David was in great distress. His shepherd’s heart was breaking. His sin of wrongfully numbering the people had brought about a plague, and now 70,000 of his people were dead. Can you imagine how David must have felt?

“But as the angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented and said to the death angel, ‘Stop! That is enough!’” (2 Samuel 24:16, NLT)

Not only was the plague distressing David, but it was also distressing the LORD. He couldn’t bear to destroy the city that He loved, so He stayed the angel’s hand. But just because judgment had been averted did not mean that atonement had been made. Without the shedding of blood there could be no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). So the LORD sent Gad the prophet to tell David, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” The location of the threshing floor was on Mount Moriah—the same place where God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.

Araunah was willing to give David the threshing floor, the oxen, and the wood for the sacrifice. But David would not accept these because they cost him nothing. David knew that it was his sin that had caused the plague and the loss of so many innocent lives. He didn’t want to make atonement without personal sacrifice.

One thousand years later on that same hill, Christ would become our sacrifice Lamb to make atonement for our sins. He could not bring us forgiveness and AT-ONE-MENT with God without personal sacrifice. Now we cannot receive this peace with God and the removal of our guilt without believing in Jesus’ sacrifice. He did not offer oxen but His own body. This is the ultimate expression of His love for us (John 15:13).

Have you committed a sin for which you are distressed? Then know that the sacrifice has already been made. You cannot add to it by your own suffering or good works. But you can turn from your sin today and receive by faith the perfect atonement Christ purchased for you. You can turn your distress into resting in the Lord!