How does 1 Chronicles 21:25 reflect on the concept of sacrifice in faith? Text of 1 Chronicles 21:25 “So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold for the site.” Historical Setting: Census, Judgment, and Mercy David’s unauthorized census (1 Chronicles 21:1–7) provoked divine judgment. A plague began, yet the angel of the LORD paused above the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite (vv. 15–16). God, through the prophet Gad, instructed David to erect an altar there (v. 18). 1 Chronicles 21:25 records the king’s payment for the entire site—gold weighing six hundred shekels—before sacrifice could be offered and the plague halted (v. 27). The verse therefore stands at the climax of a narrative that weds sin, atonement, and mercy. Harmonizing Chronicles and Samuel 2 Samuel 24:24 states David “paid fifty shekels of silver” for Ornan’s threshing floor and oxen. Chronicles records 600 shekels of gold. The simplest reconciliation, noted in early rabbinic commentaries and supported by Hebrew manuscript traditions, is that Samuel speaks only of the floor and animals, whereas Chronicles registers the purchase of the entire hilltop (“the site,” hammaqom), destined to become the Temple mount (2 Chronicles 3:1). Ancient Near-Eastern administrative texts regularly itemize separate payments for movable and immovable property; thus both numbers can be historically accurate and complementary. Sacrifice That Costs: The Heart of the Passage Ornan offered to give the ground and animals without charge (1 Chronicles 21:23), but David replied, “I will not take for the LORD what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing” (v. 24). By immediately paying an extravagant sum, David illustrates a principle that echoes throughout Scripture: • Genuine sacrifice involves personal cost (Genesis 22:12; Mark 12:43). • Costliness signifies the worshiper’s recognition of God’s worth (Psalm 116:12–14). • Cheap gifts misrepresent both sin’s gravity and grace’s value. David’s act models repentant faith that assumes responsibility, refuses shortcuts, and honors God with the best. Foreshadowing the Ultimate Sacrifice The threshing floor sits on Mount Moriah (2 Chronicles 3:1), the very location where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22:2). In that earlier event God supplied a ram “in place of” Isaac, establishing substitutionary atonement. David’s costly offering on the same ridge foreshadows the greater substitution yet to come: “Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). The escalating cost—from a ram, to gold, to the blood of God’s own Son—underscores the inexhaustible value of redemption: “You were redeemed…not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18–19). Location Theology: From Threshing Floor to Temple to Cross Archaeological surveys on the eastern ridge of Jerusalem (e.g., Eilat Mazar’s Phase 10 structures) confirm continuous cultic use dating to the 10th century BC, consistent with a united-monarchy temple foundation. The Chronicler’s emphasis on the purchase price affirms divine ownership of Mt. Moriah, preparing for Solomon’s Temple where daily sacrifices would point ahead to Calvary. Hebrews 10:11–14 observes that those temple offerings were shadows fulfilled in Jesus, whose once-for-all sacrifice occurred within sight of the ancient mount. Theological Dimensions of Sacrifice Reflected in 1 Chronicles 21:25 1. Propitiation—The plague ceased when the sacrifice was accepted (1 Chronicles 21:26–27), illustrating that blood offering turns away wrath (Hebrews 9:22). 2. Substitution—The animals died instead of the nation, typifying Christ’s vicarious death (Isaiah 53:5). 3. Consecration—Payment of gold sanctified the ground for future worship, paralleling believers who “offer your bodies as living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1). 4. Covenant—David’s purchase formalized Israelite control of the site, anchoring the Davidic covenant in sacred geography and pointing to the New Covenant in Christ’s blood (Luke 22:20). Ethical and Behavioral Implications In behavioral science terms, costly commitment predicts enduring loyalty. David’s refusal of a cheap path reinforces that authentic faith manifests in tangible, often sacrificial, decisions (James 2:17). Modern discipleship similarly entails “denying self” (Luke 9:23), generous giving (2 Corinthians 9:6–7), and moral courage. Cheap grace breeds nominalism; costly sacrifice produces transformative devotion. Application for Contemporary Worship • Financial stewardship: give the best, not the leftovers. • Time and talents: serve when it costs convenience. • Repentance: accept full responsibility rather than shifting blame. • Evangelism: sacrifice comfort to “proclaim the excellencies” of Christ (1 Peter 2:9). Summary 1 Chronicles 21:25 portrays David paying an extraordinary price so that his sacrifice would be genuine. The act embodies the biblical principle that true faith is demonstrated through costly obedience, prefigures the infinitely valuable sacrifice of Christ, and challenges every generation to worship God with offerings that reflect His incomparable worth. |