Our Daily Bread

The Sacrifice of Atonement

1 Chron. 21:18-22:1

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.

Lord, turn my eyes away from worthless things; renew my life according to your word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

First, build an altar to the LORD (18-25). The angel of the Lord stopped over Jerusalem but something more was needed. Through the angel God spoke to Gad the seer to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the very site where the angel had halted. So David went up in obedience to the LORD.  A righteous and holy God cannot simply overlook sin. Sin requires a sacrifice of atonement. 

Although Araunah offered his threshing floor freely, David would not accept it without paying the full price of the site. He said clearly, “I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” In David’s words is contained the secret of redemption. To be redeemed from sin requires a cost. That cost was paid at Calvary when God offered us His One and Only Son on the cross as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. God paid a great cost for our redemption through the cost of His Son Jesus. Peter writes: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Pe 1:18-19).

We can be fully assured of our redemption because God has paid that price through the precious blood of Jesus the Lamb of God. Father, thank you for paying the cost of my redemption through the precious blood of Jesus. Help me to remember that no sacrifice can cost nothing.

Second, the LORD answers (26-22:1). When David did everything in this way to sacrifice to the LORD and called on the LORD, the LORD answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. This was a supernatural response. God wanted to make it clear that he was pleased with David’s sincere offering done in accordance with the word of God. When we come to God through Jesus his Son, he has promised to make himself accessible to us and to answer our prayers (Jn 14:6). If we ask anything in the name of Jesus, we know that God hears us. 

Verse 27 adds another important detail. Then the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. The sword of God’s judgment was put away. The sacrifice was sufficient to avert God’s judgment. This looks forward to the all sufficient sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. All judgment for my sins was already laid upon Christ on the cross and the wrath of God was averted. John speaks of this when he says, "My dear children, I write to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 Jn 2:1,2). Jesus’ blood and righteousness is our defense every time we confess our sins. David wisely chose this place for the future site of the house of God. 

Lord, thank you for Jesus’ blood and righteousness that covers all my sins. It is here that your mercy is revealed. Praise you O Lord, for your grace and mercy poured out for sinners on the cross. I am a debtor to your grace. Help me to live as a debtor all of my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

One Word: Jesus’ blood paid the terrible cost for my redemption