Wednesday – History

Reading – 2 Samuel 23-24

Highlight Verse:

““Take it, my Lord the king, and use it as you wish,” Araunah said to David. “Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭24‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This passage raises two glaring questions for me.

Who is Araunah and why did he act so generously toward David?

The passage points out that he was a Jebusite.

In other words, he was a resident of Jebus, the city on that site before Jerusalem came.

So, he was one of the people who were conquered by the Israelites when they took over the city a couple decades prior. He was a Canaanite.

He was not only allowed to stay but was treated with respect by King David.

Why was he generous?

Some would say it was out of fear of King David. In fact, that was my first impression.

Then I realized that he knew the importance of the sacrifices that needed to be made at his threshing floor.

He was a true believer in God.

He was willing to give whatever was needed to please God.

We all know the story of David saying that he wouldn’t sacrifice that which cost him nothing.

It was his wrongdoing. It had to be his sacrifice to correct it.

Araunah understood and accepted David’s payment.

What is the takeaway from this passage?

I believe Araunah would teach us the importance of sacrificial faith even in the face of great loss.

He would also teach us to be sensitive to the needs of others, even when they are unusual.

Have you ever been faced with the decision to give sacrificially?
Did you go through with it, or did God provide another way?