23,200,448,223,390,552,999,100,871,902,549,326...

I lose track of the number of times I count throughout the day. First thing in the morning, I weigh myself, counting pounds, then usually sometime during the day, I count my money by checking my balance at the bank. Most of us are very aware of the way numbers work in our lives from blood pressure number to calories and glasses of water. We might not be able to count the stars in the night sky, but we count the number of a meteorites we see in one night. Even more recently, people, like myself, get in the habit of counting down the minutes before evening news airs. Why? Because we are both fascinated and worried about the number of COVID-19 cases encroaching upon our city or state and the world. Every day, the news updates viewers online, radio, newspapers, and television about COVID-19.  Every day we sit on the edge of our seats waiting to see how many new cases of the Corona Virus have shown up in our world and nation, and state and city. I think we're finally getting the hang of the new terms like "social distancing," and "essential workers." We're now aware of the number of masks we need per day or week for ourselves and the shortage for our "essential workers," healthcare, nurses, doctors. We need millions of masks. Thousands and thousands of respirators. Plus, how many millions of vaccine doses will the public need before Fall when the second Corona tsunami hits? Several times a day, we see encouraging ads that remind us to wash our hands, and practice social distancing. We've not only become a nation or world educated about COVID-19, we have also learned about past plagues and epidemics.

Here are two stories you may not have heard about or read. 1) God offers options; 2) this story ties in to the census and the plague.

May 2, 2018  When God Offers Options       

This morning turned to Jeremiah 21. Jeremiah laments why he was every born because the people hated him for his prophecies. Yet when he tried to shut up about God, God’s word burned in his heart and throat until he could no longer hold it in. The prophet said King Zedekiah of Judah (the last king of Judah) and Jerusalem’s inhabitants would be destroyed by the armies of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and Jerusalem would be burned. King Zedekiah would die in captivity. Zedekiah was not a good king. He did not worship God, but idols. False prophets lied to the king. The cool thing is God told Jeremiah to tell the king’s messengers all about the unfavorable outcome of predicted war with the Babylonians. However, if the house of David chose to defect to the side of the Chaldeans, they would be treated very well. “His life shall be as a prize to him.” So God offered options. 

Wait! What? Back up. God does what?? God offers options. I Chron. 21:1 (NIV Bible) Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”   

This was quite a big deal to Joab, loyal to Kind David and God. Joab knew God did not want David to number the men. God did not want David to think his power came from numbers because that would be limiting God. By worshiping false idols in the wilderness, the Israelites limited God. (Psalm 77)

The LORD wanted David to be dependent on Him and not the size of an army. Joab obeyed David, but fudged with the numbers a little bit. “Joab did not include (the populations of) Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him.” This command was also evil in the sight of God, so he punished Israel. Though the seer, Gad, the LORD told David to pick his punishment, and offered 3 options. Three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, or three days of the sword of the LORD—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel . . . David chose the plague, and 70,000 men of Israel fell dead. Even God had had enough, and ordered the plague stopped. God offers options. So, did the Israelites defect to the Chaldean side? I’ll have to check into that. I don’t think they did since King Cyrus defeated Nebuchadnezzar, and Darius followed Cyrus, then King Artaxerxes stopped the rebuilding under Zerubbabel and Ezra, but ended up granting Nehemiah’s request to rebuild the city. God is always behind the scenes.

Another story about whether more men guaranteed a win happened when Gideon went against the enemy. He took 30,000 men with him, but God kept reducing the number of fighting men for one reason or another until only 300 were left to fight against the Mideonites. Guess who won?

Author's Note April 22, 2020: When I published this study guide online, we were in the midst of the Corona Virus Pandemic. I thought it was interesting that King David lost 70,000 men to a plague because he conducted an unauthorized census.  At the time of writing the first draft, nearly 47,000 people had died of the Corona Virus while the United States was trying to complete the government census. The media reported 60,000 people were expected to die before the end of summer. Since then the number has again doubled. Top scientists and world leaders in the numbers game, also predict that the virus will be back in the fall, only worse. Coincidence? No matter what, God is always behind the scenes. Scriptures I've found scriptures in the Old and New Testament confirm God does not like to see people die. 

(Lamentations 3:32) "Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." 

(Ezekiel 18:32) "I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the LORD GOD. Therefore turn and live!" 

That's Old Testament, yet Jesus, during His ministry, taught from the Old Testament and Laws of the Prophets and Moses. The sole purpose of His dying was to show us God's merciful side by redeeming mankind from sin through the resurrection of Jesus. We no longer have to fear death if we believe and receive Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and confess our sins.