The Price of Being Right With God
And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah…. And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly…. So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men….And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite. And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the Lord commanded…. And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel .II Samuel 24:1, 10, 15, 18-19, 24-25 (KJV)
Satan provoked David to number Israel. The devil took advantage of David’s pride. We must take heed to stand lest we fall. No matter the great victories God gives us, we must remember that victory comes from God and not from our own strength.
David numbered the people. We must resist satan when he tempts us to get into pride. We must not do what God did not tell us to do.
If you read the full chapter, you’ll see that once David repented, God actually gave him three choices of judgment. However, David chose fall into God’s hands this time and not man’s and relied on God’s mercies. David let God choose the judgment.
In the midst of judgment, God told David to build an altar. We are to worship God in all things- including times of judgment or correction. David offered to buy the place that the altar was to be built, telling the owner that he would not offer to God what did not cost him something.
When we sin, there is a price to pay to get right with God again. Jesus paid the price that we could not pay to maintain fellowship with God. However, we are to commit our all to the Lord, worshiping Him at all times and giving Him our best.
David bought the ground for the altar to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings. Burnt offerings were for sin. This speaks of Christ dying for us to grant us forgiveness of sins. Peace offerings were to restore peace with God, which was also accomplished by Jesus Christ for us (Romans 5:1). David paid fifty shekels of silver for the land. Fifty in the Bible is jubilee (Leviticus 25). Silver speaks of redemption. We see this in the construction of the tabernacle. David bought the land, built and altar and offered offerings on it. The judgment was stayed, or stopped, and it proceeded no further.
When we sin, we must rely on the redemption of Christ. He is our Jubilee to set us free and to make things right with God. His sacrifice has placed us in right relationship with God and we are restored. Remember, because Jesus offered His best to the Father for us, we should offer our best to Him in all we do. Christ paid the price to make us right with God, and we should honor Him with all we have and in everything we do. Nothing is too precious that we cannot offer it to the One who gave everything for us.
