“But the king (David) replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” 2 Samuel 24:24
Most people enjoy getting something for free. A while back my students asked me why everything can’t be for free. I responded by saying everything costs somebody something. Araunah the Jebusite attempted to give David a free offering so that David would have an offering to give to the Lord. David responded by saying, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them”.
The Spirit Filled Life Bible points out “The threshing floor of Araunah was on Mount Moriah where Abraham offered Isaac (Gen. 22:2). Abraham was told by God “Take your son , your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah… Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering.” Abraham offered that which was precious to him, his son. However, before Abraham brought down the knife upon his son, “the angel of the Lord called to him out of the heavens and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham…lay not a hand upon the lad…now I know that you fear God seeing you did not withhold your son, your only son from me.”
How could David stand on the same plot of land that Abraham stood upon and not bring a costly offering. Abraham was asked by God to offer his son as an act of obedience to God. The Prophet Samuel said, Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (1 Sam 15:22). When David brought the offering to the Lord there was a plague in Israel. 2 Samuel 24:25 states, “David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.” David’s focus was upon the healing of others.
Had you ever had a Garden of Gethsemane experience? “It was in a garden where Adam first said, “Not your will but mine be done,” and it was in a garden where Jesus fell to His knees and prayed, “Not my will but Yours be done.” At the time, His disciples were asleep; so when it comes to being obedient to God, and sharing the gospel of truth with the unsaved, don’t be discouraged. Simply get on your knees and pray Father, I desire to be obedient to you, and the thought of sharing my faith with others makes me sweat great drops of blood in fear. Yet not my will, but Yours be done (Ray Comfort).” God is still looking for those that would give an offering worth offering, an obedient life to Him. Obedience is challenging, but if you’re like me, at the times that I don’t obey the Lord, it only makes things worse off. There are so many people that are dying without Christ, because so many Christians are not being obedient to share their faith. The late Bill Bright in his book, The Coming Revival, wrote that only 2 percent of Christians regularly share their faith with others.
Are you being obedient to the voice of the Lord in your life? Are you sharing your faith with others?
Until the nets are filled…Blessings, Pastor Phil <><
He Has Magnified His Word 