David was tempted to number the people of Israel (1 Chr. 21:1). Numbering the people was an act of pride and selfish ambition. To number the people indicated self reliance on a large army, instead of depending on the Lord to bring about victory in battle. Power and authority have corrupting capabilities, and pride was the toxin used this time to tempt David. We shouldn’t be surprised to read that it was Satan who provoked David, for it was pride that was his downfall (Isa. 14:12-14).
God was displeased and decided to censure David for his prideful census. The Lord gave David three options for judgment: three years of famine; three years of destruction from enemies; or three days of pestilence from the Lord (1 Chr. 21:10-12). David said, “I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are His mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man” (1 Chr. 21:13). David would rather throw himself at the mercy of the Lord, and chose three days of pestilence.
David couldn’t stand to his people suffer for his prideful actions, and cried out to the Lord for mercy (1 Chr. 21:17). The prophet Gad told him to go to the threshing floor of Ornan, build an altar there, and offer sacrifices. David immediately went to Ornan and asked to buy the threshing floor to build the altar. Ornan refused payment and offered the plot of land for free.
David replied to Ornan, “Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings without cost” (1 Chr. 21:24). David paid six hundred shekels of gold for the threshing floor. He then built an altar and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings unto the Lord.
There was a cost for David’s sin. First, it cost the lives of seventy thousand men (1 Chr. 21:14). Second, it cost David financially to buy Ornan’s threshing floor, and offer sacrifices. David wouldn’t allow Ornan to simply give him the land, because it wasn’t Ornan who sinned.
There’s always a cost to sin, and the only way to pay the debt of sin is with death (Rom. 6:23). Thankfully, Jesus paid the price for our sins through His death at Calvary.