The Throne of David, Treatise · Section 50
II. SAM. Chap. 24. from the 1. Verſe to the 10.
THe generall argument of this Chapter, is the hiſtory of the three daies peſtilence, wherewith God in his juſtice puniſhed his people, for their own ſinnes, but ſpecially for Davids their King, in numbering the people, which may be divided in theſe four particulars. 1. Davids cauſing the numbring of the people, to the 10. verſ. 2. Davids repentance for the ſame, in the 11. verſ. 3. The puniſhment thereof by peſtilence, to the 16. verſ. And 4. The removing of the plague, from the 16. verſ. to the end.
As for the firſt, we ſhall conſider. 1. By whom David was moved to number the people. 2. What he did being moved. 3. Joabs diſſwaſion to David. And 4. Joabs obedience at laſt to Davids command which prevailed.
Firſt then, Verſ. 1. It is ſaid, That the Lord moved David, being angry againſt Iſraell for their ſinnes, which doubtleſs had been great, although not nominated, and for which he is ſaid to be angry, per Anthropopatheiam, whereby humane paſſions are attributed to God, which truly, and properly fall not in his divine offence, but for our capacity, the Scripture ſpeaks to us, in our own language, and attributes to God mans affections. And becauſe anger is the motion of revenge, therefore by compariſon, when God revenges, and executes juſtice, and does thoſe things, which men uſe to do in anger, he is ſaid in Scripture to be angry, and in wrath.
Next, it is ſaid that the Lord moved David, and 1 Chron. 21. 1. It is ſaid that Satan moved David, and we ſhall alſo find that there were inward movers in David himſelfe, that moved him. Firſt then, we ſee that both God, and Satan, had a hand in the work: God by permiſſion, and in a wiſe ordination of it to good, and Satan by ſuggeſtion, and in a malitious intention for evill; God as a judge, in a juſt puniſhment for ſinne, and Satan as an enemy, and an acto…r of ſinne. God then neither works evill, nor by an evill way, but he worketh in evill, derelinquendo & dirigendo, withdrawing his grace, and directing the evill to his glory in the end. As we have ſhewne before in the Lords commanding of Shimei to curſe David. Neither is it any excuſe therefore to Satan, or David, that God moved, nor is any blot in God that Satan moved, acting from divers principles, and for divers ends. That alſo which inwardly moved David, was. 1. Ambition, and pride to know thereby his grandure, in the numeroſity of his ſubjects. 2. Confidence in the arme of fleſh, and multitude of his people. 3. Curioſity, ſeeking to know that which at that time was unneceſſary, as Joab did ſhew him.
Secondly, the thing that David did, being thus moved, is, the numbering of the people, which for a Prince to do, or command to be done, in it ſelf, or for a good end, and upon an neceſſary occaſion, is not unlawfull: the act then offends not, (as we ſee that Iſraell went oftimes under numbring, as Numb. 1. 17. By Moſes himſelf) but it is the mis-action, and the doing thereof not out of a Princely providence, but curioſity, vain confidence and pride, which makes the action vicious and ſinfull.
The third thing is Joabs diſſwaſion, ſeeing the King curious, and the fact dangerous, and this he doth, 1. By a plauſible Exordium praying to God to augment the number of his people a hundred fold, & that David may live to ſee it. 2. He interrogates the cauſe wherein he obſcurely, reprehends the Kings oftentation and curioſity. 3. 1 Chron. 21. 3. He obviates the Kings inſtance, if he ſhould ſay, that it were to try the peoples univerſall, and generall ſubjection thereby. To which Joab anſwers, ſaying, are they not all my Lords ſervants. And 4. he ſhewes the danger of doing this in the ſame place of the Chronicles, ſaying; Why will he be a cauſe of treſpaſſe to Iſrael?
