The Pathway to Sacrifice

Scripture Focus (2 Samuel 24:10-25) – “But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” [11] And when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, [12] “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’” [13] So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.” [14] Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.” [15] So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. [16] And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. [17] Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father’s house.” [18] And Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” [19] So David went up at Gad’s word, as the LORD commanded. [20] And when Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. And Araunah went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground. [21] And Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be averted from the people.” [22] Then Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. [23] All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.” [24] 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. [25] And David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.”

I. David Awakens to His Foolishness (10-13)

“[13] So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.”

Many have wondered why there was such severe punishment for David taking a census. We understand David’s actions to be sinful in that:

1. David was taking pride in his achievements & military strength

2. David refused to listen to Joab’s counsel not to take the census

3. David made irresponsible use of time and money given to him from God. To take a census would have been an incredible task – and it was all for David’s ego.

A. David was convicted by God (10) – “But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

B. David was confronted by Gad the prophet (11-13) – “And when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, [12] “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the LORD, ‘Three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’”

DAVID DELIBERATELY CHOSE THE SIN, NOW HE HAD TO DELIBERATELY CHOOSE THE PUNISHMENT

1. Three years of famine?

2. Three months of military defeats?

3. Three days of pestilence?

II. David Laments His Consequences (14-17)

A. The impact of his sin was recognized (14) – “Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.”

B. The punishment for his sin was materialized (15-16) – “So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men. [16] And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”

C. The fallout from his sin was maximized (17) – “Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father’s house.”

The sins of a leader affect his followers:

I am not prepared to say that today God works in this exact way…but I am not prepared to say that He doesn’t. Those who lead in families, churches, ministries, businesses, and politics make countless decisions which flow into the lives of many people. For those who follow Jesus, our decisions must always take into account how those who follow us will be impacted. David’s personal sin impacted the entire nation as God released the consequences.

III. David Adjusts His Focus (18-25)

A. God called David to sacrifice (18-19) -“And Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” [19] So David went up at Gad’s word, as the LORD commanded.”

B. David embraced the call to sacrifice (20-21) – “[20] And when Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. And Araunah went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground. [21] And Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be averted from the people.”

The Significance of This Tract of Land

• It is the on the larger piece of land called Mount Moriah where Abraham committed to obediently sacrifice his son, Isaac (Genesis 22)

• It became the site of Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 6)

• It is currently the location of Islamic holy sites, particularly the Dome of the Rock

• It will be the site of the third Jewish Temple in which the antichrist will eventually declare himself to be God (Daniel 9 24-27)

C. Araunah sought to lessen the cost for David (22-23) – “[22] Then Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. [23] All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.”

D. The sacrifice was consecrated by David (24-25) – 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. [25] And David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.”

All Christians must be resolved in these three things:

1. A commitment to pay the price – “No, but I will buy it from you for a price.”

2. A principle to live by – “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.”

3. A follow through with action – “And David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.”