“But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” (2 Samuel 24:24, ESV)
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When the scripture above first occurred, King David had just committed sin. David did a census of the people of Israel in order to determine if he had enough men to go to war. God’s wrath came hard against David for trusting more in numbers than in God’s strength. To show His displeasure, God sent a pestilence upon Israel. Seventy thousand men died. As the pestilence was burning hot, King David prayed and admitted his sin to God. In 2 Samuel 24:16, David told God in that prayer, “it is I who have sinned, and it is I who have done wrong…”. This prayer of contrition caused God’s heart to soften toward David and Israel. God ended the pestilence.
In response to God’s forgiveness, David sought for a place to offer burnt offerings. He chose the threshing floor of Araunah. This was the place where the pestilence seemed to end. David saw it as the perfect place to build an altar and make sacrifices to the Lord. Araunah, the owner of the land David wished to purchase, was so happy that the pestilence had ended, he offered David the land for free. But King David told Araunah something very interesting in response. King David said, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt sacrifices to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24).
I want you to look closely at these words of King David. They teach something very important. David knew that God had forgiven a huge sin. David knew that God’s grace had saved many lives in Israel. David, in good conscience, could not accept free land to burn sacrifices and make offerings to God. David wanted to purchase the land as a sign of how much God meant to him. To accept the land for free would have cheapened that moment. David wanted to show the Lord how much that forgiveness meant to him. He paid a handsome price for that land.
When you give an offering that costs you something, it shows God that you are willing to go above and beyond in appreciation.
I remember doing mission work in Honduras in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. I learned so much about the people of Honduras; their culture, their faith, their love of family. I still remember the people being dirt poor but working hard to secure a future. I also remember how much God meant to many.
On weekdays, people in Honduras would don older clothes to work in the fields, clean, do laundry, make the meals, and more. But Sundays were different. The people would dress up in their finest and go to worship services and celebrate the Mass. Young girls, who usually had dirty clothes from playing in the fields and dirt streets, wore frilly white dresses to church. The boys, who during the week had dirty faces from playing in the fields, were bathed and clean with fresh buttoned up shirts and crisp pants when they went to celebrate the Mass. Despite all the poverty, those people celebrated every Lord’s Day. The cost of the clothes didn’t matter. They were going to see Jesus at church!
Seeing Nazi Germany growing and exploding upon Europe with World War 2, theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was greatly saddened at his fellow Germans. At one point, he wrote a treatise that ended up as part of a book. Therein, Bonhoeffer shared what he thought was an egregious sin in the world.
Bonhoeffer saw a lot of “cheap grace” practiced among Christians, especially Germans. Bonhoeffer explained that people who offered “cheap grace” did not want to repent for sin, own up to their errors, nor face their evil tendencies. Instead, those who practiced cheap grace wanted God’s forgiveness without it costing them much. When they sinned, they gave back a little in the collection plate and felt they had earned their forgiveness. When they supported evil done by the government, those who practiced cheap grace blamed the evil on someone else. Cheap grace kept them from truly honoring God and offering up faithful repentance. To Bonhoeffer, cheap grace ultimately led to war.
King David did not want to practice cheap grace with God. David wanted to give God a costly gift of a new altar and new sacrifices. David wanted the cost to be heavy because David wanted God to know how much forgiveness had meant. Sometimes, you need to go the extra mile as a show of a deep respect for a gracious God.
Jesus taught about “going the extra mile” out of love for God. In HIS Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that “if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles” (Matthew 5:41). If someone evil “strikes you on the right cheek, offer the other also” (Matthew 5:39). Jesus wasn’t trying to encourage the faithful to let others walk all over them or be treated poorly. Instead, Jesus wanted the faithful to be an example to others of “going the extra mile” for God in the name of Christ. Like King David, Jesus taught that sometimes, you need to have something cost you in order to show your love of God.
In today’s greedy world, many people (Christians included) will not do what is costly in order to show God’s love. They would rather practice cheap grace. They would rather grow rich while the poor suffer. They would rather surround themselves with wealth than share. I’ve seen millionaires who put $5 in the collection plate. What does this say to God? I’ve seen people who were forgiven by God hold grudges against another. How would God view this act? Why do people refuse to go big with God?
