“When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd, have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.””
2 Samuel 24:17 (NIV)
What was the shepherd’s sin?
Where is the sin in taking a census of the fighting men?
It seems clear that taking the census was the sin – but I don’t remember seeing “Do not count your fighting men.” listed in the 10 commandments.
Consider Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” and Isaiah 31:1 “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.” and Micah 5:10,11 “In that day,” declares the LORD, “I will destroy your horses from among you and demolish your chariots. I will destroy the cities of your land and tear down all your strongholds.”
Self reliance - which is linked to pride – is trusting in human strength instead of the Lord’s strength and is a dreadful sin against God. God delivers us from this state of pride by stripping away all those things we rely on. He brings us into a place where we trust in Him and Him alone, the place that David was in on that threshing floor all those years ago, the same place that Paul was in as he pleaded for God to take away the thorn in his flesh, and received an answer that God’s power is made perfect in weakness. He brings us to this place of pure trust by stripping away those things we rely on.
As we consider this passage which describes the sheep suffering for the sin of the shepherd let us turn our minds towards the Great Shepherd who suffered for the sin of the sheep, and let us trust Him and only Him to equip us with what we need to do His will. Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen
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