Help is on the way!

And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. – 1 Chronicles 21:15 NIV

David dispatched Joab to number the Israelites, an act traditionally seen as an affront to God, suggesting reliance on human strength over divine power. Joab tried to dissuade David but ultimately had to follow his king’s command. However, he did not fully complete the task, as the idea was repulsive to him and, more importantly, evil in God’s eyes.

This fascinating verse has deep historical roots, with Jewish and many Christian traditions linking the threshing floor of Ornan (Araunah) the Jebusite to Mount Moriah. This is the very site where Abraham was commanded by God to sacrifice Isaac and where David later built Jerusalem’s first altar, paving the way for the construction of the First Temple.

Alternatively, we can highlight God’s absolute and uncontested power, working in conjunction with his angel. God unleashed a plague, resulting in the death of 70,000 men, seemingly as a consequence of David’s reliance on the size of his army. Subsequently, God’s angel would be sent forth, sword drawn and prepared, to commence a wave of destruction across Jerusalem. The angel’s destructive capability would be so immense that even God, upon witnessing its efficiency in executing his commands, would be moved to compassion and instruct the angel to cease its actions.

What captivated my attention in this verse was the angel’s unwavering obedience. Operating under divine command, this angel would face no opposition in fulfilling its mission. It would act without emotion or compassion, submitting entirely and without question to God’s will. Its purpose was to kill, and it would proceed with God’s full authority and support. Yet, God relented—due in part to His mercy, which I believe stemmed from His love for His people, and also to David’s repentant prayers.

Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. – Daniel 10:12 NIV

Consider Daniel’s twenty-one days of prayer, during which God’s angel fought to deliver a message. What if Daniel had ceased praying or lost faith? Would that angel have been abandoned on the spiritual battlefield? To you, fellow laborer in the Gospel, I urge: never stop praying! God’s angel is en route, and will arrive with the full power of heaven, unleashing God’s wrath upon the enemies in your life.

Consider that your prayers have been delayed and not denied. God hears the prayers of the righteous and he will never leave you or forsake you!