"I'm goin' from glory to glory; I left my pit behind.
The Fath-er opened Heaven now I can walk inside.
Jesus paid the ultimate price
So I could walk in the fullness of life.
All the benefits of Heaven are mine.
I left my pit behind.
The Fath-er opened Heaven now I can walk inside.
Jesus paid the ultimate price
So I could walk in the fullness of life.
All the benefits of Heaven are mine.
I left my pit behind.
I have to admit I have days that I question if this fresh oil from heaven is here to stay. In the past I would have been looking to mess up and then have my joy or peace snatched away. My expectation was if I sowed good seed I reaped a good harvest but if I was lazy or sowed bad then I would reap the consequences. I had trained myself to believe that I would not offer the Lord anything that cost me nothing. But my sacrifices were as filthy rags and I ALWAYS ended up disappointed in myself and my pit was just the right shape for my heart's condition. I expected to end up in the pit since I could not keep up the righteous act for long. Frustration and disappointment were right there beside me in that pit.
But something has been hounding me this past couple days. I keep hearing "BUT you should not offer God something that cost you nothing." How many times have I been conditioned in my mind and heart that I must do something for God to please Him. I have settled it in my heart that Jesus paid 100% of the price for me to reap 100% of the benefits but still this notion of a sacrifice MUST COST ME is so deeply rooted. So I went to the source: 2 Samuel 24.
David is temped by Satan (this is more clear in 1Chron 21:1) to count the people. God did not tell him to take a census or the prophet Gad would have informed David of the need and why. Even David's top military guy told him it was a bad idea. David admits later he did it of his own accord. I think it was a pride thing. A big king wanting to boast of his big army to make him feel better about his kingdom. So after he repents to God then God informs him that a curse is due Israel for breaking the Law (you know that law that says everyone has to pay a half a shekel when they are counted in the census--Ex 30) Since David is remorseful, God allows David to choose from three evil things for the curse. Oy! Those are tough choices. He decides to put himself in the hand of God with pestilence rather than his enemies or 7 years of famine. The Angel of the Lord strikes down 70,000 people.
The Angel of the Lord stops at the threshing floor of a man named Araunah (Ornan in the other account in 1 Chron) whose name means "shout for joy". I guess I would shout for joy too if the Angel of the Lord stopped and didn't kill me when so many others were dead. But it might be he was joyful because his home or threshing floor was the same spot that God led Abraham to Mt Moriah (Gen 22) and generations later the spot where Jesus was crucified on Calvary.(1 Chronicles 21:29)
So Araunah offers to give King David everything for free to make the sacrifice where the Angel of the Lord stopped. But David said he could not sacrifice what cost him nothing. So that's what I believed. I must sacrifice to God and it has to cost me! I have to sweat and cry and anguish as I serve the King of kings. I thought Jesus required me to sacrifice to him. It does say in Romans 12:1 that we are living sacrifices but where does it say in the New Testament that we give ourselves a sacrifice for our sins? NO WHERE. We are also told to take up our cross and follow him but also that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. We need to keep it all in perspective.
But who does David typify in the Bible? As king, David is a biblical type of Jesus. David pays a very high price that day. 600 shekels is way beyond what it would normally cost to buy or rent this piece of real estate. I looked up what one gold shekel is worth. It is about $800 each. So that is a pretty penny (or shekel) for the use of the threshing floor and the contents of the sacrifice. Araunah was even more joyful with his pockets jingling with shekels. "I'm alive and rich!"
So why oh why have I translated this to mean that *I* must sacrifice and give to God in a manner that makes me worthy? "I will not give God something that cost me nothing..." But Jesus already paid the price...He is and was the perfect, costly sacrifice. I think I can DO something to top that?
We need to remember the purpose of the Law: What, then, was the purpose of the Law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The Law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. (Gal 3:19) I should not try to keep up with giving sacrifices when they are NO LONGER REQUIRED! Jesus is the SEED that was promised. I am not to sacrifice but thank HIM for providing His divine power that has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our KNOWLEDGE of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
