Question:
Dear Greg,
I
have just finished my morning devotions and have a question pertaining to 1
Chronicles 21:1-3. What was so
sinful in God’s eyes about David taking a census?
Rich
Answer: Dear Rich,
The
Bible does not specifically tell us why God was angry with David, or why this
census should be regarded as a sin. We
know from other passages in the Old Testament that the act of taking a census
was not, of and by itself, a sin (see Numbers 1:3, 45; 3:40-41; 26:2, 52-55; and
2 Chronicles 2:17-18). It may be
that this particular act was an act of pride on David’s part.
David may have started to believe his own press releases, thinking that
he was responsible for his success more than God was.
The Bible does not tell us that God had directed David to go out to
battle. Further, the Bible tells us
that David’s descendants (as with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) would be as the
sand and the stars. Thus it may well
be that the sin was not the census, but the sin was David’s pride and
ambition. David may have forgotten
that he did not own the people—the people were God’s people.
In
Christ,