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The Beginning of the End
would give surrounding nations the impression that Israel’s trust was
in her armies, not in Jehovah.
The people of Israel did not approve of David’s plan for greatly
extending military service. The proposed census caused a lot of
dissatisfaction, so military officers were used in place of the priests
and magistrates who had formerly taken the census. The purpose was
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directly against the principles of a theocracy. Even Joab protested:
“‘Why ... does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause
of guilt in Israel?’ Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against
Joab. Therefore Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and
came to Jerusalem.”
David was convicted of his sin. Self-condemned, he “said to
God, ‘I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now,
I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very
foolishly.’”
Next morning the prophet Gad brought a message: “Thus says
the Lord, ‘Choose for yourself, either three years of famine, or three
months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies
overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the Lord—the
plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout
all the territory of Israel.’”
David Chooses Punishment from the Lord
The king’s answer was, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall
into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let
me fall into the hand of man.”
The land was struck by a plague, which destroyed seventy thou-
sand people in Israel. “David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of
the Lord standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a
drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem.” The king pleaded with
God in behalf of Israel: “Was it not I who commanded the people to
be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed;
but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O Lord
my God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your
people that they should be plagued.”