2 Samuel 24:14, commentary and pictures

The words belong to David after his sin in foolishly numbering Israel, an act done from pride and ambition to set Israel's former weakness against its prosperity under his rule, forgetting the Giver of mercies and leading Israel to trust in strength of numbers instead of the living God, contrary to God's express command. Convicted before the numbering was finished, he humbled himself and confessed his foolish sin, but repentance came too late to turn aside punishment because the word had already gone forth to Gad the prophet offering him his choice among three punishments for his transgression. In great strait and distress he chose to fall into the hand of the Lord rather than into the hand of man or of human enemies, placing himself and Israel in the Lord's hands because His mercies are great, and the choice itself showed confidence and trust in God's mercy even while under judgment.

The same choice is made by preferring punishment from God over punishment from men, and by trusting God's mercy more than human judgment when the punishment for sin must be chosen. God's mercy does not mean that sin goes unpunished, as the pestilence that followed shows. The Lord whose hand was chosen knows the struggle and anguish of the soul, sees every past deed and circumstance, understands the heart, and is merciful and compassionate rather than heartless and vindictive. He is too wise to err in judgment and too good to do harm, and He does not treat erring human beings as their shortcomings deserve.

By contrast the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel, for erring, sinful man, who can himself be kept in the right path only by the power of God, is hard-hearted and unforgiving toward his erring brother. Such men misjudge and condemn, and pull imperfect work to pieces with scorn and contempt. Affliction and trial are God's appointed means of disciplining His children and teaching them His way so they may lay hold of His grace, and the suffering soul thus made patient, trustful and triumphant under adverse circumstances learns to rely on His grace.

The lesson rebukes harsh treatment of an erring brother and warns of the account to be rendered at the bar of God. An erring brother is not to be subjected to man's merciless judgment but left to God, for if God dealt with accusers as they deal with their brother they would be destroyed without mercy. Every mortal with mistakes and imperfect work should therefore choose to fall into the hands of the living God rather than into the hands of men, and Christ shows this same mercy in the way He treats the imperfect work of His disciples. The words become a prayer of humble, childlike trust during a painful purifying process: ask God to deal with you, and trust that His presence and light remain beyond the darkness, and such trust helps a person live and teach the gospel.

When faced with distress it is better to place oneself in the Lord's hands than in human hands, as a call to trust God amid the coming satanic confederacy and to seek safety in the living God rather than in human agencies. The words express confidence that God is good and will not do harm even in distress, applied as trust that God will deliver from oppressive human power and sustain a person through trial.