The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 204 – Section 205
SECT. CCIV.
THE Lord being again angry(a)God is ſaid to be angry when he doth that which men uſe to do when they are angry, that is, to puniſh thoſe that have offended. with the Iſraelites for their wickedneſs, (poſſibly for their pride, carnal ſecurity and confidence in their number and ſtrength) he moved David againſt them, that is, he let Satan looſe to tempt him to pride and carnal confidence in the multitude and ſtrength of his ſubjects, and left him to himſelf, that he might be foil'd by Satan. And accordingly Satan ſtirred up David in the pride of his heart (b)Otherwiſe to number the people was not in it ſelf unlawful, when done upon good grounds, and for good ends. Yea, God himſelf commanded it, Exod. 30.12. and Numb. 1.3. & 26.1, 2. And Solomon and Amaziah practiſed it, 2 Chron. 2.17. & 25.5. But here was, now no neceſſity of doing it, either upon an Eccleſiaſtical or Civil account.to number the people that God might take occaſion thereby to bring upon them that judgment which he intended, and which both King and people for their ſins deſerved; and hereby wrath came upon Iſrael, upon the King in the loſs of his people, and upon the people in the loſs of their lives. And the King (not inquiring of God as he ſhould have done in a matter of ſuch moment) ſpake to Joab and the Rulers of the people to go through all the Tribes of the children of Iſrael from Dan to Beerſheba, and to number the people, (viz. all that were fit for war) and to bring their number to him. Joab civilly addreſſing himſelf to the King, The Lord thy God add unto thy people an hundred fold how many ſoever they be, and if it be agreeable to his holy will maiſt thou thy ſelf live to ſee it. But give me leave humbly to ask thee, why haſt thou ſet thy heart upon this thing? There is no neceſſity at all to inquire how many thy people be, ſeeing how many ſoever they be they are all thy ſervants, and ready to be imploy'd at thy command; and therefore if thou doſt this thing I am afraid thou wilt be a cauſe of treſpaſs (c)Sed quid in to commiſit populus conſenſit & aſſentatus eſt Regi. Merc.unto Iſrael; and wilt hereby occaſion them to be too carnally confident, and to relye too much on the arm of fleſh. But the King declar'd he would have it done though Joab and the Captains that were with him did what they could to diſſwade him from it. Joab ſeeing the King ſo bent upon it like a ſervile Courtier, (though the Kings command was abominable to him, 1 Chron. 21.6. and his judgment againſt it, and his mind did preſage that ſome judgment would come upon the Kingdom for it) yet to pleaſe the King he and the Captains with him ſet upon it; and ſo taking their journey towards the Eaſt, they paſſed over Jordan and began the work at Aroer a City of the Gadites ſituate on the river Arnon, thence marching to Gazer, they paſſed Northward and entred into Gilead, and ſo came to Dan in the North of Paleſtine, and then turned towards the Mediterranean Sea, and ſo came along the Northern Coaſts by Zidon and Tyre, and then came to the South of Judah even to Beerſheba; and ſo after nine months and twenty days Joab came to Jeruſalem and gave in the ſum of the number of the people unto the King. The ſum that he gave in as it is here ſet down, 2 Sam. 24.9. was in Iſrael eight hundred thouſand valiant men that drew the ſword, and in Judah five hundred thouſand. But in 1 Chron. 21.5. 'tis ſaid he gave in the number of Iſrael eleven hundred thouſand, and in Judah only four hundred, threeſcore and ten thouſand; ſo that here is a double diverſity, three hundred thouſand ſhort in the one, and thirty thouſand over in the other. For the reconciling of this ſome think that Joab when he gave in the account eight hundred thouſand, he left out the Trained bands which were before enrolled, and did their ſervice in Jeruſalem every month, of which there were twenty four thouſand for every month, which will make 288000, and left out alſo their Colonels, Captains, Commanders, and Officers of all ſorts, which might amount to twelve thouſand more, and ſo make up three hundred thouſand, which being added to the eight hundred thouſand, make up altogether eleven hundred thouſand.
As for the other diverſity concerning Judah, viz. that in the Chronicles he is ſaid to have given in of them only four hundred threeſcore and ten thouſand, and in Samuel five hundred thouſand; for the reconciling of that, poſſibly when he came firſt to Jeruſalem he gave in but only four hundred threeſcore and ten thouſand, but then there was an addition of thirty thouſand more out of Jeruſalem, which made it up five hundred thouſand: But yet he did not number Levi and Benjamin (which ſtill join'd themſelves to Judah) being weary of the work, and the plague ſoon after breaking out, he gave it quite over. The total of all was ſixteen hundred thouſand; ſcarce a Kingdom in the world of no larger extent was ever ſo prodigiouſly fruitful.
