I was doing this really regularly, this meditating/thinking process, but I had stopped doing it, really accidentally. But when we were at small group a couple of weeks ago we were talking about how we do our devotions, and I was telling them all that I do this and I realized I wasn't doing it like I used to. So I went back over some of 2 Samuel that I had already read. I also have a chronological bible that I am working through which helps, because I have both passages right there. And this passage is where I ended up pouring over. 2 Sam 24:1-18 and 1Chronicles 21:1-22:1. I am so glad to be back to this process. It is really so fun and it eventually helps me to get 'into' it. I feel like I can understand more of what is going on and put myself there.....

sooooo....This may get really long...... :)



Wow...
this 2 Samuel and I Chronicles passage has me searching, searching.... I wish that like Job we had the view of what happened in Heaven. Like when Satan is with God and God talks to him about considering his servant Job. Because, it is hard to see why Satan and God 'cause' David to do this. I am speculating, but I wonder if David is somewhat innocent* in the matter. Here's something that I wonder about.... David was the king.... God is angry with the people... Maybe David is ignorant of what sin the people are committing and so God is taking matters into his own hands. Even though God is taking matters into his own hands... He is involving David, as in letting him choose the punishment, etc. David feels remorse over the whole thing and asks God to punish him because he is the one who sinned. God calls him to sacrifice, and he does and the plague is stopped... Although God already stopped it, it's just that now we 'see' the death angel put his sword back..... This line of thought I am enjoying, because it shows God's omniscience, omnipotence, mercy and being in the ultimate control. He is using David's 'sin' to count the people, David's remorse to cause him to sacrifice. And His voice, thru Satan's idea (the sin... God can't be the one who suggests that David sin) to tell David to do this (2 Sam 24:1)


... Still.... I wonder why this census is such a bad thing. Tim's IVP Bible background commentary suggests that it was something to appease 'the gods' in ancient times to call a census and that was why David was doing it (in view of God being angry about whatever he is angry about, because it doesn't say why He was angry) So maybe that is why??

Here are some facts about the passages

--God is angry with Israel
--Satan rose up against Israel
--God and Satan cause David to take a census (2 Sam 24:1 and I Chronicles 21:1)
--the Lord told David to take a census
( My thoughts here for a minute :)maybe the Satan knew that David wouldn't take a census unless God told him to do it, which would show godly character on David's behalf and shows that God used this sin/issue for HIS purposes)

--Joab asks why David would want to cause Israel to sin (I Chron 21:3)


on to some thoughts (not necessarily facts) on the 2nd half of this passage--

--God is very displeased with the census and punishes Israel for it


--The IVP commentary that I referenced earlier suggests that the death angel was very similar to the death angel in Egypt.
--Araunah says 'may the Lord your God accept your sacrifice' I am sad that Araunah doesn't seem to have a personal relationship with God here, but David is being a witness to his God--so maybe after this Araunah does have that....But at the beginning he did not have it....Surely after witnessing what he witnessed, he would have to believe in this God of David :)

ok.... I will quit for now ;)


Feel free to comment and correct me on any of this....These are just my thoughts and I enjoy flushing them out. :)




*I am very much not sure on this and do not want to say that David wasn't sinning.....David does seem to be sinning here.....just flushing that out in written form..... seems that David's pride could be why he wants to number the people. Especially in view of all his past issues with Absalom, losing his kingdom, etc... Here he has his kingdom... counting it could be a sign of independance from God. Either way, God is using this issue to accomplish His purposes