*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*
*THE POWER OF INFLUENCE (3).*
*Scripture Treasure.*
2 Sam 24:22-23 *And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.*
*All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, The Lord thy God accept thee.*
*Insight and Highlight.*
Who is your adviser?
*Scripture Commentaries.*
David had made God angry by taking a census of Israel's army. The nature of David's behavior may well have been illustrated as attributable to Satanic influence in 1 Chro 21:1.
God was very angry with David, (2 Sam 24:1) and He gave him three options through the prophet Gad.
First, three years of famine. Second, three months of running from his enemies and third, three days of pestilence, 2 Sam 24: 10-12.
David chose, according to 2 Sam 24:14, to fall into the hands of God rather than fall into the hands of man.
God weakened David by destroying over seventy thousand men, showing David that the men he looked upon to for strength can be made of no strength, 2 Sam 24:15.
God showed mercy and stalled the hand of the angel of destruction.
Gad advised David to go to Araunah.
David went to the man called Araunah, who sells threshing floors suitable for the Lord's temple, and David told him his intentions to build an altar for God.
In David's distress and willingness to appease God, two things happened.
First, he had a prophet Gad who had been communicating the will of God to him and who advised him to go to Araunah.
Second, David approached Araunah and told him of his intentions to build for God and may have asked for the cost of Araunah's threshing floor.
David's request must have been very costly and may have been quite a big chunk of Araunah's life investment.
Furthermore, what David requested must have been a livelihood because of what Araunah said. The bible qualified and quantified what Araunah released to David as 'all these things' meaning 'everything'.
2 Sam 24:23 says *All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king.*
Araunah, refused, to take anything in return for David's request.
David however made one of the most moving statements saying a sacrifice that cost nothing is not a sacrifice, ref (2 Sam 24:24).
Araunah, eventually obliged, sold to David and God stopped the plague (2 Sam 24: 25).
These three men, Gad, David and Araunah teach us some enduring legacy. These are:
First, meeting people who can encourage you to fear and honor God is a great blessing and listening to them will not only save lives but will also strengthen God's Kingdom.
David was able to build the altar for the Lord. The plague and God's indignation over the nation was stopped.
2 Sam 24:25 says *The LORD answered the prayers of the people, and no one else died from the terrible disease.*, 2 Sam 24:25.
Second, Araunah was a great influencer. His resolve not to first discuss the price of the threshing floor, but instead concentrate on what would please David and God was a heart.
Even if David was not able to pay, it would not matter to Araunah. God is first!, 2 Sam 24:19-22.
His humility and kindness were exceptionally encouraging. In fact from his words in 2 Sam 24: 21, he wished David would send for him rather than David coming to him.
Araunah asked David *Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant?*
Araunah was also prepared to give David everything he wanted.
He said, *Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him...* 2 Sam 24:22.
We are not even sure, he was a believer of God because he was referred to as Araunah the Jebusite (2 Sam 24: 18.
He told David referring to God as David's God rather than our God. Araunah said to David *'...The Lord thy God accept thee.* 2 Sam 24:3.
Third, Araunah was not like Nabal in 1 Sam 25 who heard David's men needed food and though he lived in prosperity and was able to afford all David requested for his men but he said 'no' to David's request.
Who is your adviser?
Who is your influencer?
*Remorse corner.*
The prophet Gad was an adviser and an influencer, and so was Araunah.
*Call to Word action.*
2 Sam 24:25 *And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.....'*
*The Christian clarion duty.*
David was able to accomplish God's purpose because of these great combinations.
*Prayer.*
Lord, when duty calls, please send me advisers and influencers who will encourage me to fulfill God's purpose, in Jesus name.
Good morning all and have a blessed day.
God bless you.