THE HANAMEL DAILY DEVOTIONAL
1 Chronicles 21:26-27 NIV
“David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the LORD, and the LORD answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. Then the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.”
A HEART AFTER GOD’S OWN
The consequence of Satan having stood against Israel, and having “incited David to number Israel” (1 Chr 21:1 ESV) was dire. God sent the Prophet Gad to King David to choose one judgment from the three options presented (1 Chr 21:9-12). Consequently, 70,000 men fell dead, slain by a single angel. On the verge of destroying Jerusalem by the same angel, the LORD relented and the City was spared. On account of the massive loss of lives, Scripture says, “David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces” (1 Chr 21:16 ESV). The LORD was displeased that David (influenced by the devil) had treated His (God’s) protection over Israel with contempt, and had wanted to rely on the strength of their numbers.
Strangely, that act of David and the elders did not do much before the LORD. Instead, the “…angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite” (1 Chr 21:18 NIV)! Notice that the LORD demanded worship from David—amid the calamity—instead of mourning and putting on sackcloths. As in our text, “David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the LORD, and THE LORD ANSWERED him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. THEN the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.” Hallelujah!
It was the worship (burnt and fellowship offerings) David offered that ultimately caused a change in the situation. Indeed, mourning before God is proper and has its place in the Scriptures (Psa 34:17; Mat 5:4). However, there are also times when God requires us to put on garments of praise “…instead of mourning” (Isa 61:3 NIV). Elsewhere, David testified and said, “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever” (Psa 30:11-12 NIV). Hallelujah! Could it be that a heart after God’s own heart easily worships and weeps before God as the occasion may demand?
Pst. Emmanuel