It displeases God when we attempt to number His people. When the devil tempted David to number Israel the prophet came with a choice of a few punishments from God. Recognizing his error David chose neither of them, deciding rather to throw himself on the mercy of God. The quality of repentance caused God to stay his judgment. How important is this teaching throughout Scripture. May we all make a good, wholehearted repentance.
Forgive
