How does David's action demonstrate the principle of costly worship? Verse at a glance “But the king replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on paying you for it, for I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.’ So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” (2 Samuel 24:24) Backdrop: why David was buying a threshing floor • God had sent a plague because of David’s census; the angel stopped at Araunah’s threshing floor. • Through the prophet Gad, the LORD commanded David to build an altar on that very spot. • Araunah offered the site and the animals for free, yet David refused the gift. Costly worship defined in David’s words • “I will not offer … burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” • True worship involves personal sacrifice—something felt, not leftover. • David’s payment (fifty shekels) signified ownership and responsibility; the offering would be undeniably his. What makes worship “costly” • Giving up personal resources (time, finances, comforts). • Surrendering control and pride. • Choosing obedience even when it is inconvenient or painful. • Aligning priorities so that God receives first and best, not last and least. Why God values cost • Cost proves love—Genesis 22:2 shows Abraham called to offer Isaac, the most precious gift. • Cost reveals faith—Philippians 3:8, Paul counts “everything a loss” for Christ. • Cost purifies motives—Malachi 1:8 warns against bringing blemished sacrifices. • Cost magnifies grace—Romans 12:1 urges believers to present their bodies “as living sacrifices.” Thread through the Bible • 1 Chronicles 21:24 (parallel account) repeats David’s refusal of a free gift. • Mark 12:43-44—widow’s two small coins outweighed larger donations because they were all she had. • John 12:3—Mary’s perfume worth a year’s wages poured out on Jesus’ feet. • Hebrews 13:15-16—praise, generosity, and good works offered continually please God. Lessons for today • Evaluate offerings: do they stretch faith or come from surplus? • Prioritize worship over convenience; Sunday schedules, service, and giving should reflect God’s worth. • Remember that salvation itself was purchased at infinite cost—1 Peter 1:18-19 calls believers redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ.” • Costly worship cultivates deeper intimacy; as we give, God reveals more of Himself. From sacrifice to Savior David’s costly altar became the site of Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 3:1). Generations later, Jesus—the ultimate costly offering—fulfilled every shadow of sacrifice. The principle endures: genuine worship still costs, and God remains worthy of everything we lay down. |
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