Reading the Bible in Historical Sequence Part 5Sampel

1017 BC David drifts from God and his census incurs 70,000 deaths. He repents, builds an altar on the temple site and begins temple preparations. He instructs Solomon.

Note 1 (1 Chronicles 21:1–7): It seems David initially, contrary to God’s previous directions (Numbers 1:2–3), asked Joab to do a complete census (1 Chronicles 27:23–24) but finally only those over 20 years of age were recorded. However, taking a census was putting faith in numbers rather than in God (Genesis 15:5). This angered God. The famine option (1 Chronicles 21:12) would have meant three years in addition to the previous three years (2 Samuel 21). The current year, calculated from 1451 BC, was a sabbatical year when harvesting was not allowed (Leviticus 25:4). This would have made seven years in total with poor or no harvesting (2 Samuel 24:13).

Note 2 (Psalm 138:2): The Hebrew text states that meditating on and proclaiming God’s Word is even more important than praising God’s name (see KJV).