II Samuel 24:1

"And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah."

There is much left unsaid in this verse. Things which we will ponder without any absolute answers, for only the Lord knows. But there is enough said in this verse that should warn us and aid us to walk worthy of the calling laid upon us. And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel - it is a repeated offence again by the children of God that produced His holy anger; Numerous times we read of God's children sinning against Him and reaping His wrath, or judgmeent. His anger waxes hot against those taht profance His great Name. His anger is against those that refuse to be holy. And whereas, we can assume that the lost world cares not, nor has any inclination to please God, this is to be understood. But as for God's own children, they should desire to be holy, they should desire to please Him. It is not a Christian principle, that a child of God would ever seek to anger God by sin. But we know of what happens to those that provoke the Lord. Repeated offences show that there is something wrong in the chidlren's relationship. Let us not for a moment, consider to point to God that He is in the wrong because He became angery. Looking again at this point, there is the differnce between anger and holy anger. Holy anger is not sin, but anger is sin. A holy anger is just and right, and is to vanquish all sin that offends a holy God. God has a holy anger, and God cannot sin. The church should have this same holy anger and revile sinners for their ungodliness. But anger in the flesh is sin or leads to sin. We must guard against this sort of sin that does not glorify His perfect Nature. It is of selfisness, pride, vanity and all other things that is an offence to God. 'Doest thou well to be angry?' And how often is said of us, the same as said of the children of Israel, "The Lord was angry again at the children of Israel for their sin"; "The Lord is angry with me, with His church again for our sin, for my sins." Let us cease in kindling the anger of the Lord against us. And he moved DAvid against them - God allowed for David to chose to do this work of sin; God is God and His ways are not our ways. When sin comes, sin must be punished; the children of Israel sinned and God was going to bring punishment upon them. So He allowed for Satan to come and tempt DAvid and cause him to sin.