This chapter describes David’s census of Israel, God’s judgement on David’s sin, and the consequences, as well as David’s repentance.
“Then Araunah said to David, ‘Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood…’ But the king said to Araunah, ‘No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.’ So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.” (v22-25 abr)
Sin is very costly, and can be more costly to those around the sinner, than to the person who sinned. David performs a census of Israel and Judah, and then realizes he has sinned. The Lord offers him three possible consequences, making David choose the punishment. David, probably thinking himself wise, basically chooses to let God decide the punishment, because He is merciful (which is true). A plague comes upon the people and kills 70,000 men (plus women and children I’m guessing).
The additional cost to sin is the repentance – David wisely realizes that he cannot repent to God without personal cost, so he insists on paying for the land and animals for the altar and sacrifices.
Repentance looks a little different today because of Jesus – He provided the final sin sacrifice, which cost Him everything and cost us nothing. Yet, we still have a small cost to pay – we are called to put to death our worldly deeds and desires (Rm 8:13, Gal 5:24). This means certain parts of us (the sinful, worldly parts) with which we may be very comfortable, need to die, in order that our spirit may live in eternity with God.
I appreciate the symbolism of David’s repentant actions – he pays a cost, and literally breaks apart oxen yokes for firewood. A yoke (a constrictive, wooden harness) is used as as symbol of slavery, and subjecting oneself to sin is also synonymous with slavery. Repenting of sin while burning yokes could not be more symbolic of a heart change.
I encourage us to seek God’s insight into our lives to see if there is any sin of which we need to repent, and any ‘yokes we need to burn’. Jesus already paid the penalty and provided the sin offering, yet we need to voluntarily accept His generosity and lay down our sin and symbols of that slavery. In addition we must desire to turn away from that old way of living and thinking – we can ‘burn the yokes’, which is kind of like ‘burning the boats’ – showing a desire to move forward with God and not go back to sin and slavery.
Father God, our Righteous and Glorious Lord, holy and merciful is Your name. Father we praise You for the wonderful love and forgiveness You have extended through Jesus Your Son. Please forgive us Father, for we have sinned greatly. Please help us to die to our old ways, and burn the yokes, so we would not return to the old ways. Father please gently convict us of any remaining sin, and please aid us in repenting from it once and for all. Please cleanse us of iniquity and wash us clean with the blood of Jesus. In Jesus’ precious and holy name we ask this, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training