Study Guide: 2 Samuel 24
*This study guide can be used in conjunction with the message preached on November 23, 2025 during the series Imperfect Heroes.
Pray
Pray and ask God to search your heart for areas of pride or self-reliance, and to give you a humble spirit that depends fully on His mercy and guidance.
Read
2 Samuel 24
Observe
vv. 1–2 | David is moved to take a census
Once again, the LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and He allowed David to be influenced to count the people of Israel and Judah. David told Joab, his army commander, to travel through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, and count the people so he could know their number. According to 1 Chronicles 21:1, it was actually Satan who provoked David to take this census, though God permitted it as a form of discipline. God allowed Satan to tempt David because He wanted to correct pride that had risen in the king’s heart. This act was dangerous because Exodus 30:12 warned that no census should be taken without each person offering a ransom to the LORD, otherwise a plague could result. The principle was that Israel belonged to God, not to David. Only God had the right to command a numbering of His people. When David chose to count them on his own, he acted as if the nation belonged to him instead of to the LORD.
vv. 3–4 | Joab objects to the census
Joab, who was often bold enough to confront the king, questioned David’s decision. He prayed that the LORD would increase Israel’s numbers many times over but asked why David wanted to do such a thing. Joab could sense that David’s motives were rooted in pride—he wanted to measure his military strength and perhaps find confidence in his army rather than in God. David had become tempted late in his reign to take some credit for Israel’s success and prosperity, forgetting that it was all God’s doing. Even the army captains advised against the census, but David ignored their warnings and commanded them to proceed.
vv. 5–9 | The census is taken
Joab and the army officers traveled throughout the land, beginning east of the Jordan and covering every major region—from Gilead to Sidon, and from Tyre in the north down to Beersheba in the south. It took them nearly ten months to finish. Despite this long period, David never stopped the census, though he surely had time to reconsider. When Joab reported back, there were 800,000 fighting men in Israel and 500,000 in Judah—roughly 1.3 million soldiers. Scholars note differences in the numbers recorded in 1 Chronicles 21:5, showing minor copying discrepancies in later manuscripts, but the overall message is clear: Israel had become large and powerful, yet David’s pride in this strength would bring judgment.
Vs. 10 | David knows that he has done wrong
After the census was completed, David’s conscience troubled him deeply. He confessed to the LORD that he had sinned greatly and acted foolishly. Though David was not perfect, his heart was sensitive to God’s conviction. He quickly realized that his actions were driven by pride and self-reliance. In humility, he prayed for forgiveness and asked the LORD to remove his guilt.
vv. 11–13 | David is allowed to choose his punishment
The next morning, God sent the prophet Gad to David with a message of judgment. David was told to choose one of three consequences: seven years of famine, three months of fleeing before his enemies, or three days of plague across the land. Each option carried serious loss—famine would harm the poor most, war would affect mainly soldiers, and plague could strike anyone, regardless of rank or wealth. Through this, God was testing David’s heart and wisdom to see where he would place his trust.
Vs. 14 | David chooses the three days of plague
Overwhelmed by the gravity of the choice, David said he was in great distress but preferred to fall into the hands of the LORD rather than into the hands of man, because God’s mercy is great. By choosing the plague, David placed himself under God’s direct discipline instead of human cruelty. He understood that God could show compassion, but people often do not. His decision revealed humility and a willingness to share in the suffering of his people.
vv. 15–17 | The plague strikes Israel
The LORD sent a devastating plague that swept from Dan to Beersheba, killing 70,000 men. As the angel of the LORD stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, God relented and told the angel to stop at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Seeing this, David fell before the LORD and pleaded for mercy, acknowledging his sin and asking that the punishment fall upon him and his family instead of the people. Like a true shepherd, David interceded for his flock, taking responsibility for his failure.
vv. 18–21 | David is told to build an altar
Through the prophet Gad, God instructed David to build an altar to the LORD on Araunah’s threshing floor—the very place where the plague had stopped. David obeyed immediately. When Araunah saw the king approaching, he bowed before him and asked why he had come. David explained that he wanted to buy the threshing floor to build an altar so that the plague would cease. This location was significant—it would later become the site of Solomon’s temple, the same hill where Abraham had once offered Isaac (Mount Moriah). God turned a place of sorrow into a place of worship and redemption.
vv. 22–24 | David buys the threshing floor
Araunah generously offered to give David the land, the oxen, and the wood for the sacrifice. But David refused, insisting on paying full price, saying, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.” He purchased the threshing floor and oxen for fifty shekels of silver. David understood that genuine worship requires sacrifice. Giving God what costs us nothing is not true devotion. Love for God must move us to give generously and wholeheartedly, even when it requires personal loss.
Vs. 25 | David’s altar and sacrifice
David built an altar there and offered burnt offerings for atonement and peace offerings for fellowship with God. The LORD accepted David’s sacrifice and answered with mercy, ending the plague. 1 Chronicles 21:26 says God sent fire from heaven to consume the offering, confirming His forgiveness. David’s sin and its punishment became an occasion for renewed worship. Once again, the man after God’s own heart turned from failure to fellowship, reminding us that true repentance always leads us back to the mercy and presence of God.
Credit: Guzik, David. “2 Samuel 24 - David and the Census.” Enduring Word, n.d., https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-samuel-24.
Application
1. Guard your heart against pride.
David’s desire to count his people began with pride and self-reliance. When we start to measure our worth by what we control or achieve, we risk forgetting that all we have belongs to God. True strength comes from dependence on Him, not from human numbers or success.
2. Repent quickly when convicted.
David’s heart was tender enough to recognize his sin and confess it immediately. A sensitive heart toward God keeps us close to Him and protects us from spiritual hardening. When the Holy Spirit convicts us, we must respond with humility and prayer, not excuses.
3. Worship should cost us something.
David refused to offer God a sacrifice that cost him nothing. Real worship always involves giving up something valuable—our time, comfort, resources, or pride. God is honored when our offerings reflect genuine love and gratitude, not convenience.
Pray (ACTS)
What is the ACTS prayer model?
A - Praise God for being mighty and unwavering.
C - Confess a time you recently trusted in your own strength instead of His strength.
T - Thank God for turning your failures and mistakes into moments of grace.
S - Ask the Holy Spirit to help you worship with sincerity and sacrifice.
DISCUSS
Questions for personal reflection, spiritual insight, or group interaction.
Why do you think God allowed Satan to tempt David to take the census?
What does this story teach about pride and self-reliance in leadership or success?
How does Exodus 30:12 help explain why numbering Israel was wrong?
Why did Joab and the army captains object to David’s command, and what does this show about true loyalty?
What might have motivated David to ignore their warnings?
How does David’s response after the census reveal his heart for God?
Why do you think God gave David a choice between three forms of judgment?
What does David’s choice of the plague teach about his view of God’s character?
How does David’s intercession for the people point to the heart of a true shepherd?
Why was it important that David bought the threshing floor instead of accepting it as a gift?
What lessons can we learn about genuine worship from David’s statement, “I will not offer to the LORD what costs me nothing”?
How can this chapter inspire you to turn failure into an opportunity for renewed worship and fellowship with God?
Resources for Further Study of 2 Samuel