The Census

“Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. “It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:18-20)

This commandment was given to Moses before King David was given the throne. At the time of the census, Saul had died for his disobedience to God’s word, and Uzzah had been struck down dead by God for King David not moving the ark according to God’s word.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians that there was immorality among them that didn’t even exist among the Gentiles (1 Corinthians 5:1) and because of the lack of repentance he decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 5:5).

And that is what we see written when we look at the two biblical accounts of the census King David took.

2 Samuel 24:1 says,

Now again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”

And 1 Chronicles 21:1 says,

Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.

And where did King David error? By not performing the census according to what was already written.

Exodus 30:12 says

“When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them.

King David did not pay the ransom until after the census numbers were reported to him and the plague had already begun (2 Samuel 24:24-25 and 1 Chronicles 21:25-27)

And the first census of Israel by Moses was written in the book of Numbers where God gave specific instructions.

Numbers 1:47-49 says,

The Levites, however, were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe. For the LORD had spoken to Moses, saying, “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor shall you take their census among the sons of Israel.

But when King David gave the command to number the people he said,

“Go about now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and register the people, that I may know the number of the people.” (2 Samuel 24:2 and 1 Chronicles 21:2)

This order would have included the tribe of Levi which would have been a violation of what God had already said.

As it says in Hosea 8:12

Though I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My law, They are regarded as a strange thing.

And

From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. (Luke 12:48)

References

Deuteronomy 17:18-20

1 Corinthians 5:1

1 Corinthians 5:5

2 Samuel 24:1, 1 Chronicles 21:1

Exodus 30:12

2 Samuel 24:24-25, 1 Chronicles 21:25-27

Numbers 1:47-49

2 Samuel 24:2, 1 Chronicles 21:2

Hosea 8:12

Luke 12:48