What does David's response teach about repentance and God's mercy?

David’s Response of Repentance

- “So David went up at the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD” (1 Chronicles 21:19). Immediate, unquestioning obedience marks true contrition.

- He buys Araunah’s threshing floor and insists, “I will not take for the LORD what belongs to you, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing” (21:24). Repentance embraces personal cost.

- He builds the altar himself (21:26), showing repentance is active, not merely emotional.

- He intercedes: “Please let Your hand fall on me and my father’s house, but not on Your people” (21:17). A repentant heart seeks mercy for others.

Lessons on Repentance

- Humility: David falls facedown before the angel (21:16).

- Submission to God’s word: he obeys Gad without delay (21:19).

- Sacrificial obedience: he gives generously (50 shekels of gold; 21:25).

- Concern for others: he pleads for Israel’s safety (21:17).

God’s Mercy Displayed

- Judgment restrained: the angel’s sword is sheathed before Jerusalem is destroyed (21:15).

- Acceptance signaled: fire from heaven consumes the offering (21:26).

- Future blessing: the threshing floor becomes the temple site (22:1).

- Character revealed: “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion” (Psalm 103:8).

Supporting Passages

- Parallel account: 2 Samuel 24.

- David’s confession: Psalm 51.

- Principle: “He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

- Example: Nineveh’s repentance and God’s relenting (Jonah 3:10).

- New-Testament echo: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us” (1 John 1:9).

Key Takeaways

- Genuine repentance is swift, humble, obedient, and willing to pay a price.

- God’s mercy meets the repentant with forgiveness, restoration, and future hope.

- A place of judgment can become a place of worship when sin is confessed and God’s mercy is received.