Why did the biblical god kill 70,000 innocent people just because David took a census?

Question

In 2Samuel 24, the biblical god sent his angel of death to kill those people and David has to asked "I am the guilty one, I am the one who did wrong, what have these poor people done?" he was not answered but by reading the whole chapter, one will realized that the biblical god is really good at making troubles.

Yes there are many cases when one person's folly can ruin the lives of many people, but God killing thousands of people for one person's folly is far more horrible. I also agree that many things in the bible are symbolic, not only the numbers but also the various miracles including God appearing to those so-called prophets, the parting of the sea, turning water into wine, raising the dead, so on and so on...

Answer 1

According to the Bible he has killed far more than 70,000.

Answer 2

numbers in the Bible are symbolic. And the Bible is not LITERAL history, it is sacred history. There is a moral lesson in this story: the danger of presumption and disobedience to God's commands; the point of the story is that such actions can affect countless people. You know, like Chaos theory? The slightest action has practically infinite effects. If one thing changes, everything changes.
So it's important not to assume everything happened EXACTLY as stated, the Bible is a book of ethical instruction, among other things, but it is not a 'History Book,' written with modern standards of historical criticism. The Ancient man had a different manner of recording history: check out Herodotus, there are some pretty odd things there!

Answer 3

Result of sin...it doen`t just ruin your life, it ruins the lives of those who are completely innocent. That is why we can`t say "well,,,it is ONLY HURTING ME, not others, so how can it be so bad?" Think again! You see this everywhere..one idiots sin makes life miserable (and even kills) those who are competely innocent.
This passage begs the quesion: So is God really the one making trouble or are we? Arch`s answer (above this one) sort of hits the point, however, I would argue that Osama Bin Laden`s sinful actions have ruined far more innocent lives than anything else. But even closer to home....look at your own life or the lives of people around you. Can you see that one person`s folly can end up ruining the lives of people around them in the most tragic of ways?

Answer 4

I agree with "look beyond." The Bible is a book of instructions on how a Christian is to lead thier life. There are plenty of historical facts in it; but, many stories are put in the most grandious context so they will resound louder in the ears of the reader.

Answer 5

I haven't read the scripture you refer to but I surely can tell you one thing...That whatever our Heavenly Father does is just and right. He does nothing to harm innocent people. When he condemns women and children it is because the whole nation was warned to stop their course.
And a man is responsible to head his household. If he doesn't they are all in line for punishment.

Answer 6

He must have peered into the future and been impressed how Bush dispatched 800,000 Iraqis, because supossedly Osama Afgani blew up the WTC

Answer 7

Sorry, but we are not going to know all the answers to all the questions, we don't know all of God's purposes and plans

Answer 8

biblical god kill 70,000 innocent people just because David took a census????????????

Answer 9

2Sa 24:10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
2Sa 24:11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
2Sa 24:12 Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
2Sa 24:13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.
2Sa 24:14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.
2Sa 24:15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.
2Sa 24:16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.
2Sa 24:17 And David spoke unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.
2Sa 24:18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.
2Sa 24:19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.
2Sa 24:20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.
2Sa 24:21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
2Sa 24:22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.
2Sa 24:23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.
2Sa 24:24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
2Sa 24:25 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.
That is to show punishment to the sinners in Israel.

Answer 10

Because He could dear...