David wasn’t afraid of much

Not the lion or the bear

Not the 9 foot tall giant of the Philistines

Not the army of King Saul

Not all his enemies’ forces

Not the laughter of his wife

No, David was a brave man.

But King David was very afraid of God’s hand.

Late in life, David foolishly planned a census of all his forces. God punished Israel by killing 70,000 through the sword of the angel of the Lord, but stayed the angel’s hand from destroying the city of Jerusalem. David then purchased property from Aruanah for a temple for the Lord in Jerusalem. God would not allow David to build it himself, because he had bloody hands for years of war. The author of 1 Chronicles records of David in chapter 21:30:

“David could not go before [the tablernacle in Gibeon] to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the Lord.”

David experienced the Lord’s wrath and mercy at Jerusalem.

Many years later Jesus would die in Jerusalem on Calvary, completing the work of atonement and defeating Satan “once for all” (Heb 7:26–28; Col 2:15). The events that led to the choice of this place were of God’s doing. This was the place where divine wrath and divine mercy would meet.