David Builds an Altar

Many years ago, a young mother was making her way on foot across the hills of South Wales, carrying her infant son. A blinding blizzard overtook the pair, and the mother never reached her destination. Searchers found her lifeless body, with the baby snuggled beneath her, warm and … More

Sacrifice

David’s motivation for taking a census of Israel is not given explicitly. We are told however that Satan caused him to do it (v.11). The census taken in Numbers 1:2 was God’s idea. This census was David’s idea, likely caused by his pride in the strength of his army as he started to trust more in military power than in God’s power. Satan can only tempt us; it is our choice whether to act. God provided a way of escape through Joab’s counsel, but David did not take his advice. Once he realized his sin, David took full responsibility, admitting he was wrong and asking God for forgiveness. Sin has consequences, however, and 70,000 people died in a plague. After David pled for mercy, God responded, stopping the angel of death before his mission was complete, in one of the most dramatic scenes in the Old Testament. 

Through the prophet Gad, the angle told David to build an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite (v. 18). David asked if Ornan would sell him his threshing floor so David could build an altar there, to offer sacrifices to the Lord to stop the plague from killing the people (v. 22). David offered to pay full price for the land, but Ornan wanted to give him the land for free. He even offered him his oxen, his wheat, and his wood for free (v. 23). But David refused as he knew that his sacrifice to the Lord would not count if it cost himself nothing (v. 24). David gave Ornan 600 shekels of gold (v. 25), and then built an altar and offered sacrifices to please the Lord (v. 26). He prayed, and the Lord sent down fire onto the altar. The Lord then commanded the angel to put the sword away (v. 27). When David saw that his prayer was answered, he offered more sacrifices (vv. 28-30). David built this altar on the same location where Abraham offered up his son, Isaac, and Solomon later built the temple.

Application

Giving to God that which cost me nothing does not demonstrate commitment. To give sacrificially requires more than a token effort or gift.

I Chronicles 21:1-30 (English Standard Version)


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