Enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many
there are (2 Samuel 24:2).
This is one of those
times when the writer neglects to share with us the details that must have been
obvious to him. Why was it a problem for David to count his fighting men?
When we read the
account of David, we can only be amazed at his win-loss record. I haven’t
counted up his wins, but I can tell you how many fights he lost. None.
Why did he always
win? Was it because his vast army outnumbered his foes? No. There are plenty of
occasions when David led the smaller fighting force, but still managed to pull
out a victory. Was it because he was better equipped? No. Many of his enemies
had chariots. Fighting primarily in the hill country, David didn’t see their
value. For the most part, his men were foot soldiers.
David always won.
Why? It wasn’t because of numbers; it wasn’t because of weaponry; it was
because God was on his side.
So what was the
problem?
David counted his
soldiers because he wanted to know if he had enough men to defeat any enemy
that might rear its head. For the first time in his life, David was putting his
faith in his own strength, and his own resources, rather than in the presence
of God.
TODAY’S MEDITATION
Do you count your money and
take inventory of your bills before deciding whether or not you can trust God?
Reflect on God’s faithfulness.
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