King David was once offered a choice of punishments after sinning: “Now David’s heart troubled him…So David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done…Lord, please overlook the guilt of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishl10…” “The word of the Lord came… saying…’I am imposing upon you three choices; choose…one of them…seven years of famine…flee for three months before your enemies… or shall there be three days of plague…?’” Then David said…“I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”
So the Lord sent a plague, and seventy thousand men died. When the angel extended his hand… the Lord…said to the angel…“It is enough!”
Then David spoke to the Lord when he saw the angel striking down the people, and said, “Behold, it is I who have sinned, and…have done wrong.” Then David went… as the Lord had commanded… that the plague might be withdrawn from the people.
Araunah then said…“Let my Lord the king take and offer up what is good in his sight. Look, here are the oxen for the burnt offering.”
David answered, “No, but I will certainly buy it…for I will not offer to the Lord my God that cost me nothing”… And the Lord responded to prayer…and the plague was withdrawn…” (2 Samuel 24: 10- 25) This is a great demonstration of God’s mercy when repentance is sincere and worship is sacrificial.
David’s heart troubled him. He said, “I am in great distress.” Because he’d sinned against his Lord, he was hurting. How do you feel after sinning?
Consider David’s words: “I will not offer…to the Lord my God that (which) cost me nothing.” That is the heart of God’s servant! What do you feel when you’ve sinned?
“I have sinned greatly...” David trusted himself rather than God, showing his lack of faith. He admitted he’d “acted very foolishly.” His guilt was crushing him! Although David asked God to “please overlook” his sin, the Lord imposed consequences! God won’t give us a pass for our sins. You and I can’t forgive our own sins!
Sadly, David couldn’t undo all the deaths caused by his sin. Many people suffer when we sin.
David followed God’s command to worship Him sacrificially. God commands us to worship Him. He loves you! He knows your heart, your innermost being, and who you truly are. Please give your heart to Jesus by trusting and obeying Him!
The Lord can forgive your sins when you turn away from them and follow Him! He wants to rescue you from your pain and the burden of sin.