The next morning the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, who was David’s seer. This was the message: “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’ ” So Gad came to David and asked him, “Will you choose three years of famine throughout your land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and decide what answer I should give the LORD who sent me.” “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.” So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel that morning, and it lasted for three days. A total of 70,000 people died throughout the nation, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south. 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 24:11–16 NLT
Below is David’s letter to Joab, asking him to convey his response to Gad the prophet.
To Joab, Commander of the Armies,
In the stillness of this hour, with the turmoil within my soul, I pen these heavy words. I have stood before Gad, the prophet of the Lord, and from his lips fell choices, each a harbinger of sorrow for our people.
Joab, three paths lay before us, each a valley of shadows. The first, a famine from heaven spanning three harrowing years, would bring untold suffering to the most vulnerable among us – the poor, the elderly, our children. Their cries for bread, their gaunt faces, haunt my thoughts.
The second path, defeat at the hands of our enemies for three months, threatens not just the loss of life but the dignity of our people. It risks tarnishing the Lord’s reputation among the nations, casting a shadow over the sovereignty He has bestowed upon Israel under the weight of foreign banners.
The third, a plague of three days, though brief, carries the weight of an immediate and massive loss of life. This dire option is a direct judgment of the Almighty, not marred by the failures of man’s economy or the whims of political tides. I can hear the wailing on the streets, home after home.
In each of these, I see the hand of God, just and unyielding. I see my failure as the shepherd of Israel. My heart is rent with sorrow, for my actions have endangered the flock. Yet, within His judgment, I find myself seeking the thread of His mercy. For is it not His mercy that has delivered me from Goliath, guided us to escape from Saul, established the monarchy, and spared our lives from the rebels?
In this dark hour, I find myself drawn not to the counsel of men, but to the merciful embrace of the Almighty. “On every side I am grieved! Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands!” [1] In His judgment, let us find His grace. It is a choice born of anguish, yet wrapped in the hope of His compassion.
Convey my words of choice above to Gad. It is with a heart heavy yet contrite that I accept the path the Lord has ordained. And pray for us, for our people, that in His mercy, the Lord might relent and spare us the full measure of His wrath.
In faith and trembling,
David
Happy Thanksgiving, if you prefer you can complete this on Saturday; otherwise, share with your friends: “When David replied to Gad, ‘On every side I am grieved! Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands!’ Which choice did David explicitly select or which choices did he imply? Explain your reasoning.”
[1] 2 Samuel 24:14
For the answer of the confusing parts in this chapter, Daryl Dash explained it pretty well here.
(from Roger)
When David explained on “every side I am grieved!”, I believe that what he meant was that no matter which outcome he chose, he knew he had failed his kingdom due to his sin and that no course of action would protect his people. When he says, “let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands,” I believe he chose none of the options laid out by God. He finally realized that he had acted out in self-will or ego in asking for the census and when told by Gad, what God had asked of him, his faith and reliance upon God once again grew strong and he knew that salvation would occur as long as he had faith. That is why none of the 3 outcomes befell Israel and his lands and why God finally showed mercy when he did. This is my interpretation of the passage. Happy Thanksgiving all. This is the first holiday season I’ve spent clean in over 13 years and only the second within the last 26 years. (I was clean once while in jail). I have much to be thankful for and you guys definitely are amongst my blessings. See u guys Sunday. Happy Thanksgiving again! God is good.
The choice to be harried by enemies is obviously to put your fate in the hand of men so that’s not David’s choice.
The other two are both under God’s providence. However, one is less “fair” I think then the other. When there is mass famine the rich will still be fine because they can weather it given their wealth.
The last one is most democratic. Plague is more likely to affect everyone no matter their stations. God then would be completely in control where He would choose those He takes.
Of course you can argue that those with best access to medical treatment would more likely to survive.
I think that’s more true in the modern time. When COVID hit us, the most wealthy as better chance. But ultimately this punishment is the one where God’s grace & mercy will best be seen.
I think when David’s called out to put His and Israel welfare in the hands of God, he is likely choosing the plague. But maybe he didn’t explicitly say it because He wanted to let God make even this choice!
He chose to fall into the hands of the Lord in his explicit choice to choose God in his response to God. It emphasizes how he not only wants to choose God, but also seek accountability in that. Even in his “failure as the shepherd of Israel” he chooses to fall into God’s grace in his words and actions
Niki
“On every side I am grieved! Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands!”
David reasoning:
First choice with the 3 years of famine would bring untold suffering to the most vulnerable among us – the poor, the elderly, our children.”
