Well, my dear friend, David himself asked of God the very same question in 2 Samuel 24:17. But, God’s solitary response to this question came in verse 18 as follows: “…Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” This response, at first blush, doesn’t appear to answer the question of why the people suffered, does it? But in fact, I believe that this response told David what God needed him to know…that his sin impacted not only himself, but also the whole nation, and sins can be forgiven upon repentance, but sins must be atoned for (Hebrews 9:22).  Thus, the sacrifice at the threshing floor was required. Perhaps David and all of Israel had become prideful of their own strength and had forgotten that God Himself was their shield and refuge. Thus, it could be that David’s action in numbering the people was motivated by pride in the numerical strength of his army. If David had gotten the idea that the strength of his nation was a matter of numbers, then it seems to me to be possible that God’s judgment was intended to bring about David’s repentance by the deaths of some 70,000 of his people. I think it is important to understand that our personal sins do not only affect ourselves, but like a rock falling in a pond, the ripples go out in every direction.

But now, let’s look for a moment at just what David’s sin actually was. There are three OT examples of numbering the people of Israel that I can think of. The first is found in Exodus 38:25-27 where we read about God’s command to gather the silver for the pillars of the tabernacle. This was God’s command regarding the proper worship of the LORD, specifying the amount of silver per man which was the responsibility of the people to collect. The second numbering is found in Numbers 1:2-3, having to do with the responsibility of the men of Israel from the ages of 20 years and above to turn out for war to fight for God’s people against the enemies of Israel. The third numbering of the people that I am aware of in the OT is found in Numbers 26:2, 52-65 relating to the dividing up of the land according to the number of the sons of each tribe as they occupied Canaan.  This was God’s plan for the inheritance for each tribe of Israel. You’ll note in these three examples that all the numberings were by the command of God alone and for His own purposes. In 2 Samuel 22:1, we read that God had delivered David from his enemies. Thus, it would seem to me that David, now in his older years, may have given in to pride in seeking to measure his military strength, even though he had no real need for this information. Historically, David had trusted in and had been dependent upon the LORD to deliver Israel.  Now, it appears to me that he meant to take such matters into his own hands. Joab, his captain, understood that this numbering the people for David’s own purposes was an act of defiance to the LORD, and that it could not achieve any good thing (verse 3, and see also 1 Chronicles 21:6), but David went ahead anyway. Only after 9 months of counting the people, in defiance to what David and Joab both knew to be the will of God, David realized via his conscience that he had sinned. We read in 2 Samuel 24:10, “And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech Thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.”

My dear friend, even for the child of God, there is a temporal price for sins. You’ll note that the judgments that God offered to impose on David all involved suffering for the people of Israel. David chose the third option, hoping and seeking for the grace and mercy of God in removing the iniquity of his sins(verse 14). The angel then coursed throughout Israel from top to bottom, and many of those military age men of Israel whom David was apparently desiring to build up his army were killed. God’s answer to David’s concern about the deaths of so many of his people was answered in verses 18 and 19 by requiring a blood sacrifice in order to satisfy the righteous wrath of God (see Hebrews 9:22).

And now, my dear friend, have you sought forgiveness for your sins? The Lord Jesus, in His sacrifice for us at Calvary’s cross, is our sin offering, our propitiation (1John 4:10); 2 Corinthians 5:21). Praise God, we find mercy and forgiveness for our sins through the Grace of God when we look in faith to Christ Jesus for salvation (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9).  (SF)  (636.4)