Giving to God-Even When It Hurts

Introduction

Open your Bibles to 1 Chronicles chapter 21. Book of 1 Chronicles, chapter 21.

As you’re turning there, I think many of us wish that our mortgage payments or rent payments were free, don’t you? Raise your hand if you would appreciate a free mortgage payment. No adverse effect on the economy, you just don’t have to pay what you pay this month. Now that’d be pretty fantastic, wouldn’t it? I’ll tell you what, I can’t quite make that happen. But what if I told you that there was a $75 a month mortgage payment? And with this $75 a month mortgage payment, you could live in a house with three bedrooms. How many of you would like that option? Less hands, okay. That’s pretty sad. I’ll take it then. Well, you know what? I could make that happen if someone would just give me a time machine.

If we could go back into perhaps the 50s and 60s, when houses were significantly cheaper, and thus the attached payments to them monthly were cheaper, we would be able to pay rent or a mortgage for just about $75 a month. Can you imagine what that would do for your budget surplus? But we know that that’s not the case anymore. Our money, because of inflation, has lost some of its value, some of its spending power, even. Think about if you were a kid growing up in the 50s or 60s. I wasn’t one of them, but I’m taking this on good authority. That if you were given 50 cents, you could go to the candy store and have a ball. Today you could go to the candy store and perhaps maybe buy a ball with 50 cents and your shopping trip would be over.

Because money has just lost some of its value. I’d like to, before we read, beginning in verse 1 of 1 Chronicles chapter 21, allow me to give one more quick illustration of the power of money and how it impacts us. Think about if you were a kid, between its worth and you’re just desire or perhaps ignorance of how much things cost. If I were to take one dollar and have set it on this front table, I said, the first person to run up and get this dollar keeps it. How many of you would run up and do that? Well, I got a couple, good. Now, what if I made that a thousand dollars? I just said, you know what? I just have extra money this month, and I want to have some sport and some fun in it.

1. David Sinned and God Was Displeased

So what I’m gonna do is I’m gonna make people look funny, and I’m gonna have them race for this thousand dollars. Who would participate in that race? I can tell you I would if it wasn’t me putting up the money. Why? A thousand dollars means something to me. It carries a value that is significant. I could probably pass on the one dollar, although I would take it if you offered it to me, because the effort wasn’t worth the value that that dollar carries today. So keep that in mind as we read beginning in verse 1 of 1 Chronicles chapter 21. Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, go, number Israel from Bersheba to Dan, and bring me a report that I may know their number.

But Joab said, May the Lord add to his people a hundred times as many as they are. Are they not my Lord the king? All of them, my lord’s servants. Why then should my Lord require this? Why should it be a cause of guilt for Israel? Now you see what Joab sees that King David either didn’t see or was ignoring, right? And that is that this is going to be a cause of separation between God and them. This was some type of behavior that was not to be practiced. And Joab recognized it. But note what happens to Joab, and note what the king is able to do, because after all, David was king, not Joab, look at verse 4. But the king’s word prevailed against Joab.

So Joab departed and went throughout all Israel and came back to Jerusalem. And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to David, and all Israel. There were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, and in Judah 470,000 who drew the sword. But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering. For the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab. Now, what was the basis for Joab’s not liking of this task? What was the problem? Did Joab just not want to go through with all the effort? Was he thinking, oh, the king’s going to make me go around and count over a million people? This is going to be pretty tiring. No. What was he afraid of? You see it at the end of verse 3, don’t you?

That this would be a problem with God. All of Israel and Judah were God’s servants. And Joab knew that this census taking was not the right thing to be doing. And yet, because he was not king, because he had to submit to David, it seems in this instance, he went through with a sentence minus Levi and Benjamin. And so this morning, I want to talk about giving to God, even when it hurts. As we keep reading the story, you’re going to see how David has to answer for this wrongdoing that he has pressed Joab to conclude. See, it wasn’t enough for Joab to warn him or to be concerned about this action. But David said, This is how it’s going to be. You see that in verse 4.

So pick up the reading and continue with me in verse 7. But God was displeased with this thing, and he struck Israel. Now consider that. Joab knew that this was going to displease God, and sure enough, what did it do? It displeased God. And David, verse 8, said to God, I have sinned greatly in this thing that I that I have done this thing. But now please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly. And the Lord spoke to Gad, David Seer, saying, Go and say to David, thus says the Lord, three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you. So Gad came to David and said to him, Thus says the Lord, choose what you will.

