2 SAMUEL 24:1~19 (NIV) 1 Again the anger of the L ORD burned against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” 2 So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.” 3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the L ORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?” 4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel. 5 After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer. 6 They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon. 7 Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah. 8 After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.

10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the L ORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, L ORD, I beg You, take away the guilt of Your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” 11 Before David got up the next morning, the word of the L ORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: 12 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the L ORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for Me to carry out against you.’” 13 So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the One who sent me.” 14 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the L ORD, for His mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.” 15 So the L ORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the L ORD relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the L ORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the L ORD, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let Your hand fall on me and my family.” 18 On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the L ORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David went up, as the L ORD had commanded through Gad.

The Hands of the Lord 2 Samuel 24:1~19

Verse 2 So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”

Verse 10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the L ORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, L ORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”

Numbers 1:1~3 The L ORD spoke to Moses …He said: “Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. You and Aaron are to count according to their divisions all the men in Israel who are twenty years old or more and able to serve in the army.”

Isaiah 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Today’s Lessons on the Nature of God (1) God is Omniscient

Verse 3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the L ORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”

Verse 4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.

Verse 1 Again the anger of the L ORD burned against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”

The Difficulties of 2 Samuel 24 (1) What’s wrong with counting the fighting men? (2) Did God incite David to sin?

2 Samuel 24:1 Again the anger of the L ORD burned against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” 1 Chronicles 21:1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

2 Samuel 24:9 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand. 1 Chronicles 21:5 (NKJV) … Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israel had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword. Israel - 800,000 Judah - 500,000 Israel - 1,100,000 Judah - 470,000

2 Samuel 24:1 Again the anger of the L ORD burned against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” 1 Chronicles 21:1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

1 Peter 5:8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Today’s Lessons on the Nature of God (1) God is Omniscient (2) God is Sovereign

2 Samuel 24:1 Again the anger of the L ORD burned against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” 1 Chronicles 21:1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

The Difficulties of 2 Samuel 24 (1) What’s wrong with counting the fighting men? (2) Did God incite David to sin? (3) Why did God smite the people of Israel?

Verse 15 So the L ORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

Verse 13 So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? …” 1 2 3

Verse 14 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the L ORD, for His mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

Verse 1 Again the anger of the L ORD burned against Israel, and He incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”

Today’s Lessons on the Nature of God (1) God is Omniscient (2) God is Sovereign (3)God is Just

Verse 16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the L ORD relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the L ORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Today’s Lessons on the Nature of God (1) God is Omniscient (2) God is Sovereign (3)God is Just (4)God is Merciful

Verse 16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the L ORD relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the L ORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

2 Chronicles 3:1 Then Solomon began to build the temple of the L ORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah,… It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite,…

Today’s Lessons on the Nature of God (1) God is Omniscient (2) God is Sovereign (3)God is Just (4)God is Merciful (5)God is Love

Romans 5:7~8 (NLT) Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Today’s Lessons on the Nature of God (1) God is Omniscient (2) God is Sovereign (3)God is Just (4)God is Merciful (5)God is Love