38 lines
2.9 KiB
Markdown
38 lines
2.9 KiB
Markdown
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title = "1 Chronicles 21:1–13"
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date = "2024-05-06"
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### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/1Chronicles21.1-17)
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On the surface, the fact that David's census angered the Lord is a bit strange.
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In [Exodus 30](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Exodus30.12), the Lord gives instructions on how to conduct a census, and in [Numbers 1](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Numbers1.2) and [26](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Numbers26.2) He commands Moses to count the people.
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The purpose of all of these censuses was to see how large a fighting force Israel had.
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Perhaps David did not levy the half-shekel tax to atone for the people, or maybe he did and should not have because this generation had already been redeemed from God's wrath.
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Despite his track record of military victories, perhaps David was trusting more in the strength of his army than in the Lord for future campaigns.
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We can only speculate.
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At any rate, the top general Joab tries to dissuade David, but fails to do so.
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The fighting men of Israel are counted, except for the Levites as was according to the Lord's instructions for a census, and except for the Benjaminites, which was not.
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The Lord's anger comes against David, and he recognizes that he has acted sinfully.
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He cries out to the Lord for forgiveness.
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While it is clear that he is forgiven, the Lord also decrees that there will be consequences for Israel because of the sin of their king.
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Interestingly, David gets to choose what the consequences will be.
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This appears to be a unique situation.
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I don't recall anyone getting a similar choice in the form of their judgement.
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The closest thing is actually the inverse, where Solomon is granted his choice of blessing from the Lord.
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The choices David is given are three years of famine in the land, three months of devastating invasion and pursuit before a violent death, or three days of pestilence.
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These are interesting choices, because David had already experienced two of them, except for actually being killed.
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Israel had already gone through a three-year famine recently ([2 Samuel 21:1](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/2Samuel21.1)), and David had been fighting off invasions for his whole career.
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Not only that, but he had previously been on the run for his life from both [King Saul](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/1Samuel21.10) and his own son [Absalom](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/2Samuel15.13-14).
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David's choice is to rely on the Lord's mercy.
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He asks not to fall into the hands of men, which would be his certain death, but he lets the Lord choose either of the other two options.
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This may sound self-serving, because now the people will suffer David's judgement, but they would have suffered the "devastation by your foes" as well.
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By asking for the Lord's mercy, David is also seeking to save as many of his people as possible from these judgements.
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* * *
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You appoint our leaders; let them show us Your righteous ways.
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