7 March 2022
By Rev Kenneth Mtata
Today's readings
• Psalm 17;
• 1 Chronicles 21:1-17;
• 1 John 2:1-6
Verse of the day
David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.” (1 Chronicles 21:13)
In 1 Chronicles 21 David is confronted with a sin that we are not too familiar with, that of counting people or conducting a censors. It’s presented as a terrible sin because it is said to have been instigated by Satan himself: “Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to count the people of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Go, number Israel, from Beer-sheba to Dan, and bring me a report, so that I may know their number” (1 Chronicles 21:1.2). But why was counting people a sin and how did David deal with it?
The purpose of a censors was to know the number of people for purposes of ensuring accurate taxation and also to know how many people could be conscripted into the army. It gave the king certainty as to resources that could be mobilized and the size of the army to face enemies. But what is sinful about this? It was sinful in that it made the king to depend on himself and not on God. This is evident in that Israel had won many wars in chapters 19 and 20 of 1 Chronicles. To conduct a censors was therefore being ungrateful for what God had already done.
David knew this was a sin even before God confronted him. So he said to God, “I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, I pray you, take away the guilt of your servant; for I have done very foolishly” (1 Chronicles 21:8). God gave David three options to choose from for his punishment as follows: “either three years of famine; or three months of devastation by your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or three days of the sword of the Lord, pestilence on the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel” (1 Chronicles 21:12). David chose the “sword of the Lord”: “let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but let me not fall into human hands” (1 Chronicles 21:13).
All human beings suffer this two-sided sin. They either exaggerate what they can achieve by their own strength and resources or underestimate what they can achieve with God. The one is the sin of idolatry (where we make ourselves gods) and the other is the sin of unbelief (where we are not able to put our trust in God).
We can be delivered from these two sins. For this reason, John writes: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2). God’s mercy is enough, to restore our trust in him and to realise that with God's strength we can achieve what appears impossible.
Prayer
God we sometimes exaggerate our own strength. Other times we doubt if you could really help. Restore us to trusting you while we humbly deploy the gifts you have given us.
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