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David
selects the last choice because he would rather have God’s direct
involvement. The Lord answers his request by sending the pestilence
and only then does David finally become sorry and honestly admit what
that he was wrong and had sinned. He did not trust God even for the
present.
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So
the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel; 70,000 men of Israel fell.
(NASB) 1 Chron. 21:14
David
said to God, "Is it not I who commanded to count the people?
Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly,
but these sheep, what have they done? O LORD my God, please
let Your hand be against me and my father's household, but not
against Your people that they should be plagued." (NASB)
1 Chron. 21:17 |
Spiritual
Issues. The spiritual issues you have raised will now be considered.
Two spiritual issues are introduced by the first verses in both 2
Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21.
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Again
the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved
David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”
(NKJV) 2 Sam. 24:1
Now
Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
(NKJV) 1 Chron. 21:1 |
In
2 Samuel 24, we are told that God "moved" or "incited"
David to "number Israel and Judah." Yet in 1 Chronicles
we are told that Satan "moved" or "incited" David
to number Israel. Some have accused the Bible of being contradictory
and have asked, "Who moved David, God or Satan?" A
second question often asked is, "If God was angry with Israel,
why did He move David to number Israel and Judah and then discipline
David, Israel and Judah?" Our third question is, "Why did
God use Satan?"
God
of This World.
God has allowed Satan to be the "god of this world" for
a short time even though someday Satan will be defeated.
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Again,
the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all
the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; and he said to Him,
“All these things will I give You, if You fall down and
worship me.” (NASB) Matt. 4:8-9
Now
judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall
be cast out.
(NASB) John 12:31
. . . in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds
of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the
gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (NASB)
2 Cor. 4:4
We
know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power
of the evil one. (NASB) 1 John 5:19 |
Some
day Jesus Christ will come and cast him into the Lake of Fire at the
end of time (Rev. 20:10). But for now God has given him limited freedom
with men and women on planet earth. God determines his boundaries
and grants him permission in some areas. Jesus tells us that Satan
asked to sift Peter as wheat (Luke 22:31). But God denied his request.
Another
example of Satan's asking permission to afflict people is found in
the life of Job, an Old Testament saint.
Example
of Job.
In the book of Job we read that Satan insulted Job's integrity and
faith in God and asked for permission to afflict Job and prove that
Job would be unfaithful to God. God responded by granting him permission
to do so but prohibited him from killing Job.
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So
the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only
spare his life.”
(NASB) Job 2:6 |
God
allowed this to prove to Satan that Job's faith was strong and to
use it as an opportunity for spiritual growth in Job's life. Later
Satan returned and God was correct. Job's faith was strong. So Satan
asked permission again to hurt Job some more. God answered with,
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. . . though you incited me against him to ruin him without
any reason.”
(NASB) Job 2:3 |
God
allowed this to happen to Job even though Job did no wrong (Job 1:1).
That is also the meaning of Job 2:3. But this verse is important since
we see the same Hebrew word "moved" used by God. This Hebrew
word "move" has the idea of "urging someone to action."
It is a neutral word without negative or positive meaning. Scripture
is simply saying that Satan had urged God to allow this to happen.
This is the meaning of both 2 Samuel 24:1 and 1 Chronicles 21:1. |
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