2 Samuel 24:10–17 (ESV) —
10 But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” 11 And when David arose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12 “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, Three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’ ” 13 So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.” 14 Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.”
15 So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. 16 And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father’s house.”
NOTE: The passage is confusing, so let's start with what we know. God allows Satan to incite David to number Israel. Technically, the King was allowed to perform periodic census. The rules are provided in the Pentateuch. It's possible then that David did not follow the instructions correctly. It is also possible that the judgment was against David and Israel. And, so David rightly felt guilt for falling to Satan's temptation. It may even had been a test of David and Israel that God allowed.
What followed was a judgment against all Israel whereby David could choose from 3 years of famine, 3 months of fleeing from Israel's enemies, or 3 days of plague. David chose the latter, the punishment without a human intermediary and the shortest. Probably all three would have resulted in the same number of deaths, 70,000.
God then gives instructions on stopping the plague. David was to build an altar on a threshing floor. Later this would also be the site of the temple.
As I look back on my own life, I remember three difficult years where our son required intensive unit care. It ended on his third birthday (the day they finally removed the trachea tube), although the emotional pain took a while to let go. I never thought of the significance of the exact three years. Was it a test or a punishment? None of us are ever so innocent that we ae not guilty to deserve the worst punishment. But a test seems to fit better. We learned a lot in those three years that have changed how we approached life. We have lived life with an open hand -- God owns it all (that's the altar -- the sacrifice of what I want out of life). As I transition into retirement, I must not forget the lessons of those three years, best expressed in this song:
This world is not my home I'm just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore
PONDER:
- Am I preparing to serve God or am I preparing to serve myself?
- If I can't or don't serve God in my retirement, why am I here?
PRAYER: Father, thank you for those three years. They still bring tears to my eyes every time I recall them, but the fact that it was exactly three reminds me of how you cared. I'm not one who believes in signs, but is a glimpse into a powerful truth. You are in control and have a plan for me in my latter years.
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