2 Samuel 24:24–25: “Then the king said to Araunah, ‘No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.’ So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.”

July 3rd, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

David sinned against the Lord when he numbered the people of Israel, and as a result a plague came on the people. When David saw this, he acknowledged his sin before the Lord and repented. He was told to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah and offer a sacrifice. David correctly understood that sacrifice is an essential part of repentance, worship, and service to God, which is why he demanded that Araunah take money for the site that would later become the place of the future temple.

David displayed an important principle for us. We also should give more to God than what is merely convenient, and it should be given out of a grateful heart. The longer we live, the more blessings we receive; therefore, the more we have to be thankful for. And also the longer we live, the more mistakes we make, the more people we hurt, the more wrong directions we take; therefore, the more we have to be forgiven of.

In the New Testament, Paul the Apostle realized this when he called himself the greatest sinner: “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Tim. 1:15). Paul meant that the worst sinner has already been saved, so we can’t use the excuse that we’re too sinful for God to save. John Newton, who had been a slave-ship captain, echoed this when he wrote, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound / That saved a wretch like me.” It is amazing grace! If God could and would save one like Paul and John Newton, then there is hope for you and me. Newton also wrote:

Our righteousness is in Him, and our hope depends, not upon the exercise of grace in us, but upon the fullness of grace and love in Him, and upon His obedience unto death.

Since this is true, how should we then serve Him? The answer is just as Jesus taught, “with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27).

“LORD, we want to walk with You and serve You with everything we have. We want to be a living sacrifice to You.”

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1 Samuel 24 KJV

¹ And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.  ² Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. ³ And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. ⁴ And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.  ⁵ And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. ⁶ And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’Sanointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. ⁷ So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.  ⁸ David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself. ⁹ And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? ¹⁰ Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORDhad delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD’S anointed. ¹¹ Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. ¹² The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. ¹³ As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. ¹⁴ After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. ¹⁵ The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand. ¹⁶ And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. ¹⁷ And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. ¹⁸ And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.  ¹⁹ For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. ²⁰ And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand. ²¹ Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father’s house. ²² And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.