Chapter 21 records the fulfillment of God's second personal promise to David, namely, that He would appoint a place where Israel could dwell securely (17:9). This was a promise of peace for Israel, but as the verses following 17:9 make clear God had more than this in mind. He intended to dwell among His people in the house Solomon would build (17:11-12). God's presence was the real source of Israel's security. By giving Israel a place, God would provide for Himself a place where He would dwell, specifically the temple. Chapter 21 records God's choice of the place where He would dwell, the site of the temple. There David's successor would build a temple for Yahweh (17:12).
"It may also be said that having empowered Israel to defeat their human foes, God provided a place of atonement and divine manifestation whereby they could defeat (or hold at bay) their nonhuman enemy, Satan."66
The writer gave much attention to detail and background events because of the importance of the temple site. All these events point to God's ultimate purpose for the temple, that it would draw the Israelites and the Gentiles to Himself.
"Here, by divine command, is to be the site of the temple. It is a gift not from Ornan but from God. The grace of God, in giving this to His people as the place where ark and altar are to be brought together, is a thing to be wondered at."67
Apparently David's lack of faith in God's ability to save His people led him to number the people (vv. 1-7). God did not approve of this attitude, and even though David confessed his sin and God removed his guilt, the consequences of his sin followed (vv. 8-12). David's words to Gad again model a proper response to God (v. 13). David volunteered to bear God's judgment in place of the innocent Israelites (vv. 16-17). However, God instructed him to build an altar at the place of God's judgment and to offer the sacrifice that the Mosaic Law required. That was the site God chose for His house (21:18-22:1). That place forever after, as long as Israel occupied the land, would be where the priests would atone for the Israelites' sins by sacrifice. The primary reason for including this incident involving David's sin was that it explains the site chosen for the temple.68
The Hebrew word transliterated "Satan"(satan; 21:1) means adversary. Adversary would be a better translation here. This is the first time in Scripture the word appears without the definite article as a proper noun. It seems that the adversary God permitted to worry David into numbering the people was a foreign enemy (v. 12; cf. 1 Sam. 29:4; 2 Sam. 19:23; 24:1-25; 1 Kings 5:18; 11:14, 23, 25).69Of course Satan played a role in this temptation, but it was evidently fear of one of his neighbors that disturbed David's mind.70
"The major reason for taking a census in Israel was to lay the basis for levying taxes (Exod 30:12; Num 3:40-51) or registering men for military service (Num 26:1-4)."71
David's response indicated his true repentance. He left the decision about punishment entirely in God's hands and did not seek to control it.
"Perhaps the one thing that impresses more than David's sins in his life are his repentances (cf. 2 Sam. 12:13ff., and, associated in its heading with the same incident, Ps. 51). We do well to let his willingness to come fully to terms with his deficiencies inform our own responses to our moral failures before God."72
Chapters 17-21 give the first account of what God promised David in the Davidic Covenant that the writer recorded in Chronicles. The things God promised He provided in David's lifetime and shortly after that. They included victory in battle, expanded influence, and a glorious reputation. The record of this promise is in 17:8, and the fulfillment is in chapters 18-20. The second promise was a secure, peaceful place for Israel that made necessary a place for Yahweh to dwell among His people in fellowship. The record of this promise is in 17:9-12, and chapter 21 guarantees its fulfillment. These promises and their fulfillments would have given the original readers of Chronicles great confidence. They would have encouraged them that Yahweh would yet fulfill those promises in the Davidic Covenant that had not yet materialized but were still future for them. The record should have the same effect on us today.
