But King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.”
1 Chronicles 21:24 NIV
The story this verse is a part of is a bit confusing. It involves David calling for a census of the army. A census that was evil in God’s sight and that resulted in a judgment against not just David but all of Israel. This judgment was only stopped when David bought the threshing floor of Araunah along with all of his equipment to offer a sacrifice to God. Araunah offered it to David for free. But David declined his offer and insisted that he pay full price for all that he was going to offer to God. He would not offer up a sacrifice to God that cost him nothing.
I believe there is a valuable lesson in this for all of us. We seldom find ourselves in David’s position, offering a sacrifice to stop an angel from destroying the city we live in. But how often is the offering I give to God something that costs me very little? Whether my money, time, or abilities, if what I offer is out of my surplus, it really costs me nothing.
By all means, give your surplus. But also be willing to give sacrificially. Not just from what you have left over at the end of the day. But give to God the best that you have. That is a sacrifice that is pleasing to God.
