Bad Call

So David said to Joab and to the leaders of the people, “Go, number Israel from Beersheba to Dan, and bring the number of them to me that I may know it.” And Joab answered, “May the Lord make His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why then does my lord require this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt in Israel?” (1 Chronicles 21:2-3)

Why was it wrong for David to call for a census? How come Joab advised David against it, saying that it would cause him to be “a cause of guilt in Israel?”

The act of having a census was not wrong in itself. We saw how God Himself had commanded the Israelites to be counted during an earlier time of Israel’s history, when He said “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel…” (Numbers 1:2).

However, David’s motive behind the act of calling for a census had caused him to sin against God. His attitude and the purpose behind the census was the cause of wrong. David wanted to know how many Israelites he had who were able to draw the sword, so he could glory in the extent of his reign. All the while, God has been behind all of David’s victories in battle. But now, David’s pride has moved him to rely on something more “tangible” – a statistic of his military strength. He may have intended to use the number of his standing army in a rhetoric manner to amplify or exaggerate his military prowess, forgetting that the battle had always belonged to the Lord.

Israel was a theocratic nation. Instead of relying on God’s protective care and His divine providence, David has shifted his trust towards his own military strength. Having a census may have been David’s first step to prepare for a military draft. It seemed that God’s plan for Israel was to have a citizen army, rather than a large standing army, so that Israel would trust in the Lord for His deliverance in their battles.

Joab has proved himself to be more prudent than David during this instance. However, “the king’s word prevailed against Joab” (1 Chronicles 21:4), although “the king’s word was abominable to Joab” (1 Chronicles 21:6).

This story comes as an important reminder to us. Sometimes, our subordinate may be wiser in advising us against our follies. It takes a humble attitude to listen and take heed to a person who may be younger, newer, or of a lower status. If only David had listened to Joab, he would not have sinned or brought great affliction to his people. The Israelites were greatly punished because of the king’s misdeed.