Chapter 24, recounts the census David undertakes and God’s judgment for him doing it
He counts, God gets mad, The prophet tells him, 3 choices, 7 famine, 3m enemies, 3 days plagues, God kills 70k, and then stops- David admits his sin, the Gad tells him to offer a sacrifice, Aruanah says that he’ll cover him, David says no.
2 Sam 24 (we’re not going to read the whole chapter)
There’s a few key verses I want to cover with you today
Here’s the one that Sticks out to me- David goes to this Araunah Guy- and is going to do an offering to God and Araunah says “ Hey man, I’ve got some oxen, some threshing instruments, use mine for free, you don’t need to pay me for them”
But David doesn’t want the free road- he doesn’t want to take the free stuff.
David says- I’ll buy it from you. Why does he say this? “Nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing”
David has sinned. God has showed mercy David has done God wrong. David wants to make it right- now in his mind, he says, if I’m going to offer something to God, its going to be costly
Now lets not miss this here- I don’t want you to make a connection between this story and your sin and the means by which you have to work to get your forgiveness
Have you ever seen an advertisement for a “Free gift” and then come to find out that you have to DO something to receive that free gift?
One time I got a notice in the mail that said “Free vacation to vegas just call this number” I called and they said “you just have to sit down in this presentation- not a free gift- I have to DO something to get it
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
The Grace of God is FREE- Salvation is FREE you don’t do anything to earn it- you just believe in it
People will say that there is “cheap grace” and honestly, I don’t know how else you could have it
I want to show you a cool part about this story
David is disobedient, David sins, David chooses the plagues.
He chooses the plagues because he knows that Gods mercy will prevail over the mercy of his enemies.
V 14 Do not let me fall into the hands of man
V 16 And when the angel stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the destruction, and said to the angle who was destroying the people “It is enough; now restrain your hand”
In the midst of the destruction, BEFORE the sacrifice BEFORE David admitted his sin, the Lord had MERCY upon Israel
Why? Its his nature to show mercy
Deuteronomy 4:31 (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.
Deuteronomy 7:9 “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
Psalm 25:10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
David comes to God and says “Sure I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, whay have they done? Let your hand be against me and against my fathers house”
God shows mercy, and David steps up and says strike me. Put it on me. Don’t put it on others.
Folks- this is a contrite heart. This is a heart that shows that he has been broken by his sin and wants to make it right with God.
Can you imagine if your sin killed 70k people? Can you imagine what that would feel like?
David loved Israel- David Loved God! He didn’t want any more calamity to come upon them
Its like a foreshadowing of Christ- put the sin on me- (david wasn’t sinless) but taking it!
So David goes to offer a sacrifice, and the Prophet Gad tells him to erect an altar on the threshing floor (the place for atonement)
Araunah tells David- I’ll give you these Oxen for free so you can sacrifice
David says no way. I want my sacrifice to be costly. “nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing”
I love the Heart of David here- I love that this is heart “I want it to cost”
And some people would say- why does it have to cost? The truth is! It doesn’t! But this is a heart that wants to offer up a SACRIFICE and if it doesn’t COST its not a SACRIFICE to David
Throughout the years- people have donated stuff to the church- but often- its stuff they don’t need. Broken. Roughly used. “Pastor I got this great tube TV for the church” Why don’t you want it? Its bulky and old and doesn’t have a good picture- but I figured maybe the church could use it
the Apostle Paul taught the early church the grace of giving
2 Corinthians 8:7-9 But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
CHRIST GAVE HIMSELF.
Galatians 1:4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
Titus 2:14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
This why Jesus commended the widows gift in Mark 12:41 Because she gave all she had!
She loved Jesus so much she wanted give everything she had
I remember a story I heard from a preacher one time- Lady gave him $500
Some Things I get from Davids Sacrifice- now don’t get it twisted- this sacrifice isn’t to earn- God has already given mercy- its because its been earned- Because he is our God
God has always wanted our best
The example in the OT was that the first fruits belonged to God
Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
God has always wanted the best ram, the choicest of the flock, the first born son
It wasn’t just that he wanted them- they BELONGED to him
READ Mal. 1:6-8 God rebuked the priests of Israel for offering molded bread, lame and sick sheep upon the altar. He said, “Offer these kinds of gifts to your governor and see if it pleases him
God said, You offered a blind, lame, sick sheep to me and you call that a sacrifice??
