“The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 20 ounces of silver.” (2 Samuel 24:24, HCSB)

A sacrifice to God must cost me something, otherwise, it is not a real sacrifice. David was told by his prophet Gad that God had heard his prayer asking for mercy from the punishment. David had earlier sinned by counting his wealth. As a result, God offered three types of punishment: (1) three years of famine, (2) three months of being chased by his enemies, or (3) three days of a plague that would wipe out part of the population.

David chose the third option because he knew that he could pray and ask for mercy from God. As the plague went across Israel, it wiped out many people. The angel came to Jerusalem to wipe out the city population. As he was about to enter, David prayed fervently for help. God heard the prayer and spoke to Gad. Gad said that David should get up and make an altar to God and sacrifice an offering to Him. The owner of the place where God told David to make the sacrifice offered free animals for the king to sacrifice. However, David refused. Why? He knew that if he were to make a sacrifice, it would have to cost the king something, not someone else.

If I am to make an offering to God, it must cost. I can’t rely on someone else’s wealth to help me give to God. I can’t take the wealth of other people for God to benefit me. I have a personal responsibility to give my wealth to God. If it doesn’t cost me something, then I’m not really honoring God. If He expects my obedience, then a sacrifice must also be something shows that I want to obey God. My sacrifice is dependent upon my obedience. My obedience is not dependent upon my sacrifice. Therefore, if I am going to show that I am obedient, I need to submit to God. Submitting to God requires that I give up something of myself to Him.

Photo by James Harris on Unsplash