Old Testament Numbers.

I wonder if someone could explain these two verses in the Bible for me?

Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to count the people of Israel.
I Chronicles 21:1

And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
II Samuel 24:1


Now we're told that Yaweh got pretty annoyed at David for numbering the Israelites. But why? Samuel seems to suggest that he told David to hold the census. But then we have Chronicles telling us that it was Satan who incited David to make the count.
I'm not suggesting that Yaweh and Satan are one and the same, but I don't understand how the god of the OT could tell David to do the same thing that Satan has already suggested. And I don't understand why he would punish David and the tribes afterwards for only doing as they're told.

I guess there could be some question that "moved David against them" might not mean that he actually ordered him to number. But then that would make it even worse wouldn't it? It would mean that Yaweh did exactly the same as Satan and "incited" David to his actions.




[edit on 5-2-2005 by Leveller]

The Census was bad becasue David with his "idle hands of the devil" wanted to count them all to see how many troops he had, it was a way to see how powerful he was based on possessions. He should have known that ever since he fought goliath it isn't skill or the number of fighting men you have that wins wars, but the grace of God that allows you to win. If you have God on your side, you will never lose.

There are points in the bible that God reduced the number of fighting men to the point it would take a miracle to win a battle. Which was a way to reveal how powerful the God of Isreal was. The Walls of Jericho falling, Moses and the hebrws agaisnt the Amalekites, and many others

Originally posted by Leveller
I wonder if someone could explain these two verses in the Bible for me?

Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to count the people of Israel.
I Chronicles 21:1

Satan stood up against Israel = problem
and (in response) incited David to count (taking 'inventory', or evaluation of the public morale- a poll more or less, also a count as in a 'census') the people of Israel. = response/solution??

And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.
II Samuel 24:1

...and he (YHWH?) moved David against them...
to say, Go ...number Israel and Judah.

->again, Israels' God, was using the Kingdom government to put the
citizen-subjects on edge, as the 'watchdog', 'big-brother' equivelent was being leveled against the 12 tribes...making them very cautious & introspective and aware that they were being 'scruitinized' by the King David government and that God entity too.

Now, thats how i read it....
not that this explaination is a true or factual explaination, of reality,,,
it is only a subjective interpetation,,,

of course yours may be more correct