2 Sam. 24:24 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.

This chapter begins with God angry with David and Israel and He moved David to number Israel (v.1). It seems that after a period of peace and prosperity, David began to slacken once again in his piety and confidence towards God. The question is: How could God move David to number Israel and then punish him for doing so? It makes God an unreasonable God, isn’t it?

Well, let’s read 1 Chronicles 21:1: “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.”

It was Satan who provoked David to number the people. And, Satan cannot do anything that God had not allowed. Therefore, as God allowed Satan to tempt Job in the book of Job, God allowed Satan to tempt David. God cannot be the author of sin: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” (James 1:13, 14). And what God allows, He may be said to do.

David therefore ordered Joab to take an exact account of all the fighting men in Israel and Judah. God was justly displeased with this conduct; why? What’s wrong with taking a census? One possible reason is pride. David was lifted up by a spirit of pride and vainglory. He was making a show of strength of his armed forces to the surrounding nations and to impress them of his greatness. He yielded to the temptation of trusting in chariots and horses instead of in the victories of faith. Later in life, he regretted and wrote this psalm: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).

God offered David three choices as atonement for his sin and asked him to choose one (v.13). They are (i) 7 years of famine in the land, (ii) Chased by his enemies for 3 months, and (iii) 3 days of disease in the land. David chose the 3 days disease.

A devastating plague struck Israel and 70000 people died in a very short period of time. When the angel was about to stretch out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, God relented from the destruction and said to the angel: “It is enough” (v.16). The plague stopped in the field of Araunah. God commanded David to build an altar in the field of Araunah. David approached Araunah to buy his field. Araunah refused payment. David said: “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing” (v.24, ESV).

It’s all right to give a friend a gift that costs you nothing. Someone gave you a gift which you have no need of it; you passed it on to someone else on his birthday. Well, it is all right to give a gift to the church that someone has given you. For example, you receive a 55 inch TV as a present on your birthday. You have no use of it. You give it to the church. It costs you nothing. Still, it is very much appreciated. You could have sold it on eBay and keep the money. But you choose not to.

But David was not commanded to give a gift but a sacrifice. Sacrifice must have a cost. It won’t be a sacrifice if it costs nothing. A sacrifice to God must cost us something.

Still, in many ways we are content to give to the Lord that which cost us nothing. I’m not saying we should go sell all we have and give to the poor, but there has to be some place in between giving away all and giving $20 a week when you are earning a few thousand dollars a month.

The greatest sacrifice we can give to God is ourselves. God wants us: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

When we can give first ourselves to God, giving other things become easy. The church in Macedonia was poor but she needed no urging when comes to giving: “And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God” (22 Corinthians 8:5). The liberal soul is often found in a consecrated life. Does your religion cost you anything?