Who is the “he” who incited David against Israel to take the
census? In context, it seems the
antecedent is God but this was an evil thing in the eyes of God so it must be
someone else, leaving only one real option, satan. The taking of a census wasn’t forbidden but
it showed either one of two things, a lack of trust in the Lord and dependence
on numerical strength or David’s complacency which was also a sign of lack of
trust in God. David is given three
choices for the punishment of this sin and chooses to fall into the hands of
God rather than men because God is merciful while men may not be. Does that choice, again, reflect David as
failing to see God’s sovereignty?
David’s sin cost 70,000 men their lives, destroying whatever numerical
advantage he may have perceived himself to have. He would have to rely on God rather than his
massive army in the future. The
threshing floor of Araunah is thought to be the site of Mount Moriah, which
will become the site of the temple. It
is fitting then that David offered sacrifice here. Remember the Foundation Stone I talked about
a few weeks ago, that would be in this location.
What do you do with Jesus?
That is the pressing question in everyone’s mind. He makes the statement here that He is the
light of the World and that would certainly be an offensive claim. The light of the world is the original light
of creation, the light that “came on” when God said, “Let there be light.” In Jewish thought that light allowed a person
to see from one end of space and, therefore, time, to the other. It is the light by which God sees all things
in space and time. That light had to be
hidden because of sin, wicked men could use the insight thus gained to make a
mess of things. The Torah was given to
the Jews as light that was only for those who would take up its study, that is
why David says it is a lamp for his feet, a light unto his path. When Simeon sees the baby Jesus in Luke 2 he
proclaims Him to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, thus Jesus isn’t a light
only for the Jews. When Jesus says that
those who follow Him will have the light of life and will not walk in darkness,
He sets Himself over against the Torah itself.
Here, in the temple courts, Jesus lays claim not to having the light,
but being the light.
Paul writes to the Galatians that all who have put on Christ
by faith are Abraham’s offspring, there is no longer any distinction of race,
class or gender among them. For a man
who grew up believing that only the Jews had the light, only they were chosen
by God and whose entire life was determined by the distinction of race or
ethnicity to write these words required a radical transformation of the
mind. The fundamental way in which Paul
understood the world and his place in it was changed on the road to
Damascus. David’s census was motivated
by an us against them mentality, and in that world, it might feel good to take
a census of your people until you realize that there are always going to be
more of them than there are of us. If,
however, you realize that the addition of One to that number makes the numbers
meaningless, your reason for the census goes away. In Jesus, there is no us against them, it is
us for them and us is simply those who believe.
The elementary principles of the world are those important principles
illuminated by the Law, in the light of Christ, we see these to be only the
beginning of understanding and wisdom, not their fulfillment. His light is superior in every respect.
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