Did God ORDER Ancient Israel to SIN?
A To answer this question, it would be helpful to recall that sin begins in the mind – many times, long before the physical act is committed. If a man lusts after a woman in his heart (mind) he has already committed the sin of adultery, in the eyes of God (compare Matthew 5:27-28). If a person hates another in his heart (mind), he has committed murder already, in the eyes of God (compare Matthew 5:21-22). The law has already been broken. Sin has already been committed. Thus, in David’s and in ancient Israel’s situations, both had already broken God’s law and committed sin against Him, in their hearts, when they desired to go to war. They had already become men of war, in their hearts – sinners, who had chosen to live contrary to God and His Way (but they might not have even realized that fighting in war is sin). Thus, God, when He saw this was in their heart – men already having made the decision to sin against Him – He used their sinning attitudes to carry out what He would have done
