THE POWER OF SACRIFICE

THE POWER OF SACRIFICE

2 Samuel 24:1-25

Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to

say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” 2  So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who

was with him, “Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count the

people, that I may know the number of the people.” 3  And Joab said to the king, “Now may the

LORD your God add to the people a hundred times more than there are, and may the eyes of my

lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing?” 4  Nevertheless the king’s

word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the army. Therefore Joab and the

captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel. 5  And

they crossed over the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the right side of the town which is in the

midst of the ravine of Gad, and toward Jazer. 6  Then they came to Gilead and to the land of

Tahtim Hodshi; they came to Dan Jaan and around to Sidon; 7  and they came to the stronghold

of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went out to South Judah

as far as Beersheba. 8  So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at

the end of nine months and twenty days. 9  Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people

to the king. And there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword,

and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. 10  And David’s heart condemned him

after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I

have done; but now, I pray, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very

foolishly.” 11  Now when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet

Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12  “Go and tell David, ‘Thus says the LORD: “I offer you three things;

choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.”  13  So Gad came to David and told him;

and he said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee

three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ plague

in your land? Now consider and see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.” 14  And

David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His

mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” 15  So the LORD sent a plague upon

Israel from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men

of the people died. 16  And when the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it,

the LORD relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “It

is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of

Araunah the Jebusite. 17  Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking

the people, and said, “Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what

have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house. 18 And

Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, erect an altar to the Lord on the threshing

floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19  So David, according to the word of Gad, went up as the Lord

commanded. 20  Now Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming toward him. So

Araunah went out and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. 21  Then Araunah said,

“Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” And David said, “To buy the threshing floor

from you, to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people.”

22  Now Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to

him. Look, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen

for wood. 23  All these, O king, Araunah has given to the king.” And Araunah said to the king,

“May the Lord your God accept you.” 24  Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy

it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs

me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25  And

David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the

Lord heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.

Sacrifice - an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else

regarded as more important or worthy.

I. GOD HONORS SACRIFICE

1. Old Testament Sacrificial System

a. The burnt offering (Leviticus 1; 6:8–13; 8:18-21; 16:24),

b. The grain offering (Leviticus 2; 6:14–23),

c. The peace offering (Leviticus 3; 7:11–34),

d. The sin offering (Leviticus 4; 5:1–13; 6:24–30; 8:14–17; 16:3–22),

e. The trespass offering (Leviticus 5:14–19; 6:1–7; 7:1–6).

2. Our Life

Romans 12:1

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your

bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable

service.

Luke 9:24

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My

sake will save it.

3. In Praise

Hebrews 13:5

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the

fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name

4. In Prayer

Psalm 141:1-2

Lord, I cry out to You; Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to

You. 2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as

the evening sacrifice.

5. In Giving

Philippians 4:18

Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the

things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well

pleasing to God.

II. PRAYING THROUGH THE NIGHT

Mark 13:35

Watch ye therefore for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even,

or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning

Nighttime in Scripture is divided into four three-hour periods called "watches."

 "Even," or the evening watch, is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

 Midnight watch, from 9 p.m. to midnight

 Cockcrowing, from 12 M to 3 a.m.

 Morning watch, from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m.

1. Job

Job 35:10

But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night,

2. David

Psalm 63:5-6

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise

You with joyful lips. 6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the

night watches.

Psalm 119:148

My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your

word

3. Jesus

Luke 6:12-16

Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and

continued all night in prayer to God. 13  And when it was day, He called His

disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named

apostles: 14  Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James

and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15  Matthew and Thomas; James the son of

Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; 16  Judas the son of James, and Judas

Iscariot who also became a traitor.

4. Paul

2 Corinthians 6:4-5

But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in

afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5  In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in

labours, in watchings, in fastings

5. Fresh Anointing and Affiliates

October 1-30

Worship and Prayer. Pray in Spirit. Soak in Word. War.

III. EXPECTATIONS

1. Pandemic Relief

2. Breakthrough

Acts 12:5-11

Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for

him by the church. 6  And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter

was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards

before the door were keeping the prison. 7  Now behold, an angel of the Lord

stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and

raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. 8  Then the

angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he

said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” 9  So he went out and followed

him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he

was seeing a vision. 10  When they were past the first and the second guard posts,

they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own

accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel

departed from him. 11  And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know

for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand

of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.

3. Being with Our Beloved

Song of Solomon 5:2

I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying,

“Open for me, my sister, my love, My dove, my perfect one; For my head is

covered with dew, My locks with the drops of the night

4. Preparation for Days Ahead