That's Twice

2 Samuel 24:10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done.

2 Samuel 23: 17 "Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it.

This is twice in the last two chapters that David has twice had to go back and repent. The first one in chapter 23 was over water. He sent two mighty men to fetch him some water from a well. Not just any well, but the well he used to drink from as a child. Maybe he was being a little nostalgic, but as him men returned….decided that it wasn’t worth the blood of men to drink from that well.

Now, he has gotten out in front of God. Israel has really pissed him off…and he is wanted to impose his own justice, but first he wants to count the men to see if he, based on numbers, has an advantage. One, God didn’t direct him to attack Israel and two if God wanted David to fight Israel….he doesn’t need a certain number of men to win the battle.

David’s sin is obviously great by the number of people who the death angel avenged….so how great a sin, are those sins that fester in OUR minds. God have mercy.