Either three years of famine or three months of devastation by your foes while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord. Pestilence on the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel. Now decide what answer shall I return to him who sent me. Now let’s talk about this option that David has. I asked you earlier if you’d like a $75 mortgage payment, or perhaps even a free one. And we were excited about that. Who’s going to be excited about these three options? What’s your first one, verse 12? Three years of famine. David has sinned. He knew it. He’s communicating here with God, the prophet, and he gets to choose. The first option, three years of famine.

Any takers? Maybe not. But let’s wait and see what our other options are. That might actually look a little bit better. Three months of devastation by your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you. Any takers for that? Now, that one’s only three months, but at the cost of the sword of your enemies overtaking you. But note this final one, or else just three days. Three days of the sword of the Lord, pestilence on the land, with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel. So what you’ve had in the story so far is you have the problem. David was moving his people to census or number the people. This was something they were not supposed to be doing. We know that because in verse 7, God was displeased with this thing, and he struck Israel.

You have the second part that now he is going to be punished. And David has a choice here. Now, granted, those choices aren’t particularly great, but they’re choices nonetheless. So let’s see what David chooses, beginning in verse 13. Then David said to God, I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of men. Man. So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell. He chose the third option. Three days of the sword of the Lord and pestilence on the land. But note that kicker in verse 12 of this option that he took at the end of it. With the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.

Was this a weighty punishment? Absolutely. What was the cause of this punishment? Was God unjust in this action? Was God just out for blood, so to speak, or out for destruction? No. David had sinned. He had self-described himself as acting very foolishly. God was responding to David’s action. And so in verse 15, and Gad sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. But as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw, and he relented from the calamity. And he said to the angel who was working destruction, it is enough. Now stay your hand. And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, and his hand, a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem.

Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. And David said to God, Was it not I who gave command to number the people? It is I who have sinned and done great evil. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand, O Lord my God, be against me and against my father’s house, but do not let the plague be on your people. What was David reasoning with them? This is my sin. I did this. Why are you punishing Israel? Punish me. Punish my father’s house. This was my sin. Now, why did David choose this punishment? Well, if you go back to verse 13, what did he trust in? He wanted to fall into the hand of the Lord, and many of us are thinking, David, be careful what you’re asking for there.

2. Burnt Offerings That Cost Me Nothing

The angel of the Lord can destroy a lot more than any men might. But this part in verse 13, for his mercy is very great. And he contrasts that with not wanting to fall into the hand of men. He trusted God. And what did God actually do? Was the angel to finish off Jerusalem? Well, perhaps in intention, yes, but it stopped. And here you have the angel of the Lord in between heaven and earth. But David trusted in the Lord, and the Lord was merciful. But David is asking this question, what am I supposed to do to stop these people from being punished? This was my sin, my problem. So at verse 18 we receive an answer. Now the angel of the Lord had commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and raise an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

So David went up at Gaz’s word, which he had spoken in the name of the Lord. Now Ornan was threshing wheat. He turned and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went out from the threshing floor and paid homage to David with his face to the ground. Now remember, this is David the king approaching this man Ornan. And David said to Ornan, verse 22, give me the side of the threshing floor, that I may build on it an altar to the Lord. Give it to me at its full price, that the plague may be averted from the people. Then Ornan said to David, Take it, and let my Lord the king do what seems good to him.

See, I give the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for a grain offering. I give it all.

Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the sight. And David built there an altar to the Lord and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings and called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering. Then the Lord commanded the angel and he put his sword back into its sheath. So you have this great story of this man. David knows he needs to create an altar to the Lord. He needs to offer a sacrifice on it. He needs to give a burnt offering. And this man, Ornan, who is subject to David, treats him like the royalty that he is. And when David requests, I need what you have. He says, Take it. You can have it. David had explained why he needed it.

Perhaps Ornan was moved by that back. If not, he was moved simply out of kindness or out of respect to his king, as he referred to him, even my Lord. And yet David didn’t just take it. Why would David not allow this man to do this kindness? What was wrong with what Ornim was offering? Well, David gives the answer in verse 24. I will buy them for full price. Why? I will not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing. Now here’s something we need to remember. Who is at fault in this situation? Not who was being punished. Who was at fault? David was at fault. Who was to build the altar? David was to build the altar. David was to do this.

Ornan was involved because of David’s sin and because of proximity and location. This was between David and the Lord. David would not take what was ornaments for this sacrifice. He would give it only if he could pay full price. And if you see 600 shekels of gold was paid. This was a costly sacrifice. I know to the king, perhaps he had that, and it may not have meant made even a dent into the king’s account, but it surely cost him something. There was something David could have done with that six hundred shekels of gold that wouldn’t have been used for an altar to the God. So consider giving to God even when it hurts. We see in the story that David wouldn’t offer what cost him nothing.

