Taking a Census - Confidence in the Numbers more than God

David, the King of Israel, had a reputation as a warrior who fought hard to claim his throne. It was uncommon for him to remain at home instead of leading his troops into battle. However, when he was not engaged in war, it seemed like those were the seasons where he made life-altering mistakes where God would hold him accountable for his actions. Perhaps he was bored, weary of fighting, or distracted?

Bathsheba proved to be quite distracting. “In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.” (II Samuel 11:1) 

David must have faced a difficult realization when he observed Bathsheba from the palace rooftop and was confronted with his moral weakness. This serves as a reminder for everyone to strive towards doing what is right in all aspects of our lives. The story sheds light on one of David’s moral failings.   

On another occasion, King David remained in his residence instead of going to the battlefield. “In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the Ammonites’ land, went to Rabbah, and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins.” (I Chronicles 20:1) David was at home. Maybe, he felt as though he had arrived. He was, now the king, and he left as though he did not have to work as hard. We do not know what was going through his mind.

The Old Testament provides two versions of this story, II Samuel 24 and I Chronicles 21. In II Samuel, God’s anger is attributed to the census. In chapter 21, the Bible says, “Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 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.”

The Bible doesn’t clearly explain God’s anger towards David’s actions in the mentioned references. However, Exodus 30:12-16 sheds more light on the matter.

David’s Pride

David was curious and wanted to know the kingdom’s size. His curiosity caused him to sin. Interestingly, the Bible says, “Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.” The results of the census would reveal that there were approximately 1,100,000 men in Israel and 470,000 fighting men in Judah.

 The children of Israel are God’s chosen people.

Joab believed this was a bad idea. Joab says to King David, “May the Lord make his nation one hundred times as large! Sir, all the Israelites are your servants. Why do you want to do this thing, my lord and king? You will make all the Israelites guilty of sin!” (I Chronicles 21:3) In Bible times, a king would count his people if they truly belonged to him. A census could be considered a sign of ownership. Israel was God’s possession.

Old Testament Guidelines for a Census (Exodus 30:12-16)

David needed to follow the guidelines outlined in the Law. Each person counted must pay a census tax to the priests, a half-shekel of silver, as a kind of ransom payment to God to underline God’s possession of each life. God stated that He would send a plague upon the people if no ransom were paid. This, of course, is precisely what happened with David’s census.

Confidence in people more than the God of Israel.

It’s possible that David believed his large army made it unnecessary for him to engage in battle. However, this may suggest that he had more faith in his people than God. It’s important to remember that our success is not solely based on the number of individuals on our side. Instead, it’s crucial to prioritize our connection with an all-powerful God who orchestrates everything according to His will and intentions.