2 Samuel 24:18-25 “What Moves God?”
“So Gad came to David that day and said to him, ‘Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.’” (18) David had cried out to God taking responsibility for his sin. In the context of prayer, confession and repentance, God gave David direction by the prophet Gad to stop the plague on the people. “David went up according to the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded.” (19) When Araunah saw the king coming he humbly bowed before him and asked why he was coming. He explained he came to buy his threshing floor and build an altar to God so the plague would be stopped. This would remove a key element of Araunah’s business, but he willingly offered to donate his property and goods for the benefit of stopping the plague. But the king objected to his offer saying, “…’No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.’” (24b, c). David then did as God commanded and He was moved by David’s prayer and stopped the plague. Beyond David’s confession and repentance was a willingness to present to the Lord a costly worship in obedience to God’s directive. Prayer, genuine repentance, and obedient costly worship moves God and saves lives!
