seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Samuel 24:18 On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad. 20 When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.
21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”
“To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.”
22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23 Your Majesty, Araunah[d] gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.”
24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels[e] of silver for them. 25 David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”
“To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.”
22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23 Your Majesty, Araunah[d] gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.”
24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels[e] of silver for them. 25 David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
d. 2 Samuel 24:23 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts King Araunah
e. 2 Samuel 24:24 That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams
Ok... this is from Bible.org.
As I play a mental picture of our text, I am reminded of my roommate in college. He owned a 1953 Ford, which was literally on its last legs. Another friend was a new car dealer at the time, and he also sold used cars. My friend Jerry drove his 1953 Ford to Auburn, Washington, and looked at a 1959 Chevrolet. He was interested, but he didn’t want to let the salesman know it. After the salesman quoted his “best price” (including the trade-in he would allow for the Ford), Jerry told him he would think about it and get back to him. He got into his Ford and hit the starter; nothing happened. Calmly, he got out of the car, walked over to the salesman, and said, “I’ll take it.” This was no time to be driving a hard bargain. Jerry was in a difficult spot.
Araunah was not in a great negotiating position either. Here was the angel of the LORD, still in sight, and David was ascending with a number of his servants. Araunah was a foreigner who was lucky to be alive, let alone having land so near to David and the city of Jerusalem. He owned a prime piece of land and had just been told by David that he must have it. David told him to name his price. Araunah thought this was a good time to make David a deal he could not refuse. He offered to give David not only the land, but also his oxen and the threshing sledges, so that he could offer a sacrifice to the LORD.
Araunah was not in a great negotiating position either. Here was the angel of the LORD, still in sight, and David was ascending with a number of his servants. Araunah was a foreigner who was lucky to be alive, let alone having land so near to David and the city of Jerusalem. He owned a prime piece of land and had just been told by David that he must have it. David told him to name his price. Araunah thought this was a good time to make David a deal he could not refuse. He offered to give David not only the land, but also his oxen and the threshing sledges, so that he could offer a sacrifice to the LORD.
Bible.org titled the study "Neiman Marcus Military, K-Mart Christianity"
It would have been a tempting offer for me. Here was the chance to have a “Kmart” ministry– a great ministry at the perfect price (nothing) . Araunah must have been shocked by David’s response. He refused to accept Araunah’s generous offer of a prime piece of land. If David accepted this offer, his sacrifice would cost him nothing. How can one offer a “sacrifice” without making any sacrifices to do so? David purchased the land (I’m not sure about the oxen and the sledges) at full price, and then offered his sacrifices. When this sacrifice had been made, the Lord heard the entreaties of His people and stopped the plague.
Our text has many other lessons to teach us, and I will merely mention some of them for you to consider. Let us be on guard against taking pride in that which God has accomplished in and through us. It would certainly seem that part of David’s problem in our passage was that of pride, pride in what he had done, rather than in what He (God) had done. Let us not seek to measure success or godliness merely in terms of numbers. In God’s eyes, success is seldom measured quantitatively. Let us also be warned that we can be tempted (by pride) to fall in those areas where we perceive ourselves to be the strongest.
Finally, let us learn from David that there is no worship without sacrifice. Ultimately, of course, our worship is based upon the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. But there is also a sense in which our worship should take place through our own sacrifice.
Finally, let us learn from David that there is no worship without sacrifice. Ultimately, of course, our worship is based upon the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. But there is also a sense in which our worship should take place through our own sacrifice.
Be careful.... I don't think that God would want us to be putting "Kmart" labels on the small churches and Bible studies [like this one] where the financial sacrifice isn't as significant as the mega church in the square. Sometimes the personal sacrifice seems small to the onlooker but in God's eyes.... it's perfect.....not at all a Kmart blue light sale.
David sunk a lot of money into the military... this is true... they were numbered and ranked.... and he did it without going to God to get it done. He didn't spend nearly as much on putting God at the center of his government. Yes, Israel had their king. Israel wanted to be a kingdom.... so God gave them Saul and then David. This kingdom, however, was built on the Ten Commandments.... and the first Commandment in those days was "God is in charge". So it makes sense that David shouldn't be so worried about defending himself as he should be worried about letting God be in charge.
Exodus 20:1 And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
I wonder what kind of world it will be when the people let God be in charge again.
It dawned on me that the guy who owned the threshing floor might have been trying to make his own sacrifice by just giving the land to David. But then I would have to wonder.... was the sacrifice to God or to David.... I'm glad I don't really have to worry about that... right????
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