I remember this verse well and had used it to remind myself many times when I was making decisions about giving. What I didn't remember was where the verse came from. I discovered today in my scripture reading (2 Samuel 23-24 and Luke 19:1-27) that the verse came from a much bigger story (2 Samuel 24:24). The interesting thing is that the Luke reading dovetails nicely on the same "giving" theme. This is what I have learned:
From the 2 Samuel story, King David was at the end of his life. He wrote a beautiful psalm (his epitaph?) in 2 Samuel 23:1-7 where he affirmed that he belonged to the Lord of the covenant (verse 1), that the Spirit of God spoke through him (verse 2), and that his life's work was to rule (as in Genesis 1:26) in righteousness and in the fear of God (verse 3). What a way to live (verse 4)! David further affirmed that God's contraints (his laws which he laid on our hearts) would help us become a better version of ourselves (verse 5). There will be enemies to stop us but God will triumph at the end (verses 6 & 7).
Unfortunately, just when he was at the high point of his life came his fall. He decided to show off what he has done in his life. I gathered that when he decided to count the strength of his fighting forces, he was not counting the "cost" as in this parable in Luke 14:28-33. He was just showing off his accomplishment. I can easily identify with him in this. It's very easy to do that as one faces the end of his life. He starts to look at his investment portfolio, how many degrees he has earned, the success of his children etc. Let this be a lesson...
Because of his folly the Lord punished him. He graciously gave him 3 choices of which he picked the plaque which killed 70,000 people! Speaking through the prophet Gad he was told to build an alter on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (remember they were the people David drove out of Jerusalem before he named the city after his own name?). The Jebusite was in no position to refuse David's request. Indeed he wanted to give the land to David for free. This was when David said these famous words: "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."
In the Luke story, Zacchaeus was not just one of the average tax collectors who were hated by most Jews for collecting taxes for their enemy, the Caesar, and who were often corrupted people who levied additional burden on the people for their own benefits. He was in fact the chief tax collector of the city of Jericho and was wealthy. He had obviously became Christ's follower in this story. As a repentent man, he named his sacrifice which was to give away half of what he owned and to pay back 4 times to people he had cheated. Is that sacrifice good enough? You judge!
Jesus followed this story with the parable of the Ten Minas which has its own lesson which I will do on another blog.
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