The fourth thing is Joabs obedience at laſt, the Kings word prevailing, the reaſons whereof are theſe. 1. Joab was a wicked man, and though he had declared that it would be a cauſe of treſpaſſe to Iſraell, and therefore unlawfull, yet he diſpenſes with ſinne, and chooſeth rather to obey man than God, as he had done before in the matter of Ʋriah. 2. He was an ambition man, and a crafty cortior, who feared to looſe his place, and that if he did it not, another would be imployed to do it. Therefore he takes his journey. 1. Towards the Eaſt, and paſſing Jordan, enters into the City of Aroer, ſituated on the River Arnon, which enters in the mouth of Jordan, marching the Kingdome of Sihon, ſometime a part of the Land of the Amorreans, at the ſprings of which River Arnon, ſtands this City Jaſir, their he paſt Northward, and entred in Galaad, at a place called Tachtim Hodſhi, which is by interpretation a new Land, whereof no mention is in Joſua. But was after conquered by Saul, 1 Chron. 10. From that he came to the City Dan, which is the Northmarch of Paleſtina, ſituated upon Jordan, and from the North he entred in the Weſtmarches, towards the Mediterranean, and came to Tyre and Sidon, for albeit the ancient inhabitants poſſeſſed the Cities, yet they were in the partage of Aſher and Nepthalim: and from the Weſtmarch, he entered into the South of Judah even to Beerſheba, which divided Judea, from Idumea in Arabia, and ſo compaſſed all the marches of the holy Land, beginning at the Eaſt, towards the North, and from thence to the Weſt, and from thence to the South, and ſo after nine moneths, and twenty dayes came back to Jeruſalem, and gave up the whole number of the people to David, extending to thirteen hundred thouſand men. Which number diſagrees with that which is et down, 1 Chron. 21. 5. Where the number of the men of Iſraell, extends to eleven hundred thouſand, and of Judah onelyonly four hundred threeſcore and ten thouſand, ſo there is addition to the one, and diminution of the other. But this ſeeming contradiction, or diſgreement is thus reconciled, that theſe 300000. which are omitted in Samuel, and added in the Chronicles, are the twelve claſſes of Davids guard that were appointed in their ſeverall vices to attend him monethly, 24000. monethly, as we ſee, 1 Chron. 27. Which joyned together for the twelve moneths, makes, 288000. to which if 12000. of the Princes and Captaines of hundreds and thouſands be added, whereof is mention, Verſ. 16. They make up the compleat number of 1100000. of the men of Iſraell, which are not ſet down in Samuell, becauſe they were well enough known to the King, and as for the number of them, of Judah being 30000. leſſe in the Chronicles. then in Samuell it is anſwered by Interpreters, that in the Chronicles their number is ſet down, as they were after the plague of Peſtilence, and whereof 30000. by that plague were deſtroyed.
OBSERVATIONS.
1. V. 1. BEcauſe after many Victories, and abundance after famine, Iſraell waxed in ſolent, and luxuriouſly wanton, therefore as God had pulled down their pride before by the ſword, and famine, ſo now doth he by the Peſtilence. Whereby we ſee, not onelyonly what varity of rods, God hath to chaſtiſe with: but alſo that renewing of ſinning procures the renewing of puniſhment and correction, as we ſee eſpecially here, and in the book of Judges.
2. Iſraell ſinned, and becauſe Iſraell hath done ſo, therefore David ſhall ſinne, that Iſraell may be puniſhed. The rulers ſinne then is a puniſhment to a wicked people; and if God were not angry with a people, he would not give up their rulers to ſuch ſinnes as whereby he is provoked to vengance, as people therefore ſhould beware to provoke God to anger by their ſinnes, and abuſe of Gods benefits, ſo it is not without cauſe that they are charged to pray, and make ſupplications for all, but eſpecially for thoſe, who are their rulers, and in eminent authority over them, the private well being ever compriſed in the publicke.
3. As is ſhewn to us, 1 Chron. 21. 1. Satan moved David to this ſinne of numbring the people. Which ſo offended God and brought a plague upon them, whereby we obſerve who is the chief tempter to all ſinne, and has been ſo in all ages from the beginning, and therefore is called the tempter: as alſo to what end, he tempts to ſinne, which is to kindle Gods wrath againſt man, and to bring Gods plagues upon man here, and eternall deſtruction upon him hereafter, and therefore he is called a murderer alſo from the beginning, and is an Enemy both to God and man; fy then on fooliſh ſinners, that are ſlaves to ſuch a one.
