prompted Him to entice David to take a census of the people, an action David later confessed as sin (vv. 10, 17) and one that brought severe divine judgment down on the nation (vv. 11–16). Paul predicted that God will send unbelievers “a powerful delusion so that they will believe [Satan’s] lie” and “be condemned” for their wickedness (2 Thess. 2:11–12). How does one reconcile the apparent contradiction between verses that affirm God’s truthfulness and those that picture Him deceiving individuals?