2 Sa. 24: Miscount

2 Samuel 24:17 "When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the LORD, 'I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family.'"

God orders a census of the nation, but David only counts the fighting men. Even Joab didn't get it. He wondered why David only wanted the fighting men counted, but David insisted. David doesn't realize it was so wrong until Joab gives him the number. I don't know exactly why this was so wrong, and why it would attack David's conscience so, but I guess when you start throwing numbers around, you begin to guage success by the numbers. God has proven himself to be beyond numbers...limitless. When someone calculates their power, that is completely against what God is all about. I wonder how often we are afraid of the numbers we crunch, not fully realizing God's capabilities.

God would have given David victory no matter what. David instead chose to put his faith in his men.

Because of this, God gives David a multiple-choice of how he would prefer to be punished. I think this is the first optional punishment God has doled out, but I could be wrong. Of three years of famine, three years of fleeing enemies or 3 days of plague, David only said he didn't want to fall into the hands of men. So God sent a plague, and wiped out 70,000 people before He was grieved and called for a halt. David wanted the punishment put only on his family. What stops plagues? Altar-building. David is led by Gad to buy the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

So this selfishness cost David 70,000 people and 50 shekels for the threshing floor. He'll learn