2 Samuel 24 may be one of the most difficult chapters to resolve the glaring tensions in all the Bible. One is hard pressed to deny that a major theme of 2 Samuel is the sovereignty of God. God is ordering, orchestrating, and ordaining the affairs of creation, history, and men for his glorious purposes.
Sovereignty is a troubling hurdle for most people because we are so inclined and taught that our wills and choices are the primary determiners of our lives. Once the comforting doctrine of sovereignty is embraced, the next hurdle is reconciling sovereignty with man, and, surprisingly, sovereignty with God! In 2 Samuel 24:1 the Lord incites David to number Israel and Judah. In verse 10, David is convicted of this sin and the Lord is going to send judgment! What? How can the Lord judge what he initiated? Some tensions we will never reconcile, but we can better live with the tension when we understand more of God’s purposes behind it.
First, Israel had provoked God and needed to be chastised. Judgment from God was going to come, and God has the right to decide how and why it comes. Second, God intends to build faith. Israel will learn that their trust must be in the power of God not their army. God can take it out the army with a simple pestilence! Third, David has now functioned as Prophet, Priest, and King, which makes him a type of Christ! Type means a sort of glimpse into what the Messiah will be like. The Messiah will come from the Davidic line, and he will be the ultimate, final Prophet, Priest, and King!
We may not reconcile the tension in this chapter, but we can surely see some of the ends for which God was working to achieve! Just remember, even when you cannot understand why God is doing what he is doing, you can rest assured he has good and glorious purposes in mind!
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