Gospel Reflections #1165: How willing are we to change?

2 Samuel 24:9 ‘Joab reported to the king the number of the people he had counted: there were eight hundred thousand men in Israel and five hundred thousand in Judah who were able to bear arms.’

In ancient Israel, conducting a census was not always strictly forbidden.

However, this particular census was not carried out in obedience to God’s command, but was driven by David’s own motives (arrogance and pride).

David succumbed to Satan’s temptation to count the people, thereby satisfying his own ambitious desires.

He did so in order to compare the prosperity under his reign with the weakness of the past.

This was not in accordance with God’s will and contravened His explicit command.

The fact that he counted the ‘men of war who could draw the sword’ signifies that David sought to ascertain ‘just how strong his kingdom’s military might was’.

This was a manifestation of unbelief on the part of David—who had hitherto achieved victory through God’s protection and miracles—as he sought to rely on ‘human numbers (military strength)’ rather than on God.

Even Joab, the commander of the army, intuitively sensed that this would be a sin before God and vehemently objected, asking, ‘Why does the King delight in such a thing?’; yet David overruled him and ordered a census to be taken throughout the land.

It is thought that, upon seeing this enormous figure, David became intoxicated with his own greatness (and boasted).

However, in verse 9, immediately after receiving the report on the numbers, David was overcome by intense remorse and repented to God, saying, ‘I have done a great sin in doing this.’

We, too, when things are going well in our lives or work, tend to count our visible ‘achievements’, ‘assets’ and ‘networks’ and feel reassured or take pride in them.

The figures in verse 9 symbolise precisely the temptation for humans to forget God and boast in their ‘own strength’.

To entrust ourselves to God means not judging matters based on our own criteria, but leaving everything to God’s judgement.

We humans tend to give thanks when God’s judgement exceeds our own expectations, yet doubt Him when it does not; however, when we are made aware of this, we should be willing to change our ways with an open heart.

Even David himself became stubborn in the face of his own ambitious feelings.

Ellen G. White is said to have remarked, ‘David’s repentance came too late.’

Whilst it is never too late to repent, the later it comes, the more painstakingly we must reap the seeds we have sown.

The proud shall be humbled, but this too is God’s mercy, designed to lead us back to Him.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.