Number Israel?

Carl Geisik cgeisik@lanl.gov
Sun, 20 Dec 1998 16:46:36 -0700 (00914219196, 3.0.32.19981220164634.006ac2f4@dxmail.lanl.gov) 

Greetings,

This came up during a conversation with my sister today.  I asked "Who caused David to number Israel?"  Of course I was referring to:

1 Chronicles 21:1  And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.  

2 Samuel 24:1  And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.  

So, if I get this right:

1) God told him to go it and then punished him for it
2) There is a problem here
3) God and Satan are interchangeable

#3 is tough to believe because God does many more abhorrent acts than Satan, at least according to the Bible.

My money is on #1 because of the history of the OT God.

Is this one of those things that has been discussed "to death" and available in the archives?

Carl Geisik

P.S.  She did not know.