The second choice of 3 months of running away from enemies “risks tarnishing the Lord’s reputation among the nations” and David said he doesn’t want to fall into the hands of the enemies.
“The third, a plague of three days, though brief, carries the weight of an immediate and massive loss of life. This dire option is a direct judgment of the Almighty, not marred by the failures of man’s economy or the whims of political tides. I can hear the wailing on the streets, home after home.”
In David ‘s reasoning, he thinks God will do the third one, the 3 days of because it “carries this dire option is a direct judgment of the Almighty”. David said he will accept the path the Lord has already ordained. Seems like David knows which one God will do, but he is also praying along that in His mercy, the Lord might relent and spare the full measure of His wrath. I can’t believe 70,000 people died! But God stopped and had mercy for Jerusalem…on what day did God stop? Regardless I am reminded again that in God’s wrath, we have hope in the one that will pay the price for our sins. Every time God shows mercy to his people, that punishment gets put on the saving power and grace of Jesus taking our punishment for our sins because that’s God’s beautiful plan of his love for his people and he will remember mercy. Better is one day in his courts than thousand years elsewhere!
Happiest Thanksgiving! I am most thankful of course for Steve and my kids that God uses them to shape and mold me to be more like Christ. And I am so thankful to have joined this group in doing this devotional series with the stories of David. I learn a lot about God from reading your devotionals. Most importantly God is teaching me a lot about myself and what his plans for me and my family. To love others as He loves us. 💕
When I first read the passage, I thought that David let the Lord choose which out of the three options He wanted. However, as I read and analyze David’s reply to Gad, I noticed he said, “Let US fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands!’ He did in fact choose an option and he chose the option where THEIR mercy would be of the Lord’s and not decided by human hands. For the first option, In a famine, the wealthiest and most fit will survive aka David the King and his family. His family could seek resources and avoid death. The second is fleeing from their enemies. David has soldiers that will fight for him as they have already been battling their enemies before. He would survive once again as he is equipped for this. However, the third is a plague. In a plague, like Covid but more severe, anyone can get it. It could kill anyone. The rich, poor, anyone. This is the only option where as David said that he laid his fate into the Lord’s hands.
it becomes evident that David opted for the third choice, entrusting himself to the mercy of the Lord. Verse 14, David articulates his decision: “Let us now fall into the hand of tIhe Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”
This verse highlights David’s preference to place himself in the hands of the Lord, emphasizing the greatness of the Lord’s mercies. This demonstrates David’s confidence in God’s compassion and willingness to forgive. David’s choice reflects his comprehension of God’s character, underscoring his desire to seek God’s mercy and grace instead of facing the consequences solely at the hands of human authorities. Consequently, we can reasonably conclude that David chose to rely on the Lord’s mercy and grace in this particular situation.
In our lives, discerning which choices are better when they all seem good or bad can indeed be challenging. Similar to David, we may not always have a clear answer. The key lies in our relationship with God and our understanding of His character, just as David knew God well.
As we deepen our knowledge of God through prayer, studying His Word, and seeking His guidance, we can gain wisdom and discernment. God’s Word serves as a compass, helping us navigate life’s complexities and distinguish between what aligns with His will and what doesn’t.
However, it’s natural to feel apprehensive when God confronts certain aspects of our lives, even if they may seem good on the surface. These could be the “idols of our heart” that we’re reluctant to let go of. Yet, as we grow in our faith and understanding of God’s love and purpose for us, we may come to realize that His plans are always better than our own.
In today’s reading, we know that David didn’t want to fall into human hands, which will clearly rule out punishment #2-being defeated by his enemies. This may also rule out punishment #1 about the 3 years of famine. This will leave them in a vulnerable state for enemy attack. Then that leaves punishment #3-the 3 days of plague. This reflects David’s request of falling into the hands of the Lord. 70,000 people died out of 1,300,000 from the census taken, which is about 18.5% of the population. This numbers show God’s mercy. More people could have died. He stopped the people from the full wrath of their sins. I am grateful for Jesus for He bared the full wrath of our sins. We are redeemed because He paid the full cost and we can experience God’s mercy.
For David, all 3 choices are equally as bad. But David knows that no matter what choices he is going to make, he knows the best option is to “fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great”. He knows that he failed as a king and has sinned against the Lord. But he also knows that God is merciful to forgive for his wrongdoing. For it is the same mercy and grace that God sent His one and only son to die on the cross for all of our sins so that we can have eternal life. Despite the hard choices to face the consequences of his sins, David chose to anchor his faith in God. And we see how God stopped the angel before the angel reached Jerusalem. So yea I don’t think David implicitly chose anything other than to trust in God for Gos is merciful and just.