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GOD FORGAVE AND INSTRUCTED DAVID
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
2 Samuel 24

Psalm 26

 

“Judge me, O LORD;
for I have walked in mine integrity…”
 
GOD FORGAVE AND INSTRUCTED DAVID
 
David had sinned, but the pain came upon his people. This was to show David that he must not boast of numbers, for the Lord was able to destroy a multitude. The number of those who died was more than what David would need in a war. The Lord wanted to humble him in this manner and to teach him through this object lesson. David was a man who never lost a war, but here was his humiliation, so that he might know that the Lord is indeed the Lord of hosts. The Lord had to bring him this low because he forsook dependence on the Lord. He wanted to boast of a large number of his men of war. The Lord taught him the hard way.
 
He was instructed to go and build an altar on the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite (2 Sam 24:18). An altar was a place to offer sacrifice to the Lord as a form of worship. It was the most reverential way to worship God before the Son of God came to the world and offered Himself as a final sacrifice for all the sins of men. David came and conversed with Araunah who allowed him to use the floor and also the oxen and the threshing instruments for wood. The king’s intention was to buy, but Araunah offered the items for free. Nevertheless, David objected the free offer and said that he would not offer to the Lord that which cost him nothing. He bought the floor and oxen for fifty shekels of silver. He might have offered him more than the market price then. He insisted on paying and Araunah accepted his offer. Perhaps, David thought that Araunah might have offered his floor because he feared the king. He could also have wanted to show that he was obedient to God’s Law and that he would not use his position to act unlawfully.
 
Thus, David built an altar and offered to the Lord the sacrifice as had been instructed. He was then reconciled to the Lord and the sin of pride in the census was then put behind him. Pride is a serious sin. Those in authority must take great care. All sins are equally serious. What sin can you detect in your life? Come back to the Lord today.
 
THOUGHT: Kings must also submit to God.

PRAYER: Father, let me always honour Thee and those in authority.

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