A question concerning the Old Testament

[MrLuke]

I been reading the OT recently to hopefully try and grasp and understand the events and things that God commanded people to do; because quite a few times, God in the OT confuses me! And a lot of things I don't understand or have answers to (thankfully next semester we're doing an OT Survey class, so hopefully that will help too!)

But for now, I've been reading 1 Chronicles. Don't know why that book, I just started there for some reason. Anyway all was well until the other day I came across this seemingly random incident that seems to make no sense at all to me!

1 Chronicle 21:

1Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to count the people of Israel. 2So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, "Go, number Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, and bring me a report, so that I may know their number." 3But Joab said, "May the LORD increase the number of his people a hundredfold! Are they not, my lord the king, all of them my lord's servants? Why then should my lord require this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?" 4But the king's word prevailed against Joab. So Joab departed and went throughout all Israel, and came back to Jerusalem. 5Joab gave the total count of the people to David. In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and in Judah four hundred seventy thousand who drew the sword. 6But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king's command was abhorrent to Joab.

7But God was displeased with this thing, and he struck Israel. 8David said to God, "I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, I pray you, take away the guilt of your servant; for I have done very foolishly."

Now I don't understand why satan would incite David to do this and why it was such an offence to God that He punished David and Israel. Can anyone shed any light on this please?

Edited February 13, 2006 by Luke

[MrLuke]

Oh right I get it now! Just didn't come across all that clearly in Chronicles because it seemed so random in the flow of things. Ah well

[traveller]

Luke, let me throw in something here, although the others have answered very well.

Remember where we met David? He was just a kid, a young shepard. The giant, Goliath, was striking fear into all the people and all seemed lost. When word got back to David, he immediately went to the battlefield. Remember what was said? It is one of the most powerful statements in the bible, in my opinion. Look at this:

1Sa 17:25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, [that] the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

hmmm. The victor will receive riches, a bride, and his father's house will be free. What does that remind you of?

Now. look at David's reply to his brother, who basically told him that he thought David was being pridefull and haughty and jsut wanted to see a fight. David said"

1Sa 17:29 And David said, What have I now done? [is there] not a cause?

Is there not a cause? wow. Was there ever.

Anyway, the point I was getting at was that David came up against Goliath with only his sling. Now, I imagine that David was well practiced in his sling throwin. But, more than that, he was very confident in His Father. I've heard the expression that confidence is what you have before you know the circumstances. Well, David knew the circumstances, and was still steady as a rock, because he knew to rely on God. There was no pride, no arrogance. There was a cause. There was faith in God.

Now, compare that same young man to the one that counted his army to weigh HIS (not God's) military might. See the difference? He had turned from leaning on God's might to leaning on his own. A very powerful lesson here.

[eric]

thanks guys, I enjoyed all that. Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own uderstanding, springs to mind.

eric.