2 Samuel ends with a fascinating account of David’s humanness and humility. He asked Joab to number the fighting men of Israel, resorting to the tendency all of us struggle with - relying upon our own human resources. He who has many tangible resources is greater than the one who has less. He who has the biggest army is stronger than the one who has less. He who has...and the list goes on.
What gave David the victory? It was the presence and acts of God. Take God out of the equation and no matter how much else you have, you can still be a looser. We saw in an earlier study, One plus God is a majority. If you have God, He alone is all you need. But God often provides others to stand with you. Be grateful for them and utilize their contribution. View every provision as coming from the hand of God.
Joab tried persuading David not to number the fighting men, but the king overruled him, so they did what the king demanded. After the count was recorded it says in 24:10, that David was conscience-stricken. He said to God, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
It was foolish and the consequences where significant. Almost 20 percent of the fighting men died in a plague. David was overwhelmed. He wanted to personally suffer the consequences of his sin, not to have the innocent die. But that’s how life is. Beware of doing things your way, rather than God’s way - others generally are hurt by it.
