Parched Piece of Ground

I hear people talking about leaving a legacy and I understand their sentiment, but often it has a scent of narcissism. After all, legacy is an earthly reminder of a person’s achievements while the crowns in Heaven are thrown down at the throne of God. My simple mind tells me to just be faithful in the Kingdom of God and leave the accounting to God’s record.

In 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21, the Bible tells a sin in King David’s life. He sinned by numbering Israel out of a bad motive. Instead of trusting God, he trusted the strong arm of flesh. He wanted to feel secure in the number of warriors he had at his disposal. Joab, the leader of the army, was sent throughout the land to take a census of his fighting men.

But then David realized his sin. God sent the prophet Gad and gave him three choices of punishment for disobedience. The options were three years of famine, three months of being defeated by his enemies, or three days of a plague. David replied, “Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man” (2 Samuel 24:14 NKJV). He chose the three days of a plague.

God sent a destroying angel that killed 70,000 people of Israel and then God relented. The angel stopped by the threshing floor of Araunah (named Ornan in 1 Chronicles 21). David was told by the prophet Gad to build an altar on Araunah’s threshing floor.

Araunah offered David everything: the threshing floor, the oxen for a burnt sacrifice, the threshing implements, oxen yoke for wood, and the wheat for a grain offering.

But David made a powerful statement in 2 Samuel 24:24 (NKJV), “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.”

David made the offering using the items and the site which he purchased from Araunah, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel. When David prepared the offering, God answered by fire from Heaven consuming the sacrifice. All that was left was a parched piece of ground.

Mount Moriah where Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac, the threshing floor of Araunah (aka Ornan), and the location of Solomon’s temple was the same location and not by consequence.

“Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” 
(Genesis 22:2 NKJV).
 
“Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite”
(2 Chronicles 3:1 NKJV).

I am thankful Jesus is the one and only sacrifice needed for our salvation. Yet, when it comes to our worship and service; we are commanded to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1 NKJV).

We offer God our all and have the attitude of David, “nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.”

I will not allow others to pay the sacrifice of service and worship required of me. I will not ride on the praise and prayer of others. Nor will I allow others to make financial sacrifices because I did not do my part. Nor will I allow only others to be the living martyrs while I choose only to live in comfort and ease. Why would I offer to God “that which costs me nothing?” Why would I not deny myself, take up the cross of Jesus and follow Him?

Lord, let this be my prayer and my days’ end. When at last your final work is done with me, let no celebration be grand but only a token farewell. Let there be only a parched piece of ground where your servant, yet, your child, was consumed in service to Your Holy Name.

Yours on the Journey,

Harry L. Whitt

(24)  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
(25)  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
(26)  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:24-26 NKJV