Once again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. “Go and count the people of Israel and Judah,” the LORD told him. So the king said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Take a census of all the tribes of Israel—from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south—so I may know how many people there are.” But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God let you live to see a hundred times as many people as there are now! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this?” But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab and the commanders of the army went out to count the people of Israel…
Having gone through the entire land for nine months and twenty days, they returned to Jerusalem. Joab reported the number of people to the king. There were 800,000 capable warriors in Israel who could handle a sword, and 500,000 in Judah. But after he had taken the census, David’s conscience began to bother him. And he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, LORD, for doing this foolish thing.”
2 Samuel 24:1–4, 8-10 NLT
Joab’s relcutant obedience helped David to see his error.
To Joab, son of Zeruiah, Commander of the Armies,
Your words have reached my heart, and in the quiet of this chamber, your letter lies before me, its ink barely dry, yet its message etching deeply into my soul. I write to you now, a king humbled, a shepherd reminded of his first love.
Joab, in your words I have seen a mirror of my own failings. I have sought security in numbers, forgetting that our true strength lies in the Lord. How easily the heart strays, seeking solace in the tangible, in the countable, forgetting that our God is beyond measure, beyond number. Your reminder of my own song [1], sung in days of youthful faith, now rebukes me. I sought to measure my kingdom, not realizing I was weighing my own heart in the scales of heaven.
I confess, not just to you, but to the God of our fathers, that I have sinned. I sought solace in the very things I once knew could never grant true peace. I have sought success and security outside of Him who granted me every victory, every blessing. My actions, though meant for the strength of our nation, now cast a shadow upon it. I stand here, a king who has erred, a shepherd who has lost his way.
Your words, Joab, are the very words I needed to hear, yet dreaded to acknowledge. For in them lies the reflection of my folly, a folly that, as you rightly say, bears consequences not just upon me but upon this nation I lead. A nation whose fate is intertwined with the obedience and faith of its king. In seeking to build, I have risked tearing down. In seeking to protect, I have exposed us to greater peril. The weight of this realization is a burden no crown can lighten.
As dawn breaks, I will seek the Lord’s face, for only in His mercy can we find refuge. I ask of you, Joab, bear with me in this time. Continue in your loyalty, not to me, but to the throne that the Lord has established. Pray for me, that I may yet be the king this nation needs, a king after God’s own heart.
In repentance and hope,
David, son of Jesse
We are down to the more challenging part. Share with your friends “How would the godliness of both leaders and followers intertwine their fate together?”
[1] David sang “Delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart” in Psalm 37:4
(from Steve)
How the godliness of both leaders intertwine their fate together, I’m not sure if I’m understanding today’s devotion or not but I believe it’s good for both leaders to hold each other accountable but it’s also the same thing Bumbles sermon mentioned about how the church relied solely on one leader and when that leader failed the whole church crumbled without him. So as far as I understand having no one to depend on to help you in case you’re unable to move forward on your own is very crucial.
I say Godliness in both leader and follower may intertwine is just because you are leading does not mean there’s no room for more. You have yet to embody everything of Christ. A leader Can to learn from their follower. Working together will help align the two together. After all God does call us to be one. Speaking of how we all have our own responsibilities that contribute to the entirety of Christ’s body. The title is a just a descriptor of where that person’s walk is with God. It does not make anyone better than the other. Doing this will require humility from the leader and an openness to listen and not just speak. But ultimately, if we are pursuing Christ, we are seeking the same things that the Lord wants for us.
It’s commendable that David eventually realized the error of his ways in seeking to count the people to boast about Israel’s strength. As leaders, we can easily become fixated on numbers, such as the size of our congregation, and lose sight of the fact that we all serve one God and one Kingdom, with all glory belonging to Him. It’s crucial not only to have godly leaders but also godly church members who are equipped to grow and mature in their faith. They can then hold leaders accountable and scrutinize God’s Word to ensure they are not blindly following the wrong teaching. Satan often targets leaders, knowing that if they fall, the congregation may follow suit. Therefore, it’s imperative that we collectively fix our eyes on God, continually pray for our leaders, and remain vigilant together, avoiding complacency and staying awake to the challenges that may arise.
From Teri
As seen in this story when David instructed Joab to take the census, Joab questioned David why he wanted to do that as it would anger the Lord.
In this example we see that the follower Joab was questioning his leader David when he saw that David was doing something that would disappoint God.
In a church for example, as members we should question the leaders as Joab did if the leaders engage in activities or make decisions that may not align with God. There should be open communication between the leaders and members, and that there is accountability. Leaders, as human are sinful in nature. Therefore, to be great leader, they should be held accountable for their actions and are willing to make changes if necessary to be more align with God.
The godliness of both leaders and their followers can intertwine their faith together with accountability and understanding of one another. I think that the godliness means their devout faith in the Lord and how they worship him in that way. In all relationships, we must have accountability in order for growth. In this case their growth is in their faith and how they can intertwine them. In today’s letter, David expresses that he reached an understanding with Joab about the decisions that he has made lately and Joab’s warning to him. David states how he “sought to measure my kingdom, not realizing I was weighing my own heart in the scales of heaven.” David reaches an understanding, one that probably could not have been reached if Joab did not keep him accountable. Joab also reminds David of how he used to worship God through faith when he was more “youthful.” I appreciate how David has taken accountability for his sins and that he will work to become “a king after God’s own heart.”
Their faith becomes intertwined because both roles are seeking God once again. This is beautiful to see as the king lays his loyalties back down to the Lord. He sets an example for his followers of how to be brought back to his faith. We are shown how David has become a devout follower of God as he was before.
Followers of God will obey God and help others understand God. Leading others to see his love and mercy for them. I think of it the saying “the more we hangout with someone the more we start to look like them”. You would start to act similar to each other, the saying other others would pop into our mind when there are decisions we have to make etc. The actions of the follower would follow the leader. So if the leader were to lead but it is not the right way then both people since the follower is only following the leader that would make them both lost.
For the question of how the godliness of the leader and the follower are destined to work together, it occurred to me yesterday. I think that follower should actively communicate with the leader. My question yesterday raised some questions. So I asked the people around me. If you have a question, you should ask it, not solve it yourself. I think active communication is the key. And always be humble.