Gad the seer came to David and instructed him to build an altar at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David obeyed immediately and went about to get the land. When Araunah saw David approaching him, he went out and meet him, first bowing down before the king respectfully, asking “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David’s reply to him was, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be held back from the people.” Araunah wanted to give it free of charge to the king, including whatever was needed for the offering, yoke of wood, and even the oxen. But David insisted on paying for the land, for he refused to offer to God anything that would cost him nothing. So David purchased the threshing floor of Araunah for fifty shekels of silver. And there he built an altar and offered a sacrifice. The Lord was moved by David’s prayer and the pestilence was removed.
Down
the centuries what David had done in this offering had set an example for us believers.
“I will not offer burnt offering to the LORD my God which cost me nothing”, has
inspired many to give their all to the Lord. We think of Mary who came to Jesus
with her vial of costly spikenard oil, her prize possession. It probably took
her life savings to buy it, yet she was willing to break it over the Lord Jesus’
head to show her total affection. In this account, we see David would not give cheap
offerings to the Lord but rather an offering where he would have to make some sacrifices.
Let us not offer to God the leftovers of our life, but like David and Mary let
us give God our very best portions. Offering the Lord the best of our life is
the only appropriate response for all that he had done for us. It is fitting here
for us to close our reflections on this book of 2 Samuel, with the words of a hymn
as a personal prayer of dedication of our lives, in total consecration to our Lord
Jesus.
Lord, in the fullness of my might,
I would for Thee be strong:
While runneth o’er each dear delight,
To Thee should soar my song.
I would not give the world my heart,
And then profess Thy love;
I would not feel my strength depart,
And then Thy service prove.
I would not with swift winged zeal
On the world’s errands go,
And labor up the heavenly hill
With weary feet and slow.
O not for Thee my weak desires,
My poorer, baser part!
O not for Thee my fading fires,
The ashes of my heart!
O choose me in my golden time:
In my clear joys have part!
For Thee the glory of my prime,
The fullness of my heart!
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