April
15 - 2 Sam 23:24 - 24:25; 1 Chron 11:26-47; 21:1-30
Did you notice that Uriah the Hittite was included among
David’s mighty men? And Joab isn’t, even though his brothers Abishai and Asahel
are. Maybe it wasn’t necessary to mention Joab since he was the commander of
the army. There are more men listed in Chronicles than in Samuel – commentaries
presume that these are either men of lower rank or perhaps they replaced some
of the original men when they were killed in battle, like Uriah.
The reason David conducted a census of the fighting men
is a bit confusing. 2 Samuel says God led David to command it, but 1 Chronicles
indicates it was Satan. And why would this be a sin? The Hard Sayings of the
Bible states that a census of men of fighting age was essentially a draft
notice and basis for taxation. And since David counted all the people, not just
men of fighting age, it was considered an illegal act. Another suggestion is
this was a prideful act of David, who may have been trying to see how great his
kingdom was. The census was obviously seen as a problem by Joab, who tried to
talk him out of it.
Satan is only mentioned by name 14 times in the OT, and
only 33 in the NT. Of course he is referenced as the serpent, but he really
isn’t discussed often. We know God doesn’t compel people to sin, however
scholars state that he might compel someone to reveal the wickedness in their
hearts which results in a sin visible to others. Others suggest that these two
passages could refer to separate events, justifying this perspective with the
different number of people counted in both accounts. Regardless of the
explanation, these passages can be a struggle to understand.
If faced with the three choices David had to make as a
result of his sin, which would you choose?
TOMORROW’S TEXT: 1 Chron 22-24
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