Have there been times when you went the second mile for Jesus? Have you ever given to the needy more than was required? How much do you love God? Does it show in the gifts you have given in your life so far?
In response to God’s forgiveness, David sought for a place to offer burnt offerings. He chose the threshing floor of Araunah. This was the place where the pestilence seemed to end. David saw it as the perfect place to build an altar and make sacrifices to the Lord. Araunah, the owner of the land David wished to purchase, was so happy that the pestilence had ended, he offered David the land for free. But King David told Araunah something very interesting in response. King David said, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt sacrifices to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24).
I want you to look closely at these words of King David. They teach something very important. David knew that God had forgiven a huge sin. David knew that God’s grace had saved many lives in Israel. David, in good conscience, could not accept free land to burn sacrifices and make offerings to God. David wanted to purchase the land as a sign of how much God meant to him. To accept the land for free would have cheapened that moment. David wanted to show the Lord how much that forgiveness meant to him. He paid a handsome price for that land.
When you give an offering that costs you something, it shows God that you are willing to go above and beyond in appreciation.
I remember doing mission work in Honduras in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. I learned so much about the people of Honduras; their culture, their faith, their love of family. I still remember the people being dirt poor but working hard to secure a future. I also remember how much God meant to many.
On weekdays, people in Honduras would don older clothes to work in the fields, clean, do laundry, make the meals, and more. But Sundays were different. The people would dress up in their finest and go to worship services and celebrate the Mass. Young girls, who usually had dirty clothes from playing in the fields and dirt streets, wore frilly white dresses to church. The boys, who during the week had dirty faces from playing in the fields, were bathed and clean with fresh buttoned up shirts and crisp pants when they went to celebrate the Mass. Despite all the poverty, those people celebrated every Lord’s Day. The cost of the clothes didn’t matter. They were going to see Jesus at church!
Seeing Nazi Germany growing and exploding upon Europe with World War 2, theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was greatly saddened at his fellow Germans. At one point, he wrote a treatise that ended up as part of a book. Therein, Bonhoeffer shared what he thought was an egregious sin in the world.
Bonhoeffer saw a lot of “cheap grace” practiced among Christians, especially Germans. Bonhoeffer explained that people who offered “cheap grace” did not want to repent for sin, own up to their errors, nor face their evil tendencies. Instead, those who practiced cheap grace wanted God’s forgiveness without it costing them much. When they sinned, they gave back a little in the collection plate and felt they had earned their forgiveness. When they supported evil done by the government, those who practiced cheap grace blamed the evil on someone else. Cheap grace kept them from truly honoring God and offering up faithful repentance. To Bonhoeffer, cheap grace ultimately led to war.
King David did not want to practice cheap grace with God. David wanted to give God a costly gift of a new altar and new sacrifices. David wanted the cost to be heavy because David wanted God to know how much forgiveness had meant. Sometimes, you need to go the extra mile as a show of a deep respect for a gracious God.
Jesus taught about “going the extra mile” out of love for God. In HIS Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that “if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles” (Matthew 5:41). If someone evil “strikes you on the right cheek, offer the other also” (Matthew 5:39). Jesus wasn’t trying to encourage the faithful to let others walk all over them or be treated poorly. Instead, Jesus wanted the faithful to be an example to others of “going the extra mile” for God in the name of Christ. Like King David, Jesus taught that sometimes, you need to have something cost you in order to show your love of God.
In today’s greedy world, many people (Christians included) will not do what is costly in order to show God’s love. They would rather practice cheap grace. They would rather grow rich while the poor suffer. They would rather surround themselves with wealth than share. I’ve seen millionaires who put $5 in the collection plate. What does this say to God? I’ve seen people who were forgiven by God hold grudges against another. How would God view this act? Why do people refuse to go big with God?
Have there been times when you went the second mile for Jesus? Have you ever given to the needy more than was required? How much do you love God? Does it show in the gifts you have given in your life so far?