And when we say, Good on you, David. But do we offer things to God that cost us nothing? You think about overseas, all the Christians that are being persecuted for their faith right now. It’s pretty easy, overall, to stand up and be a Christian in our society. It may be laughed at, but in terms of our physical well-being, we’re pretty well secure in this country right now. And spare the thoughts for the moment on what it may be like in the future. Right now, how many of you had even an inkling of a thought of being arrested this morning for coming to church? What about being tortured or killed? We have that blessing, that liberty. I’m not at all denigrating coming to church. But we need to realize that there’s more to Christianity than coming to church or talking to whoever happens to be in our path.

3. Deny Himself and Take Up His Cross Daily

If we are going to truly sacrifice our lives to Christ, as we’ll see in a text we’re just about to read, we’re going to know that that’s going to take work. It’s going to cost me something. Look at me in Luke chapter 9. In Luke chapter 9 and verse 23. Now, for those of us who are Christians or wish to be Christians, Jesus speaks to what is required of us. In verse 23, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow after me. For whoever would save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. But note verse 25. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

Now there’s this great challenge in verse 23 to deny ourselves and to take up our cross and follow after Jesus. But in verse 25, there’s this cost benefit analysis here. Do you not see it? Is it worth it to give up your soul for all that this world has? No. Just like it’s not worth it on a much grander scale, of course, for some of you to come up and race after one dollar. It’s not worth the effort. It’s not worth the public spectacle. If I put a million dollars there, it’s worth it to you. Why? The value is equal to or has exceeded that which you are getting from the exercise. I want to consider that denying ourselves is how easy. How easy is denying ourselves?

Who is an expert at self-denial? Still no takers on this one. What’s so hard about denying ourselves? Every instinct of our human bodies, unless otherwise trained, teaches us to go for self. We see it around us in movies. This message is propagated in the media. We see it around us in the lives of people. But let me tell you, we see it in our own lives, even mine as well. We see it because we do it. And we get into the cycle, we don’t even realize that we are living for self. And we say, no, no, no. I am a Christian. I am here this morning. I could be sleeping. Good. I’m glad you’re here this morning. I’m glad that we found time to come and worship God.

Please, let’s never lose that commitment. But brothers and sisters, it’s not just about doing the bare minimum. Denying ourselves means denying ourselves. It means when you build out all this time for your recreation and your free time. And you’re not building out all this time for God and to build up your soul. Where are you laying up treasures for? In heaven? Or here on earth. We need to realize that Christianity is going to cost us something. And at minimum, it will cost us ourselves. It will cost a denial of what I want, how I feel, even, because I need to subject myself at all times and in all ways to the will of Christ. And you say, well, that is a high price. And Jesus’ answer to that is, yes, it is.

4. True Sacrifice: The Poor Widow Gave All

Jesus’ words are if anyone wishes to follow after me, let him deny himself. But I want to see another example of giving what we can. And what type of sacrifice is what is true sacrifice, excuse me. Mark chapter 12 is a good example of this. Please look there with me. I think the idea of giving some type of monetary item is easy for us to understand. I want to make this application, though, far more broad than just giving our money. But consider the fact that we can understand this more readily. In Mark chapter 12 and verse 41. And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Now note this part.

Not just one person, not just a few, not just a medium amount, a large sum. But notice verse 42. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny, as my English Standard Version reads there. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had. All she had to live on. Now, was Jesus condemning those who put in large sums? No, not at all. He was commending this poor widow. Why? Because he just loved the two small copper coins.

Jesus knew this woman’s situation. He knew that she truly had given what she could. You know, I’ll stick on the offering part for a moment. I might look at my monthly budget and say to myself, I need to carve out X percentage for the Lord. I’m going to do that first. And then whatever’s left, I’m going to go with. Now, this woman truly gave all that she had. If we put out a percentage, that’s not all that we have. That’s all that we’ve committed to give. All that we have is all that we have. Do you see how it’s really that simple? That shows the magnitude of the sacrifice. Jesus understands when we are truly giving our all, not when we do enough to, in comparison to the world, give our all, not when myself is satisfied with how much I give, but when I have truly and completely offered myself and my goods, and all that comes with me, and what God has given me stewardship over to him.

I might look at my schedule this week to log time and a value. And I might say, I spent X amount of hours in the service to the Lord this week. That’s great. Have I given all of my time to the Lord? If not, I still have time to give. It may be that we are allowed to have some relaxation time. I’m not preaching against that. But we should not walk around saying, I have spent every free moment serving the Lord while I’m at home on my computer, surfing the internet and watching television. Those two do not compute. What is my service level to God then? Am I offering to God that which is easy, right? That which cost me nothing, as David said. Or am I truly sacrificing?

