Difficult Passages: Do 2 Sam 24:1 and 1 Chron 21:1 Contradict?

2 Sam 24:1 Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."

1 Chron 21:1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

I don't see a contradiction here. God often personally associates Himself with an action but is in fact using Satan, a deceiving spirit, an invading army, etc. He incites "Egyptians against Egyptians" in Isaiah 19:2. In 1 Kings 22:20, God asks for someone to entice Ahab to fall in battle and says in verse 23: "...the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets..."

Another contention is that God would punish Israel because (and only because) of David's sin. But in 2 Sam 24:1, we see clearly that the anger of the LORD burned against Israel. So it was clear that there were those in Israel who were sinning against the LORD and the time of their punishment was upon them. Note that all three of the options that God gives to David to choose from in 2 Sam 24:13 (seven years of famine, three months fleeing their foes, or three days pestilence) all involved judgement on the people. It seems to me that in the seven years of famine, those whom God wanted to judge would die. Same with 3 months of fleeing their enemies, and similarly with the 3 days of pestilence. Perhaps I'm wrong, but it seems that all three involved the death of Israelites. If I had a choice, I think I would rather get it over with quickly and have picked option three. But David wanted option 4 if at all possible, and if not, then knowing the mercy of God, left it in His hands...

The problem I have with this passage is that in God's anger against Israel, He incites David to sin. We know from other scripture that God doesn't tempt us to sin, though He tests us from time to time. In the Message paraphrase, Eugene says that God tested David, but I don't think this is what the text says. God clearly wanted to judge Israel and He seems bent on making David responsible for this disaster for some reason. This is a difficulty I have not yet resolved. The King James renders it "He moved David..." but, if God was the cause of this sin, then how was David responsible? God certainly could have put fear in David's heart that he would think of numbering the people to gain relief in the numbers of his armies. In that case, God did not tempt him directly, but led him into temptation. And we are told in 2 Chron 21:1 that God used Satan to do this. One has to ask why in the Lord's prayer we are to pray "lead us not into temptation"? Perhaps David was sinning against the LORD as well, and God, knowing his heart, knew that he would do this sinful thing. I'll have to think about this further and see if there are other scriptures that illuminate this more, but for now this is my best assessment. I know of other examples of God leading others into sin such as Judas Iscariot, but just as God hardened Pharoah's heart, it was not without his own hardening beforehand, and with Judas -- he was already showing evidence of unbelief and unrepentance before. Probably the most obvious and blatant description of what God is doing is described in Isaiah 6. I am beginning to see the reason for the believer to pray "lead us not into temptation"... After all, following the Lord is still a choice. And, if I am not disciplined, then I am not truly loved. When I or any believer is disciplined, it is never only because I am being setup, but because of sin already present in my heart for which I have harbored.