “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:8-9). The Savior did not succumb to this temptation for worldly glory, but David did as he sought to obtain more kingdoms of the world under the inspiration of Satan.