What can we learn about God's authority from 1 Chronicles 21:20? Setting the Scene • 1 Chronicles 21 records David’s sinful census, God’s displeasure, and a devastating plague. • Verse 20 captures an ordinary workday interrupted by the extraordinary: “While Ornan was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; and his four sons who were with him hid themselves.” (1 Chronicles 21:20) A Glimpse of Divine Authority • The angel appears as God’s visible agent, wielding a drawn sword (vv. 15–16). • One moment of revelation is enough—no commands, explanations, or negotiations. Authority is self‐evident. • Even before a word is spoken, human beings instinctively recognize the right of the Creator to rule His creation. Authority Displayed in One Extraordinary Moment - God rules over kings: David’s royal status cannot shield him from discipline (vv. 10–14). - God rules over life and death: seventy thousand perish, yet the plague halts the instant He says “Enough!” (v. 15). - God rules through His servants: the angel’s sword moves only as the Lord directs (v. 27). - God rules over space: a humble threshing floor becomes holy ground the instant His presence is manifested (v. 15). Responses to Authority: Fear and Reverence • Ornan’s sons “hid themselves.” Like Moses who “hid his face” before the burning bush (Exodus 3:6), they sense the peril of unmediated holiness. • Ornan, recovering from shock, later bows “face down” before David (v. 21). Reverence isn’t optional when confronted with majesty. • David himself “fell facedown” when he first saw the angel (v. 16). The king joins commoners in humble posture—rank dissolves before ultimate Authority. Ornan’s Example: Submission without Words - He offers his entire threshing floor, oxen, and tools for sacrifice (vv. 22–23). - True submission combines awe with generosity; he withholds nothing once God’s authority is clear. - God responds by ending the plague (v. 27), showing that yielded hearts become channels of mercy. Connecting Threads Across Scripture • Isaiah cried, “Woe to me…my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5). Recognition of authority produces confession. • Jesus calmed the storm with a word; His disciples asked, “Who is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!” (Mark 4:39–41). Creation still answers to the same voice. • Hebrews exhorts, “Let us…worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28–29). New-covenant believers require the same posture Ornan displayed. Living Under God’s Authority Today • Cultivate instant obedience—if an angel’s appearance commands submission, how much more God’s written Word. • Maintain holy fear—reverence protects us from casual treatment of the Almighty. • Yield resources—Ornan’s threshing floor became the site for Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 3:1). What we place under God’s authority can serve generations. • Rest in His control—He alone can say “Enough!” to judgment. Trust that the same sovereign hand guides mercy toward all who humble themselves. |
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