David
sins in Ch 20 by numbering the people. God is displeased and gives David three
options for judgment, of which David chooses to be punished by the Lord himself
knowing that he is more merciful than man (20:13). When God sends the death
angel and the people are being killed, David repents and cries out to God. So
the Lord sends Gad to tell him to buy the threshing floor of Ornan and use it
to make a sacrifice that will avert the wrath of God from the people (21:22).
Gracious Ornan offers to give it to David but David invokes those famous words
of commitment to the Lord, “No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will
not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me
nothing.” (21:24)
I
must admit that my mind went to my own commitment to the Lord and what it has
cost me to serve the Lord — even thinking what I need to do to avert the punishment
of the Lord in my own life for my sins. But, thankfully, God didn’t let me go
down that road for long. In my own mind, I was reminded of the Gospel. David is
a picture for us of our Lord Jesus Christ. He averted the wrath of God for his
people by what cost him his very own life. He is the threshing floor of Ornan;
he is the altar of sacrifice; he is the offering to the Lord that is acceptable
for our sins. Jesus is our all in all. Let us worship him.
Prayer:
Father, how gracious you are to remind us of your love demonstrated on the
cross for us. How merciful you are that you gave your only begotten Son that
whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. Father, you
did not redeem us with ways that cost you nothing. Thank you for your great
love and everlasting mercy.
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