Matthew Henry cites five possible reasons that David’s census was wrong: 1) He was using it to number men under twenty years of age for army service, which was forbidden in God’s law; 2) The census had no direct order from God; 3) David was going to use the results to tax the people more than the law allowed; 4) David was not trusting the promises of God to Abraham to make the people innumerable; and 5) David was exhibiting the pride of his heart in putting confidence in the number and power of his army rather than in God.

Beginning this month, invitations to complete the 2020 U.S. census will start arriving at people’s homes. This every decade census comes to us as mandated by the Constitution. Article 1, Section 2 states, “The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of 10 years, in such manner as they shall by Law direct.” As the census is used by the government to determine population changes, demographics, congressional districts, federal funding, etc., it is a powerful tool in their hands.

Hearing of the U.S. census reminds us of those censuses done in the Bible. Jesus was born in Bethlehem because Caesar’s registration, or census, caused Joseph and Mary to travel there in order to be counted (Luke 2:1). The Book of Numbers has its title due to listing the results of a census God mandated (Num. 1:2). But perhaps the most intriguing census is the one that David took as recorded in 2 Samuel 24. For we know at the time that David took this census “the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel” (2 Sam. 24:1). Why did the anger of the Lord burn against Israel? Why did the Lord incite David to take the census, and express anger at him afterwards for doing so?

Matthew Henry cites five possible reasons that David’s census was wrong: 1) He was using it to number men under twenty years of age for army service, which was forbidden in God’s law; 2) The census had no direct order from God; 3) David was going to use the results to tax the people more than the law allowed; 4) David was not trusting the promises of God to Abraham to make the people innumerable; and 5) David was exhibiting the pride of his heart in putting confidence in the number and power of his army rather than in God. Though they are all plausible, and Henry believed the last one was the true reason, there is a problem with each of these proposals. No clear evidence in the text exists for any of them.

However, what is very clear in the text is that the census was wrong. All the characters knew it. Joab knew it was wrong and tried to prevent the king from doing it (2 Sam. 24:3). In the corresponding account in the Chronicles, we are told that “Satan moved David to number Israel” (1 Chron. 21:1). Afterwards, David confessed that it was wrong (vs. 10), saying he “sinned greatly,” “committed iniquity,” and had acted “very foolishly.” So how did all the characters in the story so clearly know it was wrong?

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