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Our modern society thinks primarily about themselves and their own well being.
Children are often not taught responsibility, especially in regards to taking responsibility for one's actions.
This tendency to point the finger and clear ourselves of blame is in every child. I remember when my kids were young, if a problem happened, I would ask them about it. 99% of the time, the fingers would point from one child to the other. "It's HIS fault!", "No! HE did it!" And so it would go.
A parents, we don't want to see our children blamed. This following is a true story: A teacher reported to a parent that her son cut the hair of the girl sitting in front of him. The parent automatically assumed that the teacher was out to get her son, and responded with, "Well, you shouldn't have allowed the children to have scissors!"
Our modern society even seems to encourage this. Two people are caught in the act of committing a crime, but one is given a slightly lesser sentence because he (or she) is willing to divulge information on the other one. Don't get me wrong, this strategy has served to get heinous criminals off the streets; yet it is another example of society encouraging us to point the finger at other people.
King David is a breath of fresh air when it comes to this kind of an attitude.
The story is found in 2 Samuel Chapter 2: “Now the anger of the Lord burned against Israel again, and He incited David against them to say, ‘Go, count Israel and Judah.’” (2 Samuel 24:1 NAB). When David complies, however, it results in punishment for all of Israel.
Now I don’t pretend to understand all of this story, for in our day and age taking a census doesn't seem like such a heinous crime. There were, however, very specific rules in Israel for taking a census: "The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying, 'When you take a census of the sons of Israel to count them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you count them, so that there will be no plague among them when you count them." (Exodus 30:11-12 NASB). This ransom was to support the temple: "And you shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and give it for the service of the tent of meeting, so that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves." (Exodus 30;16 NASB).
There is, however, no record in 2 Samuel 24 that this ransom money was collected, and we know that, "David’s heart troubled him after he had counted the people." (2 Samuel 24:10a NASB)!
God then sent the prophet Gad with a message for David, giving him basically three punishment options: Seven years of famine; three months of running from enemies, or three days of plague. David chose the three days of plague (See 2 Samuel 24:13-14), and what is interesting here is that in Exodus 30:12, God specifically says, "so that there will be no plague among them when you count them." This leads us to believe that perhaps the punishment was because there was no ransom money collected.
Whatever the reason, the plague came, 70,000 Israelis were cut down (See 2 Samuel 24:15), and David felt terrible: "Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel who was striking down the people, and said, Behold, it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s house!'” (2 Samuel 24:17 NASB).
The interesting part of this story is that we know already why all of this had to happen. It I recorded in verse 1: "Now the anger of the Lord burned against Israel again..." (2 Samuel 24:1a NASB)! Sure David didn't collect the ransom money, but the whole point was to provide a punishment for erring Israeli nation! Nonetheless, we see David falling to his feet and crying out, "...it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let Your hand be against me and against my father’s house!"
This reminds me of Someone else who was willing to take the fall for something He had not even done: "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrew 4:15 NASB) . Nonetheless, He "... was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him..." (Isaiah 53:5 NASB)!
Is something bad happening? Is it possible that you will be blamed? Why not follow the example of King David -- and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Don't be so quick to point the finger away from yourself! Instead love one another enough to be willing -- take the blame!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
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