Compare David's actions in 1 Chronicles 21:25 with 2 Samuel 24:24. What insights emerge? Setting the Scene • A devastating plague strikes Israel after David’s census (2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21). • God halts the angel of judgment at the threshing floor of Araunah/Ornan the Jebusite. • David is told to build an altar there so the plague will end. The Two Accounts Side by Side • 2 Samuel 24:24: “So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” • 1 Chronicles 21:25: “So David paid Ornan six hundred shekels of gold for the place.” Reconciling the Numbers • Different commodities – Samuel: 50 shekels of silver – Chronicles: 600 shekels of gold • Different scope – Samuel specifies the threshing floor and the oxen—enough for the immediate sacrifice. – Chronicles speaks of “the place” (Hebrew: maqom), a broader term that can include the entire hilltop. • Harmonized picture – David first pays 50 shekels of silver for the oxen and the immediate threshing floor (urgent sacrifice). – He then purchases the whole site—future Temple mount—for 600 shekels of gold, securing lasting ownership. • Supporting pattern – Genesis 23 shows Abraham buying the cave of Machpelah in stages: agreement for a grave, then full payment for the field. Scripture often reports separate installments of a single transaction. The Heart Behind David’s Purchase • Costly obedience – “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). • Full restitution – David’s sin was national; his payment is lavish, matching the gravity of the offense. • Worship founded on sacrifice – Hebrews 13:15; 1 Peter 2:5—true worship still requires offering something precious: ourselves. Prophetic Significance of the Site • Mount Moriah – 2 Chronicles 3:1 identifies this same location as the site of Solomon’s Temple. – Genesis 22:2 places Abraham’s offering of Isaac on “the land of Moriah,” linking David’s altar to God’s covenant faithfulness. • Foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice – Just as David bought the ground at personal cost, God would later give His Son at infinite cost on a nearby hill (John 19:17-18). Personal Takeaways for Today • Obedience often requires tangible, costly surrender. • God transforms places of judgment into centers of worship when repentance and sacrifice meet. • Seeming discrepancies in Scripture invite deeper study that ultimately reveals greater harmony and richness. |
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