What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 21:7? This command was also evil in the sight of God • The “command” refers to David’s order to number Israel and Judah (1 Chron 21:1–2). Though a census is not sinful in itself (Numbers 1:2; Luke 2:1–3), David’s motive was rooted in self-reliance and pride. He wanted to measure military strength instead of trusting the LORD who had repeatedly delivered Israel “not by might, nor by power” (Zechariah 4:6). • Scripture labels the act “evil” because God alone defines good and evil (Genesis 2:17; Isaiah 5:20). David’s heart motive violated God’s command that kings depend on Him, not numbers (Deuteronomy 17:16–20; Psalm 20:7). • Joab’s objection (1 Chron 21:3) shows the sin was obvious to those who feared God. Refusing wise counsel deepened the wrongdoing (Proverbs 12:15; 15:22). • “Also” connects this sin to earlier failures in Israel’s history; it was another chapter in a long story of human rebellion contrasted with divine faithfulness (Judges 2:11–15). so He struck Israel • Divine displeasure moved from verdict to action. God’s holiness demands that sin be judged (Habakkuk 1:13). In this case His discipline took the form of a devastating plague (1 Chron 21:14). • The nation suffered because its leader sinned; Scripture often links a leader’s choices to corporate consequences (Joshua 7:1, 11; 2 Samuel 24:15). This underscores both the seriousness of leadership and the interconnectedness of God’s people (1 Corinthians 12:26). • Yet even judgment revealed mercy: God limited the angel’s hand before Jerusalem was destroyed (1 Chron 21:15–16), mirroring His pattern of remembering mercy in wrath (Lamentations 3:22–23; James 2:13). • The blow awakened repentance. David confessed, “I have sinned greatly” (1 Chron 21:8) and offered sacrifices on Araunah’s threshing floor, where God stopped the plague—a location that became the temple site (2 Chron 3:1). Judgment thus prepared the way for deeper worship and future blessing (Hebrews 12:10–11). summary 1 Chronicles 21:7 teaches that God views motives as well as actions, labels prideful self-reliance evil, and responds with righteous discipline that ultimately leads His people back to humility and worship. |
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