First and Best (Part 3: Best)
David Refuses a Free Sacrifice
2 Samuel 24:18–25 — Men’s Bible Study Handout (Part 3: “Best”)
Historical Introduction — Setting the Scene
In the final chapter of 2 Samuel, Israel is suffering under a devastating plague—judgment that resulted from David’s prideful decision to number the fighting men of Israel. Seventy thousand have died, and the nation is in crisis. Into this moment of national grief and personal repentance, God sends the prophet Gad with a specific command: David must build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. This site is no ordinary location. It sits on Mount Moriah, the same mountain where Abraham prepared to offer Isaac (Genesis 22) and the future site of Solomon’s Temple (2 Chronicles 3:1). Here, at a crossroads of Israel’s past and future, David is called to offer a sacrifice that will cost him something. This moment reveals the heart of true worship and the kind of devotion God honors.
Series Connection — “First and Best” (Part 3: Best)
This study is part of our three‑week series on “First and Best.”
- Part 1: An introduction to the biblical theme of giving God what is first and best
- Part 2: A focus on giving God our first — first loyalty, first obedience, first portion
- Part 3 (today): A focus on giving God our best — worship that costs us something
Summary of This Week’s Focus
David’s refusal to offer a free sacrifice shows that true worship is never cheap. God is not honored by convenience, shortcuts, or leftovers. He is honored when men give Him their best — their strength, their resources, their obedience, and their hearts — even when it costs them something.
Opening Questions for Men
- What does “giving God your best” look like in a man’s daily life?
- When have you given God something that genuinely cost you?
- Why do men often drift toward convenience instead of commitment?
- What area of your life is God calling you to elevate from “good enough” to “your best”?
Devotional Study
1. God Calls David to Worship Through Sacrifice
2 Samuel 24:18 — “And Gad came that day to David and said to him, ‘Go up, raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.’”
Explanation:
God’s remedy for judgment is not strategy but worship. The command is specific: build an altar on Araunah’s threshing floor. Threshing floors were elevated, windy places where grain was separated from chaff — a fitting symbol for purification. This location would become the future Temple Mount, showing that God was already shaping Israel’s redemptive future. Evangelical commentators note that God often meets men at the place where He calls them to surrender something costly.
Discussion Question:
- Where is God calling you to build an “altar” — a place of obedience, repentance, or renewed devotion?
2. David Responds With Immediate Obedience
2 Samuel 24:19 — “So David went up at Gad’s word, as the LORD commanded.”
Explanation:
David obeys without delay. After a failure rooted in pride, he now responds with humility and urgency. Quick obedience is a mark of spiritual maturity. Men often hesitate, negotiate, or stall when God calls them to act — but David models a better way. His obedience becomes the turning point for the nation.
Discussion Question:
- What is one area where you need to obey God immediately rather than eventually?
3. A King Approaches With Humility
2 Samuel 24:20 — “And when Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him…”
Explanation:
David approaches not as a demanding king but as a humble worshiper. In the ancient world, kings were feared, but David’s presence here is marked by reverence, not entitlement. Godly leadership is not about authority but posture. Men who walk with God carry a presence that others notice — not because of power, but because of humility.
Discussion Question:
- What kind of presence do you bring into your home, workplace, or relationships?
4. Araunah Offers Everything for Free
2 Samuel 24:22–23 — “Araunah said… ‘Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him… I give it all.’”
Explanation:
Araunah’s offer is generous and sincere. He is willing to give everything — the land, the oxen, the wood — at no cost. But free worship is not what God desires. Evangelical commentators often highlight that this moment represents the temptation men face: the easy path, the shortcut, the appearance of devotion without the cost of commitment.
Discussion Question:
- Where are you tempted to offer God convenience instead of sacrifice?
5. David Refuses a Cost‑Free Sacrifice
2 Samuel 24:24 — “But the king said… ‘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.’”
Explanation:
This is the heart of the passage. David insists that worship must cost something. In the ancient world, sacrifices represented surrender — giving up something valuable to honor God. David understands that cheap worship produces cheap devotion. This principle echoes throughout Scripture: Abel’s offering (Genesis 4), Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22), and Jesus’ call to take up our cross (Luke 9:23). God is worthy of our best, not our leftovers.
Discussion Question:
- What is one area where God is calling you to give Him your best — even if it costs you?
6. God Responds to Costly Worship
2 Samuel 24:25 — “So David built there an altar to the LORD… and the LORD responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.”
Explanation:
When David offers costly worship, God responds with mercy. The plague stops. Restoration begins. This moment foreshadows the gospel: judgment is halted through sacrifice. Ultimately, Jesus becomes the final and perfect sacrifice — one that cost Him everything. David’s altar points forward to the cross, where God’s wrath is satisfied and mercy flows freely.
Discussion Question:
- How does Christ’s costly sacrifice shape the way you worship and live today?
7. The Temple Foreshadowed
2 Chronicles 3:1 — “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD… on Mount Moriah… on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
Explanation:
The place where David insisted on costly worship becomes the site of the Temple — the center of Israel’s worship for generations. Mount Moriah forms a thread through redemptive history:
- Abraham’s costly obedience
- David’s costly sacrifice
- Solomon’s costly temple
- Christ’s ultimate sacrifice
God builds His greatest works on the foundation of costly obedience.
Discussion Question:
- What legacy of costly faith are you building for the next generation?
Closing Reflection for Men
God does not ask for perfection — He asks for our best.
David teaches us that worship without cost is empty, but worship that costs us something becomes the place where God meets us with mercy, strength, and transformation.