“Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.” – 1 Chronicles 21:1
Surprising words given the fact that God Himself referred to David as “a man after My own heart.” Even David was vulnerable to Satan’s attack.
Israel, led by their highly successful king, had just completed an incredible “battle season.” They defeated their two greatest enemies, the Ammonites on one side of the country, and the Philistines on the other. The victory over the Ammonites was graphically and emphatically celebrated when David took the Ammonite king’s crown – made of 75 pounds of gold and jewels – off of his head and placed it on his own head. The victory over the Philistines included the defeat of the remainder of Goliath’s family who had tormented them for years. It was indeed a pretty heady time in Israel.
We cannot be sure of David’s motive for assessing his military prowess, but we can be sure the source of the temptation was the devil himself. Even David’s most trusted general, Joab, tried to advise him against it, but David wouldn’t listen. The devil had corrupted his heart.
Perhaps the motive was hubris. Maybe David had the silly notion that the recent victories came as a result of his skilled leadership and development of Israel’s army, and maybe he wanted to show to those around him just how a great leader assembles a mighty army.
Perhaps the motive was fear. David knew that more battles were ahead and he wanted to determine if they had the “firepower” to repeat this remarkable season. Maybe he had the notion that Israel’s victory was dependent on human ingenuity and strength.
Whichever the case, he was wrong and it cost him and his country dearly.
Like David, we are susceptible to the devil’s scheme of thinking more highly of our resources than we ought to think. We need not be proud of what we bring to the “battle” since we only have it bring because God gave it to us. We need not fear having sufficiency for coming battle since, for the believer anyway, the battle belongs to the Lord.
Three summary lessons from David’s grave mistake:
- I should never rely on my own resources for spiritual success. I bring what I have to God and I place it ALL in His hands, but ultimately HE is the one who uses what I bring and by HIS power HE brings victory for HIS glory.
- I need people like Joab around me. I need people who see things from God’s perspective and who are not afraid to challenge me spiritually. I need godly men and women to stand shoulder to shoulder and battle with me.
- No matter how great the past victory nor how ominous the looming battle, the battle is the Lord’s and I need to seek HIM and His presence.
Have a blessed day, and watch out for the devil. He’s out there to get you.