Worship God in Spirit and Truth. Part [15] 05/15/2026 (Morning thought)

1st Chronicles 21:17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

Both David, and many thousands in Israel had been cherishing national pride, and as their craving to be like the other nations fomented, the theocracy God initiated seemed more and more antiquated and by their estimate, insufficient. To number the people would be to demonstrate the perspective that their strength was in numbers, not in God, and no sooner than that perspective is taken and cultivated, satan would tempt them to the fatal belief, that they do not need God anymore.

Therefore, even though the seventy thousand didn’t actually number the people, they too had partaken of the same spirit, as did David, and because David hastened to repent, and they didn’t, it may seem to some minds as if God made a mistake in striking the innocent, while letting the guilty off the hook…. [Patriarchs & Prophets pp 746>748] Intercourse with heathen peoples led to a desire to follow their national customs and kindled ambition for worldly greatness.

David determined to increase his army by requiring military service from all who were of proper age. The numbering of the people would show the contrast between the weakness of the kingdom when David ascended the throne and its strength and prosperity under his rule. The prosperity of Israel under David had been due to the blessing of God rather than to the ability of her king, or the strength of her armies. But the increasing of the military resources of the kingdom would give the impression to surrounding nations that Israel’s trust was in her armies, and not in the power of Jehovah.

1st Samuel 17:45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!

Worship God in Spirit and Truth. Part [14] 05/15/2026 (Evening thought)

Joshua 8: 10 And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

Judges 20: 15 And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men….. 1st Samuel 15: 4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

1st Chronicles 21:8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 14 So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men…. To David’s mind, God made a mistake in judgement, because David refers to the slain as sheep.

Thus, the question is: Were they indeed sheep, and if so, was this an arbitrary act on God’s part to slay 70,000 of what we often refer to as innocent souls? The answer to this conundrum can be found in the topic for today, namely: “God is a Spirit” and thus, it must be that something wrong was being cherished in their hearts why He smote them as He did. Unlike David, they refused to repent, of whatever the issue was, and that’s why they were taken out.

1st Chronicles 21:16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!