King David called for a census that he imagined would bring pleasure, but instead, it brought pain and God's wrath. Seeking to intervene on behalf of his people, David built an altar, offered sacrifices, and asked that he alone would bear the punishment. While much remains unexplained in this passage, Alistair Begg points out that God's sovereign plan is revealed in His mercy as well as His wrath. Ultimately, only Jesus' intervention can save us from ourselves, our sin, and God's wrath.