“Now again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, ‘Go, number Israel and Judah.’”
David’s census, of course, was a sin. Verse 10 states: “Now David’s heart troubled him after he had numbered the people. So 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 acted very foolishly.’” So, how could it be David’s sin, when yet it was God who had incited David to commit the sin? There’s more. 1 Chronicles 21:1-2 states: “Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel. So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, ‘Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me word that I may know their number.’” So, not only was the census a sin, for which David himself took the blame, and not only was it God who incited David to commit this sin, but it was also Satan who moved David to sin.
What do Calvinists believe?
God ordained David’s sin. Satan was the instrument through which David was tempted and carried out God’s will for David to sin. The decree of God both establishes “second causes” and the responsibility of those individuals who commit the sinful acts that God decrees for the ultimate manifestation of His glory.
Our reply:
There is a similar passage in the Book of Job which reveals a more sensible way to understand what is actually going on. According to Job 2:7, the devil harmed Job, and at Job 2:3, God says that He harmed Job: “…you incited Me against him, to ruin him without cause.” Sound familiar? However, the context reveals that what actually happened was that God had taken personal responsibility for having granted permission to the devil to harm Job, though with certain restrictions. So God took responsibility for allowing it, but that doesn’t mean that God was in agreement with the devil, or that He wanted the devil to succeed against Job, in getting him to doubt God. Instead, here is what we know from the text: God was angry with Israel’s sin, and Satan brought his usual accusation before God and makes his usual demand to be allowed to harm someone. (Job 1:11-12; Luke 22:31-32) Since God was angry with Israel and sees a benefit in bringing judgment upon it in order to motivate it toward repentance and restoration, He allows Satan to do as he asks. Whereas Satan was a willing party to harm Israel, God was a reluctant party to permit it, knowing that Israel had to experience the judgment that it brought upon itself, like a reluctant parent having to discipline their beloved child in order to instill good moral character. In this way, the entire matter is resolved, and without impugning the character of God.
[This post has been excerpted with permission from Richard Coords, Calvinism Answered Verse by Verse and Subject by Subject, © 2024.]