The next morning after the number of the people was given in to the King, the Prophet Gad was ſent unto him by the Lord to make known his ſin, and how God intended to puniſh him for it: Hereupon David's heart ſmote him, and he humbly confeſſed and acknowledged he had ſinned greatly and done fooliſhly, and earneſtly begged pardon of the Lord. The Prophet Gad tells him that the Lord was reſolved ſeverely to chaſtiſe him, but yet he would offer him his choice of three judgments, viz. either*In 2 Sam. 24.13. 'tis ſeven years famine; as if God ſhould have ſaid, you have lately ſuffered three years famine for the ſin of Saul againſt the Gibeonites; and this fourth year being a Sabbatical year, hath an harveſt indeed, but for want of ſeed ſown a very poor one, and no ways able to ſupply the neceſſities of the land. Now to theſe four years of famine art thou willing the Lord ſhould add three years of famine more, which will make the famine continue in all upon the land ſeven years. three years famine, or to fly three months before the enemy, who ſhould overtake and ſlaughter his people in the flight) or three days peſtilence (b)Not an ordinary peſtilence ariſing from the infection of the air, but by the immediate ſtroke of an Angel. See 1 Chron. 21.12.. So that the Lord now dealt with David as a Father doth that bringeth forth three or four rods, ſome greater than others (though he means to uſe but one of them, and poſſibly the leaſt) yet thereby he doth the more ſcare his child, and humble him with the fear of his anger; thus the Lord ſhewed three dreadful judgments to David, but yet he manifeſted ſo much gentleneſs and kindneſs as to permit him to chuſe which of them he had rather ſuffer. David upon this meſſage ſaid, I am in a great ſtraight, for theſe are all ſuch ſore judgments that I know not which to chuſe. He knew the Peſtilence might deſtroy as many in three days as the ſword in three months, or the famine in three years, but at laſt he choſe the Peſtilence, and that becauſe he judged it better to fall into the hands of God (c)Like a loving child David chuſes to be chaſtiſed by his Father, rather than by the hand of a ſervant, or a ſlave., (whoſe mercies are great) then into the hands of men. 'Tis true the ſword and famine are ſent by God, yet in them he uſeth other inſtruments beſides, and when the Lord puniſheth by men he uſually ſuffers them to deal with great ſeverity and cruelty, even more than himſelf is wont to deal with when he takes them into his own hand; and this was the main cauſe why David choſe the Peſtilence; yet withal, this is to be obſerv'd, that he choſe ſuch a calamity as would not ſpare the Prince any more than the people. For no antidotes or preſervatives could ſecure him againſt the ſword of the Angel, whereas in war he might have got into ſome ſtrong fort, and in famine might have ſtored up proviſion for himſelf, and ſo have eſcaped; but what fence is there againſt the deſtroying Angel but only the protection of the Almighty. David therefore having choſen that judgment, the Lord ſent a Peſtilence from the morning of that day that Gad came firſt to him until the evening of the third day after, and there died of the people from Dan to Beerſheba ſeventy thouſand. And thus was David puniſhed in the very way wherein he had ſinned. His heart was proud and lifted up becauſe of the number of his people, and now their number is ſadly diminiſhed by this ſore judgment. The Angel went ſtill on deſtroying, and at laſt ſtretched out his hand over Jeruſalem, and as he was going to deſtroy that City, David and the Elders thereof being clothed in ſackcloth lift up their eyes and ſaw the Angel ſtanding between Heaven and Earth (near the threſhing floor of Araunah the Jebuſite) with a drawn ſword in his hand ſtretched out over Jeruſalem, whereupon they fell on their faces, and Araunah and his four Sons ſaw the Angel alſo, and his Sons hid themſelves through fear. Then Then David ſpake to the Lord, ſaying, It is I, O Lord, it is I that commanded the people to be numbred: It is I that have ſinned, but as for theſe ſheep what have they done? Let thy hand I pray thee be on me, and my Fathers houſe, but not on thy people that they ſhould be plagued. Then the Angel commanded Gad to ſpeak to David, that he ſhould preſently ſet up an Altar in the threſhing floor of Araunah, and thereon offer ſacrifices; intimating to him that there was no other way for them to obtain the pardon of their ſins, and the removal of the preſent judgment, but by faith in that propitiatory ſacrifice which their promiſed Meſſias was to offer up for them. The Tabernacle and the Altar of Burnt-offerings was at this preſent at Gibeon, but David could not now go thither for fear of the ſlaughter and dreadful execution that might be made by the Angel in the mean time; therefore no place at preſent was fitter to rear an Altar in than that where the Angel appeared with a drawn ſword; and the Lord it ſeems would have that place as it were conſecrated and endeared to the people by a ſacrifice that ſhould procure a very great bleſſing for them, namely the ſtaying of this raging plague, becauſe he determined in that very place to have his Temple built. See 2 Chron. 