Satan is God’s Tool
In this episode of Clearly, we wrestle through 1 Chronicles 21:1-8 and compare it with 2 Samuel 24:1. We’re talking about wrath, satan, and God sending an evil spirit to torment someone. While that might make you dolorous (Jimmy likes big words), this stuff's in your Bible, so let’s work through it!
The Short Story:
Satan incited David to count the people in the Israelite military👎. David’s man Joab knew this was wrong and so hated the task that he didn’t even finish counting the last two tribes. God was displeased with David’s census and therefore brought consequences against Israel. David repented for his sin and anticipated even more judgment. Oh yeah! And here’s the kicker…This whole thing (even the naughty bit from David) was God’s idea.😳
Questions we ask ourselves after a story like this:
Why was David’s military census wrong? The counting of the army revealed David’s desire for some sort of military conquest. Because you don’t count an army unless you intend to use it or need to hold a defense. Also, the idea came from Satan 🚩.
How does Satan move someone to do something? But also, David repented for this sin. In contrast, 2 Samuel 24:1 says that the Lord incited David to go and count the Israelite army. So who holds the responsibility?
Thinking it through:
If you believe the Bible is infallible and inerrant, how do you handle passages that seem to contradict other passages?
Answer: Seek out other passages that have the same principle at work.
Example: Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. The Spirit led him to the wilderness where Satan would tempt him.
Another example: God suggested Job to Satan. (Check out our entire Clearly season dedicated to the book of Job for more about this!)
Remember, God never does wrong. When God was angry at Israel, he would use a tool to bring that judgment. In this passage, Satan was the pawn to bring about God’s judgment.
Example: 1 Samuel 16:14 - God sent an evil spirit to Saul. God will test, but not tempt. God works all things to bring about His plan.
This passage expands and challenges our thinking. In other passages, the Israelites were commanded by God to count people. Counting people in and of itself isn’t a sin. But this helps us see how our motivations and desires behind any action will determine if something is sinful or not. The sin here was where David put his trust. He was counting his army. Psalm 20:7-8 points out that this is a lack of faith. As Kelly put it, “I’m not going to trust in my armies. But I’m going to trust in the Lord.”
“It is unbiblical to believe that when bad things happen, God is in a different room.” - Jimmy
Application questions:
‘Satan’ is the first word in Kelly’s Bible in this passage. What is your immediate reaction when hear his name in the Bible?
If you believe the Bible is infallible and inerrant, how do you handle passages that seem to contradict other passages?
It is unbiblical to believe that when bad things happen, God isn’t present. How does this statement from Jimmy challenge you to think differently when you experience trials and hard times in your life?
What action have you taken in the last week that you told yourself was okay, but was motivated by a lack of faith? Take some time to consider repenting to God for your pride in this area.
Decide to memorize Psalm 20:7-8. To help, we created a phone background download for you! Download it in green or white!
We couldn’t answer every question about this passage but we certainly hope that we helped! Want to ask more questions? Email question@clearlypodcast.com.
Additional resources:
Our sponsor: BetterMan.com
We answered some challenging questions about Satan in our Job study: Watch it here.
Want a whole episode on Satanology? Check that out here!
Clearly podcast episode “Doctrine of Demons”: Paul warns us about the dark, satanic teachings that threaten Christianity, and trust us...it's not at all what you think it is.
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