David and the Plague

But as the angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented and said to the death angel, “Stop! That is enough!” At that moment the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. --2 Samuel 24:16

As punishment for the census David took, God sent a plague that killed 70,000 of the people of Israel.  When God asked David to choose from three punishment options, this was the option David chose.  Not three years of famine, not three years of war, but instead three years of plague.  David chose plague because the other options would be in the hands of humans, and plague was in the hands of God.  David trusted that God would be more merciful than humans.

Or maybe David didn't really choose.

“I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.”  --2 Samuel 24:14

Whether David was choosing or leaving the choice to God, he is right that God is more merciful to humans.  God is not subject to fear or greed.  Humans make choices based on fear and greed all the time.

I had to go back and reread this story today to see what stopped the plague because we are now in the middle of the COVID-19 plague.  In my memory, it was David's repentance that stopped the plague, but in rereading I see in verse 16 that it stopped because God relented, not because of David's repentance.

I'm not sure how I feel about that.  On the one hand, it means that even if our leaders don't turn to God, God might still have mercy on us and stop the plague.  On the other hand, does that mean there's nothing we can do to get God to stop the plague?

Hebrew story-telling isn't exactly linear, and so although verse 16 says God simply stopped the plague, verse 25 seems to say otherwise:

David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped. --2 Samuel 24:25

Did God simply relent, or did God relent because of David's prayer and sacrifice?  Which came first?  How does this work?  We need to know before more people die of this plague.

It is not clear which came first in 2 Samuel 24 and it is not always entirely clear for us.  David knew what he needed to do, though, and he did it.  David trusted in God's mercy, and he demonstrated that trust through his prayer and sacrifice.  Whether that prompted God's mercy, or was in response to God's mercy, we may never know.

So what are we to do?  The same.  Keep on trusting and turning to Jesus.  Keep on asking God for mercy and forgiveness, keep on sacrificing through our giving and serving and helping.  Keep on doing all we can do to love one another.

Our alternative is to trust in ourselves alone and that will never do.  But with God's help, all things are possible.  Thanks be to God.