Group Check-in

1. What was the best part of your week?
2. What was the most difficult part of your week?

What Is 2 Samuel 24 About?

In David’s final recorded act as king, he orders a census to count Israel’s fighting men. It seems harmless, but behind it is pride. You see, there’s a desire to measure strength rather than trust God’s faithfulness. When conviction hits, David confesses and throws himself on the mercy of the Lord. God’s judgment brings a plague, yet it stops at the threshing floor of Araunah… the very place where Solomon’s temple would later stand and, generations after that, where Jesus would satisfy God’s wrath once for all.

This closing chapter reminds us that even our failures can become altars of grace when we turn back to God. The story isn’t about numbers, wrath, or ruin; it’s about mercy. God’s mercy is greater than our mistakes, and His forgiveness calls us to live generously and humbly before Him.

Key Verse

“I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”—2 Samuel 24:24 (NIV)

S.O.A.P. for the Week

Passage: 2 Samuel 24:10–25

Ice-Breakers

• What’s something you’ve spent way too much time counting or keeping track of lately? (steps, money, fantasy points, followers, etc.)
• When have you had to trust God instead of your own “numbers” or sense of control?

Group Discussion Questions

1. What motivated David’s census, and why was it such a big deal spiritually?
2. How do pride and self-sufficiency still tempt believers today?
3. What stands out to you about David’s repentance in verse 10?
4. How does the threshing floor become a symbol of both justice and mercy?
5. What does David’s statement in verse 24 teach us about worship and sacrifice?

Practical Takeaway

Pride counts what it controls; faith surrenders what it has. Let this chapter remind you that real worship always costs something… your plans, your pride, your self-reliance. Bring those before God this week and let Him turn your mistakes into mercy moments that build a generous legacy.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, keep us from trusting in numbers, possessions, or our own strength. Teach us to rely on You alone. When we fail, help us to confess quickly and to rest in Your mercy. Make our worship genuine and our lives generous, just as You were generous toward us in Christ. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.