4. He moves David to ſinne, an eminent perſon, yea, a man according to Gods own heart. Which ſhewes, that Satan dare adventure on the beſt and ſtrongeſt, as he did on our firſt parents in their eſtate of Innocency, and on Chriſt himſelf, and therefore the beſt of men ought to watch, and pray that they be not led by him into temptation, remembring the examples of David here and in the matter of Ʋriah, and of Peter, notwithſtanding of his forewarning by our Saviour. As alſo, that the higher any are in place in Church, or Commonwealth they are in greateſt danger to be tempted, becauſe their fall is moſt ſcandalous, and the occaſion by their example of the fall of many, Majorum ergo ruina, ſit minorum cautela.
5. In Davids ſinne of numbring the people through pride, curioſity, and confidence in the arme of fleſh. We ſee that the Godlieſt whoſoever have their own infirmities, which ſhould keep them watchfull and humble, and that there is no perfection during this life, the faireſt face having its own blemiſh, the cleereſt day its own clouds, and the Godlieſt on Earth, being like Jacobs ſpotted ſheep, and with the Apoſtle, Rom. 7. 24. Having occaſion to cry out, O wretched man that I am who ſhall deliver me from this body of death?
6. Verſ. 3. David a Godly man, yet ſinneth, Joab a wicked man, yet diſſwades from ſinning. Where we obſerve that no man is ſo leud, or wicked, but that ſometimes he will diſlike ſome evill, and it will be abhominable to him, as the Kings word was to Joab, 1 Chron. 21. 6. As on the contrary their is no man on Earth ſo holy, but that ſometimes he may ſinne groſly, but as we ſay, one ſwallow makes not the ſpring, ſo by one onelyonly act, men are not to be Judged, holy or wicked.
7. Joab gives good counſell to David, though he was a wicked man. Where may obſerve, that there are many who can give good counſell to others, for the avoyding of ſome ſinnes, who in groſſer treſpaſſes have not grace to take good counſell themſelves, like the Phariſees who could eſpy the moat in their neighbours eye, and offer to take it out, who would not ſpy, nor let the beam be taken out of their own eye. Such was Joab who counted Davids command to number the people abhominable, (though having no great ſhew of evill) and therefore diſſwaded him therefore: who in the matter of Ʋriah, Abner and Amaſa, could not take good counſell to himſelf from his own heart. Neither let any look, who gives the counſell, but what it is; and if good, not to reject it for him, who gives the ſame, as our Saviour taught the people concerning the Phariſees.
8. Verſ. 4. Notwithſtanding of Joabs good counſell, we ſee that David perſiſts obſtinately in his reſolution, and will have the people numbred, that he might know their number, a fault too ordinary in Princes, who would uſe arbitrary government, and to have their will a Law, as the proverb is; Sic volo, ſic jubeo, ſtat pro ratione voluntas. Whereas their will ſhould be ſubmitted to Gods, and their actions ruled by Law, by which they would have the actions of their ſubjects, and inferiours to be ruled.
9. David not onelyonly ſinnes in commanding the people to be numbred, but alſo in an obſtinate reſolution notwithſtanding of good counſell in the contrary, which therefore brought a plague upon his people. Which ſhewes not only how farre, & foulely the beſt ſometimes may fall and fail: but likewiſe that for the ſinnes of a people, oftimes either the Lord takes away a good Magiſtrate from them, or elſe withdrawes his grace from ſuch, and leaves them to themſelves to commit ſuch ſinnes, as in the Juſtice of God, and for their offences puniſhment is inflicted upon them, as the three years ſamine was for Sauls treſpaſſe againſt the Gibeonites, and Davids here in numbring the people.
10. Notwithſtanding Joabs reſiſtance, unto Davids command at firſt, yet for worldly reſpects, and corrupt ends, againſt knowledge, and conſcience he obeys Davids command at laſt, and prefers obedience to man to the obedience of God, contrary to that worthy ſpeech of Peter, Act. 5. 29. And which teaches us in like manner, that we ſhould in all things obey God rather than man, whereof our Saviour gives the reaſon, becauſe he has power, both of ſoul and body, to caſt both into Hell fire, which no man hath.