Explanation: In 2 Samuel 24, the LORD sent a judgment against Israel.
     The chapter begins with a statement that the LORD's anger was "again" stirred against Israel. The previous incident implied by the word "again" may refer to the three year famine which the LORD sent to punish Saul's sin against the Gibeonites, mentioned three chapters prior to this incident (2 Samuel 21). Also, the writer says that the LORD moved David against the nation to number Judah and Israel. The parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 21:1 says that Satan (literally, "(an) adversary") moved David to do the numbering. Some speculate that an undisclosed human adversary "moved" David to do the numbering, perhaps externally, by posing a military threat. But nothing in 2 Samuel 24 or in 1 Chronicles 21 gives any indication of a human agent being involved. And clearly, in 2 Samuel 24, the LORD moves David by some spiritual means -- quite possibly, and I believe quite probably, by Satan, whose temptations, directly or by his agents, were unleashed in other incidents: (Job 1-2; 1 Kings 22:22; Luke 22:3; Acts 5:3). As James 1:13-14 makes clear, God does not tempt anyone; temptation comes from enticement in conjunction with lust. So this implies that some sinful desire was in David's heart -- perhaps pride in his military strength, or a lack of trust in the Lord's strength; but we are not told. We are told, however, that the LORD had something against Israel. Again we are not told what it was. It may have been a divisive spirit which had broken out in the rebellions of Absalom and of Sheba and had not been cleansed. Or Israel may have drifted again toward idolatry. We only know that the offense required the LORD's judgment. We are also not told why the numbering was an offense. Commentators have numerous ideas. However, in Scripture, the only place where numbering and sin are associated is in the sin of not redeeming those who were numbered -- Exodus 13:13-15; Exodus 34:20; Numbers 18:16; Numbers 3:44-45 (1).
     This command to number the people was odious to Joab and to the other captains of the host; but David's word prevailed; and the number of those of military age was 1,300,000 (2-9).
     After the numbering, David regretted what he had done and admitted to great sin. He asked the LORD to take his iniquity away. And the LORD offered him a choice of three punishments: famine, flight, or pestilence. David asked that the LORD choose between the first and third choices, because the LORD was merciful, but the men who would put him to flight were not merciful (10-14).
     So the LORD sent pestilence which killed seventy thousand. And when the Angel of the LORD was about to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD told him to stop. And he stopped by the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite, which was outside the city. David saw the angel and asked that the LORD's hand be against him and his father's house (15-17).
     And Gad the prophet told him to raise up an altar to the LORD on Araunah's threshingfloor. He purchased the threshingfloor, though Araunah wanted to give it to him. And he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the plague was lifted (18-25).
     [ Sermons: Phil Newton. Stuart Olyott. Various. ]
     [ Illustration: The LORD sent a judgment against Israel. Two aspects of that incident are illustrated above. In the first part, the LORD gave a choice of judgments to David. In the second part, as the judgment (a plague) continued, a harvest was in progress near Jerusalem, and David purchased the threshingfloor of Araunah to build an altar to the LORD to offer sacrifices to plead for forgiveness and relief. ]

     ¹⁸ And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁹ And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. ²⁰ And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. ²¹ And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people. ²² And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood. ²³ All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee. ²⁴ And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy [buying I shall buy] it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. ²⁵ And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

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