2 Chronicles 2: 🧠 A Heart Check for Leaders, Planners, and Dreamers
- Kami Pentecost
- Oct 14
- 2 min read
So much stood out as I read today...and then right there at the end of the chapter Solomon takes a census! LIKE WHAT!
“He assigned 70,000 of them to transport materials and 80,000 to cut stones in the mountains, and appointed 3,600 supervisors to make sure the work was done.” 2 Chronicles 2:18 GNT
David’s census (2 Samuel 24 / 1 Chronicles 21) was a direct numbering of fighting men, done to measure strength and security apart from God. God had not instructed it, and Joab even tried to
warn him. Here Is where the difference lies. David took a census to better strategize and ensure things were In his favor. It was about control and self-reliance essentially. Solomon, on the other hand (2 Chronicles 2:18), wasn’t counting Israel’s people to boast in power. He was organizing a workforce for God’s temple—a project God had approved and assigned him to lead. It was administrative.
The key difference is the heart posture and purpose: God isn’t against counting or organizing; He’s against trusting the numbers more than Him. (Think of how in Exodus, He even commanded a census at times—but with a ransom payment to remind Israel that every life belonged to Him.)
Today's census was not about control—it’s stewardship. Solomon is stepping into his God-given assignment to build the temple, and good stewardship requires structure, vision, and leadership.
This isn’t the only time numbers show up in Scripture. In Exodus 30:11–16, God Himself instructed Moses to take a census—but with a purpose and a cost. Every person counted gave a ransom offering as a reminder that their lives ultimately belonged to God. The counting wasn’t about control, it was about consecration.
“When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life… then no plague will come on them when you number them.” Exodus 30:12 NIV
👉 Am I organizing to glorify Him, or to elevate myself?
Am I counting heads, dollars, followers, and plans so I can feel secure—or because I’m stewarding what He’s entrusted me with?
Lord, search my heart. Show me the places where I’ve let strategy outpace surrender. Teach me to plan with You, not apart from You. May every system I build, every structure I put in place, and every dream I organize bring glory to Your name—not mine. Amen.
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