(2 Samuel 24:1; 1 Chronicles 21:1)
2 Samuel 24:1: "Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah."
1 Chronicles 21:1: "Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel."
The apparent "problem" that skeptics see in 1 Chronicles 21:1 is that Satan is cited as the one who instigates David to number the people of Israel; whereas in 2 Samuel 24:1, the Lord is cited as the instigator. Is there a "contradiction?"
Read MoreIn 2 Samuel 24:9, the Bible states: "Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king. And there were in Israel eight hundred thousand (800,000) valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand (500,000) men."
Read MoreAddressing the following alleged "problem": 2 Samuel 24:13 mentions that there will be seven years of famine, whereas 1 Chronicles 21:12 mention three years of famine for the punishment that was to be enacted upon David and the nation of Israel for David's lack of faith in the supreme power of God.
Read MoreBy taking Jerusalem from the Jebusites, David was able to expand his kingdom. He wanted to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, which would become known as the City of David. In the past, David inquired of God on how he should deal with the Philistines (2 Samuel 5:19,23). In this incidence, however, he sought the advice of the army officers (1 Chronicles 13:1-3). Clear instructions on how to transport the ark had already been recorded in Numbers 4:5-9 (1 Chronicles 15:13). Such instructions were not heeded.
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