I haven’t written a running conversation in a long time. This has been a conversation that has been running over the phone for a long time and I never heard it, until God opened my eyes. Yes, I finally heard what has been said when I read again in 2 Samuel 24: Again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”
Written in 1 Chronicles 21:1 Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.
Two different books of the Bible with the same story; in one place it says God incited David to number Israel and in the other it says Satan incited David. Which one is it? God or Satan?
Same Results
When we read down a little further in both writings of the same account, we find that the results are the same. No matter who issued the citation, the result was repentance and worship.
Second Samuel 24:10 But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.
First Chronicles 21:8 And David said to God, “I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”
Repentance
However you read it or frame it, whether you read it as God or Satan that caused David to take the census, it was displeasing to God. Whichever lens or chapter we look through, the results, to get things straightened out are the same, repentance and worship.
Recorded in 2 Samuel 24:25 And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.
Written in 1 Chronicles 21:26 And David built there an altar to the Lord and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings and called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering.
Good and evil exist in close proximity.Thinking of our lives with an angel on one shoulder and Satan on the other is unrealistic. Seeing it in cartoons makes good and evil seem cute and a little funny. The world is not good or evil. They exist together. To say this world is evil takes away the beauty and the words that God spoke when He created it, He said it was good.
Good and Evil Is No Joke
I can think of too many times we felt led by God to do this or that and it didn’t go well and it wasn’t simple or comical. Sometimes it went glorious and encouraged our faith. Other times, the exact place or thing we felt led by God was a complete disaster, and increased our faith. Life is not that black and white, good and evil, separated right down the middle.
Circling back to the original question, was it Satan or God that incited David to take the census. This is a weird way to say it, but I perhaps they worked together. That would explain why one book says God incited him and the other book, in the same Bible says Satan incited him.
Was That Good Or Evil?
The Spirit of God, led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, is that good or evil? Can we call Judus a disciple of Jesus, or a betrayer? Upon refection of stories in the Bible and stories in our lives, sometimes it’s really hard to draw a line of good or evil; they seem to work together. Romans 8:28 says: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
All things, good and evil, working together for good, for those of us that love God is a humbling thought.
Why is God Talking to Satan?
Job 1:7-8 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”
Learning from Job, fast forward forty-two chapters of Job going through hell and the conclusion is written in Job 42:1-6.
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”
Let God Deal With The Devil
Therefore, we don’t even need to address Satan. Satan is not our judge or advocate, Jesus is. I hear people rebuking Satan and talking about evil. Jesus rebuked Peter and called him Satan when he was spouting off with his own agenda. But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”(Matthew16:23) Jesus is God and can handle Satan and all his evil ways. All our focus and communication should be with God. Satan is not worthy of our thoughts and attention and especially not our words. God is worthy of all our praise and attention. Let God deal with the devil.
The best way to handle evil and let God deal with it is to stay awake and aware, to watch and pray. Just like Jesus told his disciples, before evil came to take him away. He wanted His disciples to stay awake and pray so they didn’t enter into temptation.
Dealing With Evil
It’s no secret that good and evil both exist. The mystery is God and His ways. Trusting God and trusting that He is in control over both, good and evil. Responding to knowing God and knowing this about Him will always result in repentance and worship. David and Job, faced evil in their lives. Through different circumstances they landed with the same conclusion; Holy God!! Neither David or Job defended or blamed evil by saying, the devil made me do it, or the devil did it to me. They ended in awe of God and repentance.
Deep and Wide
Finally, the response to good and evil is repentance (turning to God) and worship (kneeling before God). All roads, good and evil, lead to good for those that love God and are called according to His purpose. God is good and may lead us to face evil. Facing evil makes us recognize just how good God is.
