1 Chronicles 21:1 - Meaning and Application

Counting the people might seem harmless. Why should a shepherd not know how many sheep he has? But God sees deeper than people do. David’s act was plainly wrong and deeply offensive to God, because he did it out of pride. No sin opposes God more sharply than pride, and so no sin wounds him more.

The blame belonged to David alone. Still, the passage shows how active the tempter was: Satan rose up against Israel and pushed David to do this (1 Chronicles 21:1). In 2 Samuel 24:1, we are told that the Lord’s anger burned against Israel and that he moved David to do it. We should notice and respect God’s just judgments even when human sin is involved. God is never the author of sin, and he tempts no one. So when Scripture says God moved David, it must mean that he allowed the devil to act for wise and holy purposes.

Here we can trace this dark stream back to its source. It is no surprise that Satan, the enemy of God and of all good, would rise against Israel. That is his aim, to weaken God’s people, reduce their numbers, and dim their honor. What is striking is that he could influence David, the man after God’s own heart, to do something wrong. Even the best believers, until they are in heaven, must never think they are beyond Satan’s reach.

When Satan wanted to harm Israel, he did not first try to move God against them, as in Job 2:3. Instead, he pushed David, their best friend, into sin, so that God would be offended and turn against them. The devil does us more harm by tempting us to sin against God than by accusing us before God. He destroys people only through their own sin. His greatest injury to the church is to tempt its leaders into pride, because no one can fully measure the damage pride can do, especially in church leaders. “You shall not be so” (Luke 22:26).

Joab, the man David ordered to count the people, was not unwilling to work in public matters. But here he was forced into the task and did it with great reluctance. Before he began, he protested against it. No one was more ready than he to do what truly served the king’s honor or the kingdom’s good, but in this matter he wished to be excused. It was needless, because God had promised to multiply Israel, and David had no reason to doubt that promise. It was also dangerous, because this counting might become a trespass against Israel and stir up God’s anger. Joab saw that, though David did not.

Joab was already tired of the task before he finished it, because the king’s command was hateful to him (1 Chronicles 21:6). There had been a time when whatever David did pleased all the people (2 Samuel 3:36). Now the order met with widespread dislike, and that confirmed Joab in his own dislike. So although the census produced very large numbers, he did not finish the work fully. He left out two tribes, Levi and Benjamin, and perhaps he was also less exact with the rest, because he had no heart for the task. That may help explain the difference between the totals here and in 2 Samuel 24:9.