1 Chronicles 21 & 22: The Full Price
Verse of the Day: (21:24) And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
1. Provocation (21:1-19)
And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. (21:1)
David became proud and self-sufficient as he failed to pray to God whether he should number his people, but instead sinned against Him when he numbered Israel as Satan had provoked him to do. Consequently, God through Prophet Gad gave him 3 choices as to how he and also Israel shall be punished. The first was 3 years’ famine, the second was that his enemies shall destroy Israel for 3 months and the last was that God’s angel and a deadly disease shall destroy them for 3 days. David chose the chastisement of God, and He sent the disease, and destroyed 70,000 people. David then pleaded with God, and He commanded him to build an altar at the threshingfloor of Ornan, the Jebusite, to offer sacrifices to atone his sins and stop His wrath. Indeed, let us resist the devil, and humble ourselves before God, and seek His will and direction in everything we do. (James 4:6-10)
2. Price (21:20-30)
And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof. (21:27)
When Ornan wanted to give the portion of the land of his threshingfloor, David insisted that he must pay the full price. Indeed, nothing is free, and though our salvation is free, yet it costs the precious life and blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. For without His blood, there is no atonement and the forgiveness of the sins of the world. (Hebrews 9:11-28)
3. Preparation (22:1-19)
And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death. (22:5)
David was very thankful to God that he was chosen to be the lineage of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Saviour of the world. Though God chose Solomon, David’s young and inexperienced son, instead of him, to build His house, that shall be the most magnificent and majestic palace throughout the world, yet David gladly accepted His choice and prepared all the materials for Solomon to construct it. David knew that God had denied him of building His house as he was a man of war and had shed much blood from the battles he fought against the enemies of Israel. (1 Chronicles 28:3) Indeed, let us be thankful to God knowing that He knows what is best for us. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that You paid full price, Your Life and Blood, to atone me.
