1 Chronicles 21
In this chapter, we see David falling into the sin of pride by ordering a census of Israel, which angers God. Despite Joab's warnings, the census is conducted, leading to divine punishment. David realizes his mistake, repents, and through a series of events, the place where the temple will eventually be built is identified.
1 Chronicles 21:1-2 (NKJV)
1 Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.
2 So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it.”
These verses introduce the influence of Satan on David, prompting him to take a census of Israel. In this context, the act of numbering the people reflects David’s pride and reliance on military strength rather than trust in God. Joab, his military commander, is tasked with conducting the census despite it being an unnecessary and sinful act, showing that David was momentarily swayed by the wrong motivations.
1 Chronicles 21:3-5 (NKJV)
3 And Joab answered, “May the Lord make His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?”
4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.
5 Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israel had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword.
Joab objects to the census, recognizing the potential spiritual danger in it and expressing concern that this would bring guilt upon Israel. Despite Joab’s warning, David insists on proceeding, highlighting David’s stubbornness at this moment. Joab conducts the census, and the numbers are reported: Israel has 1.1 million soldiers, and Judah has 470,000, reflecting the military might of the kingdom. However, the census itself displeases God, as it reflects David's misplaced trust in numbers.
1 Chronicles 21:6-7 (NKJV)
6 But he did not count Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.
7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel.
Joab, despite following David's orders, refrains from counting the tribes of Levi and Benjamin. His refusal shows his discomfort with the task, as he sensed the king’s command was wrong. God’s displeasure with the census leads to divine judgment upon Israel, showing that pride and disobedience from leaders can have severe consequences on the people they lead.
1 Chronicles 21:8-10 (NKJV)
8 So David said to God, “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
9 Then the Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying,
10 “Go and tell David, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.’”
Realizing his error, David confesses his sin to God, acknowledging his foolishness. David’s repentance is sincere, but his sin has already caused damage. God, through the prophet Gad, offers David a choice of three punishments, demonstrating that while forgiveness can be granted, the consequences of sin still remain. This moment emphasizes the gravity of leadership errors and their repercussions.
1 Chronicles 21:11-13 (NKJV)
11 So Gad came to David and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Choose for yourself,
12 either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the Lord—the plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.’ Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”
13 And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
Gad presents David with three options for punishment: three years of famine, three months of military defeat, or three days of plague from the Lord. Each choice involves immense suffering for Israel, and David, overwhelmed with distress, chooses to fall into the hands of God rather than humans. This reflects his faith in God's mercy, even in judgment, trusting that God’s discipline would be more just and compassionate than the cruelty of enemies.
1 Chronicles 21:14-15 (NKJV)
14 So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
15 And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was destroying, the Lord looked and relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
God sends a severe plague, killing seventy thousand people. As the angel approaches Jerusalem, ready to destroy it, God relents in mercy. This shows both the justice and compassion of God. He punishes the sin but also knows when to stop, showing His ultimate desire to restore and not completely destroy. The angel stops at the threshing floor of Ornan, a place that will soon hold significant spiritual importance.
1 Chronicles 21:16-17 (NKJV)
16 Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
17 And David said to God, “Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O Lord my God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued.”
David and the elders see the angel of the Lord poised to strike Jerusalem and fall down in humility and repentance. David, taking full responsibility for his actions, pleads with God to spare the people and let the consequences fall on him and his family. This act of leadership shows David’s deep concern for his people and his willingness to bear the brunt of his sin's consequences, contrasting his earlier pride.
1 Chronicles 21:18-20 (NKJV)
18 Therefore, the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David that David should go and erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 So David went up at the word of Gad, which he had spoken in the name of the Lord.
20 Now Ornan turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves, but Ornan continued threshing wheat.
God instructs David to build an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan. This place becomes a pivotal location where God’s mercy will be demonstrated, marking it as holy ground. Ornan sees the angel and his sons hide in fear, but Ornan continues with his work, unaware of the full significance of what is about to happen. David's obedience in going to the threshing floor sets the stage for God's mercy to be revealed in a tangible way.
1 Chronicles 21:21-24 (NKJV)
21 So David came to Ornan, and Ornan looked and saw David. And he went out from the threshing floor and bowed before David with his face to the ground.
22 Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar on it to the Lord. You shall grant it to me at the full price, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people.”
23 But Ornan said to David, “Take it to yourself, and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. Look, I also give you the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing implements for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering; I give it all.”
24 Then King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.”
David approaches Ornan, requesting to buy the threshing floor at full price so he can build an altar. Though Ornan offers to give it freely along with supplies for the sacrifice, David insists on paying. David understands the importance of offering something to God that comes at a personal cost, emphasizing the value of true sacrifice in worship. This principle highlights that worship should involve a heartfelt giving of something valuable to honor God fully.
1 Chronicles 21:25-27 (NKJV)
25 So David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for the place.
26 And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called on the Lord; and He answered him from heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering.
27 So the Lord commanded the angel, and he returned his sword to its sheath.
David pays the full price and builds an altar on the threshing floor. He offers sacrifices to God, and God responds by sending fire from heaven to consume the offerings, signifying His acceptance of David’s repentance. With this act of worship, God commands the angel to stop the plague, showing that the people are now restored to peace. This marks the threshing floor as a place of God’s mercy and forgiveness.
1 Chronicles 21:28-30 (NKJV)
28 At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there.
29 For the tabernacle of the Lord and the altar of the burnt offering, which Moses had made in the wilderness, were at that time at the high place in Gibeon.
30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.
David continues to sacrifice on the threshing floor of Ornan after seeing God’s favor. The tabernacle was still at Gibeon, but David, fearing the angel, does not go there. This moment foreshadows the future significance of the site, which would later become the location of Solomon’s temple. David’s fear of the angel shows the awe-inspiring nature of God’s judgment but also His mercy in stopping the destruction.