David probably ordered this census about 975 B.C.
"After the revolutions of both Absalom and Sheba it would have been reasonable for David to reassess his military situation against the possibility of similar uprisings or other emergencies."318
In support of this hypothesis is the fact that Joab and the army commanders were able to take over nine months to gather the population statistics (v. 8). This suggests a very peaceful condition in Israel that characterized David's later reign but not his earlier reign.
The writer of Chronicles wrote that Satan (perhaps an adversarial neighbor nation since the Heb. word satanmeans "adversary") moved David to take the census (1 Chron. 21:1). Yet in verse 1 the writer of Samuel said God was responsible. Both were true; God used an adversary to bring judgment on the objects of His anger (cf. Job. 1-2; Acts 2:23).319
". . . paradoxically, a divinely-sent affliction can be called a messenger of Satan' (2 Cor 12:7 . . .)."320
We can identify perhaps four levels of causality in verse 1. God was the final cause, the primary instrumental cause was Satan, the secondary instrumental cause was some hostile human enemies, and David was the efficient cause. The Lord was angry with Israel for some reason. He evidently allowed Satan to stir up hostile enemy forces to threaten David and Israel (cf. Job 1-2). In response to this military threat, David chose to number the people. David's choice was not his only option; he chose to number the people. He sinned because he failed to trust God. The Lord did not force David to sin.
Quite clearly David took the census to determine his military strength. Taking a census did not constitute sin (cf. Exod. 30:11-12; Num. 1:1-2). David's sin was apparently placing confidence in the number of his soldiers rather than in the Lord.
"For the Chronicler in particular [cf. 1 Chron. 27:23-24], . . . the arena of David's transgression appears to be that taking a census impugns the faithfulness of God in the keeping of His promises--a kind of walking by sight instead of by faith."321
"Register"(vv. 2, 4) literally means to "muster"in preparation for battle. Joab proceeded in a counterclockwise direction around Israel.322The territory described included but did not extend as far as all the territory that God had promised to Abraham. There appear to have been 800,000 veterans in Israel plus 300,000 recruits (cf. 1 Chron. 21:5). In Judah there was a total of 500,000. The figure of 470,000 in 1 Chronicles 21 probably omitted the Benjamites (cf. 1 Chron. 21:6). Remember that the Hebrew word elephcan mean either "thousand"or "military unit."Here it could very well mean military unit.323The parallel account in 1 Chronicles 21 says that Joab did not number Levi and Benjamin because David's command was abhorrent to Joab (1 Chron. 21:6).
Joab wisely warned David of his folly (v. 3). Even such a man as Joab could see that what David planned to do was wrong. Nevertheless David chose to ignore his counsel (v. 4). He behaved as one who refuses to be accountable to anyone, which was easy for David to do since he was the king. The thing that David had done displeased the Lord, and He struck Israel (1 Chron. 21:7).
