Do you feel weighed down by your sin? Have you felt that realisation that your thoughts, your actions, your deeds, offend a Holy and Just God? Do you suffer, or do you come before God for forgiveness? In doing so, can you feel the relief of these lyrics:
David’s silly census brought about judgement on Israel, itself because of the way Israel had in some way acted. But despite the terrible punishment that came upon Israel for offending a Holy and Just God, there was an experience of the wonder of mercy. That same mercy is offered to you and me today, through our Saviour’s obedience and blood shed for us.
Chapter 24 of 2 Samuel provides an account of a census which David sinfully ordered, as sovereignly decreed by God. Israel had angered God, and he incited David to order the census to bring about judgement upon them.
As the census takers returned to Jerusalem with the count, David realised the depth of his sin. Unlike his sin involving Bathsheba and Uriah, David appeared to come to this realisation without any prophetic prodding. David’s “heart struck him after he had numbered the people” (v.10).
David did what any repentant sinner should do. He went to God in prayer. “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly” (v.10).
God sent word to David through his prophet, Gad, giving him three options to choose from in response to his sin (vv.11-12). David could choose three years of famine in the land, three months of running away from his foes, or three days of plague in the land (v.13). It was up to David to choose the preferred punishment.
David refused to place the fate of himself and his people in the hands of any people (however directed and restrained by God), and so, in great distress at knowing what would come, said “Let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man” (v.14).
With these words, David ruled out being pursued by enemies and the carnage they would bring behind them, and instead left it to God to choose between famine in the land or a plague, either of which would be more directly the work of God’s hand. Either through withholding the rains, or through sending disease.
David trusted in God’s mercy, even as he and the people faced God’s judgement.
God chose the option of plague, and seventy thousand men died from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south (v.15). No part of the nation was spared. Something like five percent of the carefully tallied men of Israel and Judah passed away, making the census somewhat immediately out of date.
It was only as the angel tasked with striking down Israel’s men readied to draw his sword against Jerusalem, that now special place of God’s presence with his people, that God “relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, ‘It is enough; now stay your hand’” (v.16).
David was right about God’s mercy. God turned from completing the punishment, as his angel was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (v.16).
David, seeing the punishment falling on his people, at the same time showed his repentance in interceding for his people, asking that the punishment would fall on him and his house instead (v.17).
David knew what we need to know, too. God is merciful and forgiving. Even though God is just and holy, and in his righteousness and holiness will execute judgement, he also does not deal to us the full measure of punishment we deserve. God stays his hand, and does not cast us to eternal death as we deserve for angering God in our sinfulness.
This is possible because one of David’s sons, Jesus, interceded for us his people, taking the punishment for our sins upon himself instead. Jesus satisfied God’s Holy and Just anger as he suffered on the Cross, and so when we seek God’s forgiveness we do so with the penalty already fully paid. In a sense, the punishment of God did fall on David’s house, just not in the sense he intended!
When we read these passages we are struck by God’s holiness and the terrible judgement that he brings on sinners, and this is right. But this passage also reminds us of God’s great mercy alongside his anger and justice. That mercy is still available today through Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. The wonder of God’s mercy is that he does not judge us as we deserve, but hides our transgressions from view.