People will say- we don’t need a building to worship God- Sure we don’t. We also don’t need a library for books, a house to sleep, an office to work from, a store for goods,
Remember- when Jesus went to the synagogue to teach and pray he never told them to stop meeting in a preset location in a preset building- we are “gathering group” we always have been
Shouldn’t we give God our best? Sure, its COSTLY- 1.2m to be exact. To be able to say, God, we want a place where you can be glorified- where people can gather in your name, where lives can be changed- Your heart should be God- I want to give you my BEST- not my leftovers
Haggai 1:3-8 People were caring more about themselves than God- God deserves our best. However costly it may be
Lack of cost shows lack of faith
David could have used the free stuff from Aruanah but he knew God could replace it
2 Corinthians 8:2-3 2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,
The Corinthian church was commended because they went “beyond their ability”
If your gift costs you nothing, you’re basically saying, I cant trust that God is going to take care of me. I need to take care of it myself- so let me go the cheapest route possible
Brass tax- God- if I listen to you and what you’re asking- Time, Talent, Treasure- Will you??
Saving up to do roof- $400 dollars- Got it for free- You get that bc you’re a pastor- no its because I’m faithful- I know God will take care of me. I am fully convinced
When you give sacrificially, you reveal a genuine faith in the Lord’s power to supply your needs
Phil 4:19 My God shall supply all your needs
Abraham was willing to give his well-beloved son because he believed God (Gen. 22:12).
Many in the early church were so strong in faith that they sold their possessions and goods and divided them with poor believers (Acts 22: 44-45) .
No true gift of faith and sacrifice goes unnoticed by our God
Mark 10:28-30 READ (receive a 100 fold return)
Do you have enough faith for a costly gift? A willingness to be stretched in your faith?
Do you believe God in EVERY area- give COSTLY gifts to God one’s that HURT that scrape the bottom of your stomach- Back when Crystal and I were in Army- our tithe was $200- gave a $1000 gift- we didn’t want anything- we didn’t’ need anything- we just wanted to GIVE
This isn’t my building- its OUR building- I could walk away tomorrow and its on someone
No cost no love
Now right away- people will say “how dare you question my love” I’m not questioning your love- I’m saying that David making this type of sacrifice showed love
1 John 3:16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
People say handmade gifts mean the most- and sure they do- if that’s all you have and it took you 20 hours to do it
But if I make my wife breakfast in bed for her birthday and don’t get her anything because I bought a new exhaust for my car- whats really happening here? I’m valuing my exhaust more than my wife- “it shouldn’t take that” really?
Your time and resources are going somewhere and the question is who or what are getting them? We say it every week- God doesn’t NEED anything- He didn’t NEED David to make this sacrifice- the killing had stop- no DAVID NEEDED to do it- for HIM
I am in hospitals quite often. Every hospital has 2 things- volunteers and donor walls.
You know whats funny? Thos people don’t have to be convinced with scripture to volunteer or give. They just do it because they believe in the organization and want to help people
No coercion. No guilt. No prying. There’s a guy from my gym met at VA 60 gunner- “cliff”
Drives hour to VA- why? Because he believes in it! He loves it! He loves veterans!
, while true love considers no labor, no cost, no sacrifice too great. “Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but A FEW DAYS, for the love he had to her” (Gen. 29:20).
True love is always liberal and open-hearted; and when love is missing, what men give is considered an investment, a charity, or a loss. “For GOD SO LOVED …. He gave His only Son.”
I can’t tell you how much its cost to be married or raise my kids… why? I’m not keeping score!
Cheap gift, cheap Majesty
A gift that costs nothing displays a lack of the m ajesty and respect for God
Romans 12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
Our Bathrooms- granite- tile- beautiful- nicer than my house- same with the kitchen- I’m glad
Dare we offer anything to the Lord of glory which is less than our best?
The quality and value of our gifts depend largely on the esteem and respect we have for the recipient.
We’ve had the same garbage man for years- Crystal gives him a gift most years- she leaves it on the lid of the garbage can- Some would say, doesn’t he deserve our best? If we give everyone our best- then what does God get?
Romans 12:10 (ESV) Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Bc, I’ll ignore others for my family- others get leftovers except GOD
A gift given in the NAME OF GOD demands our best.
Don’t cut corners even if you can
I love that David didn’t take the easy route “I want it to cost me something”
It wasn’t cheap, part time, or selfish. It was selfless
Hebrews 13:16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
The man who found one pearl of great price sold all that he had and bought it (Matt. 13:45-46).
