And Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to number Israel   (1Chronicles 21:1)

I have always found this passage to be curious. King David gets himself (and subsequently the whole nation) into trouble with God by taking a census. However, what is wrong with a census? Isn’t pretty much the whole book of Numbers a census?

Let’s take a different look at this verse. The name Israel means “where God prevails”.  If we substitute the meaning of that name in this passage, it could read more like this: “And Satan rose up against where God prevails and incited David to limit where God prevails.”

God sees beyond what man can see. Perhaps at the heart of the matter, David began to trust in the power of his army, or perhaps he began to trust in himself and his own reasoning instead of trusting God. Whatever the reason, David did what he believed was right rather than what God said on the issue.

Man often does what is right in his own sight rather than follow the heart of God. Whenever that happens the door is open for Satan to rise up where once God had prevailed. Ignoring God’s Word did not work out so well in David’s time. I don’t think we should expect it to work out so well today.