5. What Quality Service Are We Offering to God?

Consider one final point in the idea of giving and what type of sacrifice we should offer. Is what quality service are we offering to God? If you look with me in Malachi chapter 1, in Malachi chapter 1, before we read that passage, I’d like to read you Merriam Webster’s definition of sacrifice. And is defined as the following The act of giving up something that you want to keep, especially in order to get or do something else or to help someone. But I want to emphasize on that part the act of giving up something that you want. Keep that in mind. Malachi chapter 1 and verse 6. A son honors his father and a servant is master. If then I am a father, where is my honor?

And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priest who despise my name. But you say, How have we despised your name? By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, How have we polluted you? By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised. When you offer blind animals and sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor. Will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. And now entreat the favor of God that He may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will He show favor to any of you, says the Lord of hosts?

And you see this example that the Malachi is having to condemn the people for, that God is having this conversation in effect with. And he’s saying, would even the governor accept that which you’re offering me? These blind, lame animals? That’s not something to go with the definition that we read from Miriam Whipster’s that they wanted. Certainly not as much as they’d want a non-blind, a non-lame animal? Consider with me for a moment what type of quality we offer God in our service to him? On Saturday nights, what is your routine? What is your bedtime? Is it similar to that during the week when you have to wake up early and go to church? Or because it’s a week at night, do we stay up extra late?

Even though we know we’re coming to church, and after all, as Christians and those who are here this morning, we are going to be at church early in the morning. But what frame of mind are we in if we’ve stayed up till two or three in the morning? What if I did that same thing during the week? It may very well be that you work a night shift or that you are a night person. But for those of us who make an extra effort to be in bed early so that we can be fresh for work, so that we can offer our best at work so we don’t get fired, so that we can get a raise or a bonus or a better job? Do we give that same effort to God?

And that’s just one application. In what way do we truly offer our best to God? Would our employers accept the level of concentration that we have here while we’re worshiping God? Would our employers be thankful? Would our parents be thankful for the service that we offer to God, the time we spend taking care of the brethren? Would our brothers and sisters appreciate that same level of care? Or do we give more priority to those things that are not sheerly of serving God? You see, we have to consider not just what does it cost me, but am I truly denying myself? What type of sacrifice am I? And this is really easy to see. Am I offering these things that are easy to me to claim Christ when I’m talking with someone who believes in Christ?

Conclusion

Do I only teach to those who want to be taught? Or do I spread the message of Christ no matter what because everybody needs it? What about coming to church? Do I come to church because I have to? Because I happen to have that time available on Wednesday evening? Or do I do it because God comes first? The consequences of my soul are far more important, as Jesus says in Luke chapter 9, than anything I can gain in this life. But does my life, does the sacrifice that Jesus commands me to be, add up with that verbal or theoretical acknowledgement I know to be true? Am I offering God that which costs me nothing? Am I offering God my best? Am I offering everything that I have to give?

What does Jesus require of us? To deny ourselves and to take up our cross and follow after Him. That is a life of sacrifice and self-denial. It will cost me something. But God is worth it all. Will you go to our Heavenly Father in prayer with me?

Our dear God, you are truly a wonderful, powerful, almighty God. We praise you for your greatness. We’re in all of your might and your majesty. Thank you for loving us, O Lord. Thank you for the tremendous blessing and the ability that we can call you our Father. Help us to never take service to you lightly. Help us to never offer you lame, blind sacrifices. Help us to put you first in our calendars, in our budgets. Most importantly, dear Lord, in our hearts. Help us to truly serve you, to truly deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow after you. Forgive us of when we do wrong. Forgive us when we’ve offered you second, third, or fourth best. Help us to recognize that you alone are the Almighty Heavenly Father, and is you to whom we submit our lives.

Thank you for your mercy and grace. We pray that you always envelop us in both of those, and always, of course, in your love. We thank you for the example of David, your servant, who knew to give you something of value. He knew to sacrifice. And we pray that we even take on David’s attitude of trusting in you, trusting your mercy, even when we have sinned. O Lord, forgive us again of our sins and help us to truly trust in you in that way that David did. O Lord, keep us safe as we go through this morning and help us to be totally and edibly committed to learning more about you and practicing shedding, showing our light even brighter each and every day that we live on this earth.

It’s in your Son’s name we do pray. Amen. We’re now dismissed to our Bible classes.