Bible Stories for the Young
Green triangles are narrated and fully illustrated and will have simple animation added along the way. Yellow triangles have narration, but the illustrations aren't done yet. Videos with red triangles are planned. New and updated videos will be added very often.
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Seventy thousand people had died from the sickness caused by David’s sin of army-counting. The Angel of the Lord had stopped by a field where the owner of the field was threshing his wheat. The owner and his four sons were so scared, they hid! (Not like you can hide from an angel, but I guess they didn’t know what else to do.)
The Angel of the Lord told Gad the seer to tell David to go up and build an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor. So David obeyed and went up.
When the owner of the field saw David, he came out of hiding and bowed down to King David.
David said to the man, “Sell me your land so that I can build on it an altar for the Lord so that the sickness will stop. I’ll pay the highest price.”
The owner of the field told David, “You can have it! Take it. You are my master, the king, so you may do what you want. Look, you can take more than the land! I’ll give you the cows for burnt sacrifices. I’ll give you boards for wood. Here, take this wheat for an offering. Take it all. Take it all! I give it all to you.”
That was really nice of the owner, wasn’t it? But do you know what David said? King David said, “Oh, No, No, No. I insist, insist, insist on buying it for highest amount of money. I will not offer to God stuff which costs me nothing. It has to cost me something, or it’s not a real gift!”
So David bought the land for 600 pieces of gold (which was a whole lot of money).
David built an altar to God and offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings. He called out to God, and God answered by sending fire from the sky and burning up the sacrifice on the altar.
Then God ordered the Angel to put his sword back into its sheath.
David knew that the gift he gave to God MATTERED. It mattered not because God needed cows or wheat — He doesn’t need stuff — He needs our hearts. And David knew that a sacrifice needs to BE a sacrifice — and that means it costs you something to give it.
So when YOU want to find a special way to tell God you’re sorry or thank you, look for something that costs you something. If you really do it because you want to tell Jesus you love Him, and not just because you “should” or you “have to,” you won’t regret giving Him anything.
I know that as a child, you don’t have a bunch of money or stuff… but anything you give to God that costs you something can be a gift to God. Can you think of gifts that you can give?
Here’s a song with some little ones and their ideas of what they could give.
I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing
I could think of myself Every day first thing That would cost me nothing Instead I’ll smile at You Sing to Jesus-King That would cost me something
I could go out and play, and play all day That would cost me nothing But instead I will help — do whatever you say That would cost me something
I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing
I could choose the game that I want to play That would cost me nothing But instead I’ll choose the one that you say That would cost me something
I could lay on the couch and watch a show That would cost me nothing Instead I’ll get up and learn some things I don’t know That would cost me something
I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing
I could not really smile when I say, “yes, ma’am” That would cost me nothing But instead I’ll grin as a happy little lamb That would cost me something
I could see a mess on the floor And just walk away That would cost me nothing Instead I could help put it all away That would cost me something
I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing
I could get up and run to find something fun That would cost me nothing But instead I’ll stop... and see what needs to be done That would cost me something
I could keep all my toys and not really share That would cost me nothing But instead I’ll give — and learn to care That would cost me something
I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing
After David talked with God more, David saw what he needed to do. He needed to get to work! (That’s probably why David got himself in trouble again!)
So, David told the leaders around him, “I wanted to build a magnificent house for God so He could have more than a tent, but God said I couldn’t be the one to build it. He said one of my children would build it. Well, this threshing floor right here is going to be where God’s House will be built. And even though I can’t be the one to build it, I will do everything I can to get things ready. My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house to be built for Yahweh should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations. So I will get everything ready for the work Solomon will do.”
So David got to work collecting, collecting, collecting everything needed to build a wonderful house. He collected cut stones, iron, bronze, wood, silver, and gold. And David made sure there were workers preparing to do the work: stonecutters, masons and carpenters — as well as people skilled in every kind of work they would need.
David was going to make sure that when it was Solomon’s turn to be king, everything would be all ready to start build, build, building that house for God!