3.1. David accordingly went forthwith to Araunah (a)This Araunah or Ornan ſeems to be deſcended of the Royal blood of the Jebuſites, and now was the chief of the Jebuſites that enjoy'd Eſtates in and about Jeruſalem under a Tribute., who ſeeing the King come to him attended with his ſervants, went out towards him, and bowed himſelf to the ground, and ſaid, Wherefore is my Lord the King come unto me? The King ſaid, I am come to buy of thee thy threſhing floor, there to build an Altar to the Lord that the plague may be ſtayed. Araunah anſwered, Let the King freely take it and offer up there what ſacrifices he pleaſes. Behold here be alſo my oxen which thou maiſt take for burnt offerings, and take alſo the wooden inſtruments which are uſed in this work (which being dry will ſoon take fire and expedite the buſineſs) and take wheat alſo for a Meat-offering, I freely give thee all. All theſe did Araunah, as free as a Prince, profer unto David, adding, the Lord graciouſly accept thee and the ſacrifices thou art about to offer. But the King ſaid, Nay, but ſurely I will buy it of thee at a price; neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord of that which coſt me nothing. So David bought of him the threſhing floor, and the oxen, and materials for ſacrifice for fifty ſhekels of ſilver, and David built an Altar there to the Lord, and called upon the Lord, and offered burnt-offerings, which were miraculouſly conſumed by fire from heaven, whereby God teſtified his acceptance of the ſacrifice, and granted his deſire for the ſtaying of the Plague; and the Lord repented (a)That is, did as men do when they repent, viz. ceaſe to proceed on; ſo the Lord ceaſed from puniſhing the people, neither was there any change in Gods Decree; for he decreed to ceaſe puniſhing when he had brought David and the people to unfeigned repentance.him of the evil and puniſhment he had brought upon them; and ſaid to the Angel, It is enough, ſtay now thine hand and put up thy ſword into the ſheath. So the Lord was intreated for the land, and the plague was ſtayed. Then David offered Peace-offerings on the ſame Altar by way of Thanksgiving for ſo great a mercy. And poſſibly God made known to David by Gad at this time that in that very place (b)This was upon mount Moriah, where Abraham intended to have offered up Iſaac, who was a Type of Chriſt.he would have the Temple built, and thereupon David purchaſed of Ornan the whole place or plot of ground, with all the buildings, gardens, and all things belonging to it, containing a large compaſs, and a ſufficient circuit of ground for the building of the Temple upon it, with all the Courts thereof, and for this he gave him ſix hundred ſhekels of Gold, whereas the meer Threſhing-floor with the oxen and materials of Sacrifice coſt him but fifty ſhekels of Silver, as we ſaid before. And poſſibly David might give more for it than the real worth out of his Royal bounty.
2 Sam. Ch. 24. whole Chapter.
1 Chron. Ch. 21. whole Chapter.
SECT. CCV.
DAvid now knowing that this Threſhing-floor of Araunah (which he had purchaſed) was the place where the Temple was to be built, he ſaid of it, This is the houſe of the Lord, and this is the Altar of the Burnt-offering for Iſrael; that is, this is the place of which God long ſince ſpake by his ſervant Moſes that he would have an houſe there built, which ſhould be the ſetled place of his Worſhip, and where there ſhould be an Altar, (not this I have now ſet up but another) whereon only they ſhould offer Sacrifices unto him, ſee Deut. 12.11. Not long after, it ſeems, he received from the Lord by the illumination of his Spirit *Except we may ſuppoſe that this pattern ſet down in writing was brought him by ſome Prophet. See 2 Chr. 29.25., the pattern or model whereby the Temple was to be built, and this he ſet down in a draught or plat-form, and afterwards delivered it to his Son Solomon, as we ſhall ſee, 1 Chron. 28.11, 12, 13. In order therefore to the carrying on of this great work, David prepared materials in great abundance, and called the ſtrangers that were in the land and employ'd them in hewing of ſtone and timber, and ſuch like works. He alſo prepared iron in abundance, and braſs without weight; that is, it was ſo much they would not trouble themſelves to weigh it. Alſo abundance of Cedar-trees which he had from the Tyrians and Zidonians. And he ſaid, Solomon my Son is yet young and tender, and the houſe that is to be built for the Lord muſt be exceeding magnificent, and muſt excell all others †Thus it was in the ſervice it ſelf, and in the ornaments appertaining thereunto. It was one of the worlds wonders. It was far more excellent than the Tabernacle, and in its dimenſions far exceeding it. There were ſome greater Buildings in the world, yet there was never any that had ſuch coſtly materials, ſuch curious workmanſhip, ſuch divine ſervices, ſuch repreſentations of Gods Majeſty and mercy, and which prefigured ſuch Myſtical, Spiritual and Caeleſtial things, as this Temple had., that it may be had in higher honour and eſteem than any other building in the world. And therefore though I may not build it my ſelf, yet I will provide materials for the building of it. And ſo he did in great abundance before his death.
1 Chron. Ch. 22. from v. 1, to 6.