Question 1

Why was David’s act of numbering Israel considered a sin?

Accepted Answer

David’s order to count Israel was not just about gathering information. The passage hints that his motive was pride and trust in numbers rather than trust in God. God had already promised to make Israel many, so counting the people to rest on their strength showed a lack of faith. Even Joab, who was not usually very tender in conscience, knew something was wrong and tried to warn David. The sin was not the idea of a census by itself, but the proud, self-reliant spirit behind it and the way it ignored God’s ways.

Question 2

What does this story show about God’s anger and mercy toward Israel?

Accepted Answer

The chapter opens with God already angry with Israel, which suggests there were ongoing sins among the people. David’s census becomes the way that anger is shown. When the plague comes, it is severe, and many die, showing that God takes sin seriously, both in leaders and in the nation. Yet, as the angel reaches toward Jerusalem, God says, “It is enough,” and stops the destruction. He listens to David’s confession, accepts the sacrifice on the altar, and ends the plague. So God’s anger is real, but His mercy and compassion are also very real.

Question 3

Why did God let David choose between three kinds of judgment?

Accepted Answer

Through the prophet, God gives David three options: famine, defeat by enemies, or pestilence. This is hard to grasp, but it shows both God’s justice and His mercy. Judgment must come, yet God involves David in choosing how it will fall. David chooses to fall into God’s hand rather than into human hands, because he knows God is merciful even when He punishes. The choice itself teaches David to fear sin more and to see that any of these paths would touch the whole nation, not just himself.

Question 4

Why did so many people suffer for one sin by their king?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows how closely a people and their leader are tied together. God was already angry with Israel, so the census is not only David’s private failure, but also part of a wider problem in the nation. When David sins, the people feel the result, just as they often shared in the benefits of his obedience. This may seem unfair to us, but it reminds readers that sin is never only private. Our choices, especially those of leaders, can bring blessing or harm to others, sometimes in very painful ways.

Question 5

What is the meaning of David buying Araunah’s threshing floor instead of taking it free?

Accepted Answer

When Gad tells David to build an altar, Araunah offers the place, oxen, and wood at no cost. David refuses a free gift and insists on paying, saying he will not offer burnt offerings to God that cost him nothing. This shows that real worship involves sacrifice, not just words. David wants his repentance to be sincere and costly, not cheap or half-hearted. By buying the threshing floor and offering sacrifices there, he shows that turning back to God means giving up comfort and honoring God above personal gain.

Question 6

What does this passage teach about true repentance in David’s life?

Accepted Answer

After the census, David’s heart “smote him,” meaning he felt deep inner pain and guilt. He confesses plainly, calling his act great sin and foolishness, and asks God to take away his iniquity. When the plague falls, he goes further and pleads that the judgment fall on him and his house, not on the “sheep,” the people. Then he obeys God’s word through Gad, builds an altar, and offers sacrifices. So repentance here is not just feeling bad; it includes confession, accepting God’s justice, caring for others, and obeying what God commands next.

Question 7

Who is Gad in this passage, and what role does he play?

Accepted Answer

Gad is called David’s seer, which means he is a prophet who brings God’s word to the king. In this story, Gad carries God’s message of judgment to David, setting out the three options for punishment. Later, he brings God’s command for David to build an altar on Araunah’s threshing floor. Gad’s role shows that God does not leave David guessing. Even in anger, God speaks clearly, corrects him, and shows the way to seek mercy. Gad stands between God and the king as a faithful messenger of both warning and hope.

Question 8

Why is the threshing floor of Araunah such an important place in this story?

Accepted Answer

The threshing floor of Araunah is where the angel of the Lord stops, with his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. God tells the angel to stop there, and then David meets God at that very spot by building an altar. It becomes the turning point where judgment ends and mercy is shown. David’s sacrifice there is accepted, and the plague stops. So the threshing floor marks the change from wrath to peace for Israel. It is remembered as a place where God answered prayer and where costly worship was offered after deep failure.

2 Samuel 24:1

And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

David’s Military Census

Judgment for David’s Sin

A Plague on Israel

David Builds an Altar

David’s Military Census

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2 Samuel 24:1

And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.

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David’s Military Census

Judgment for David’s Sin

A Plague on Israel

David Builds an Altar

David’s Military Census

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