How does this verse connect to the concept of offerings in Leviticus? Setting the Scene • In 1 Chronicles 21, David’s census brings judgment on Israel. • A plague sweeps the land until David is directed to build an altar on Ornan’s threshing floor. • Verse 23 records Ornan’s generous response: “See, I have given the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I give it all.” Spotlighting the Levitical Components Ornan’s three gifts line up perfectly with the first three offerings defined in Leviticus: 1. Oxen – Burnt Offering (Leviticus 1:3-5) 2. Threshing sledges (wood) – Fuel to keep the altar fire burning (Leviticus 6:12-13) 3. Wheat – Grain Offering (Leviticus 2:1-3) The Burnt Offering: Total Surrender • Leviticus 1 prescribes a bull “without blemish” laid wholly on the altar, symbolizing complete consecration and atonement. • Ornan’s oxen fit this pattern exactly, providing the animal needed to turn away wrath and restore fellowship. The Grain Offering: Tribute of Everyday Provision • Leviticus 2 describes fine flour mixed with oil and salt—an offering of daily sustenance acknowledging God as provider. • Ornan’s wheat supplies the flour David will use, turning the threshing floor—normally a place of labor—into a sanctuary of thanksgiving. Fuel for the Fire: Keeping Worship Alive • Leviticus 6 commands priests to keep fire on the altar burning continually. • Threshing sledges made of wood become the necessary fuel, ensuring David’s sacrifice can ascend just as the Law requires. Costliness and Free-Will Together • Leviticus 22:18-23 speaks of “freewill offerings,” yet they must still be perfect and costly. • Ornan freely offers everything, illustrating the voluntary spirit of Leviticus. • David insists on paying (v. 24) so that the sacrifice bears personal cost, honoring the Levitical principle that worship must never be cheap. From Leviticus to the Prophets and Beyond • Psalm 51:19 affirms that when burnt and grain offerings are given with a right heart, “then will You delight in righteous sacrifices.” • Ultimately, Hebrews 10:5-10 points to Christ as the once-for-all fulfillment of every Levitical offering, the true atonement foreshadowed on Ornan’s threshing floor. Why the Connection Matters • 1 Chronicles 21:23 shows that even centuries after Sinai, God’s people still follow the detailed pattern laid out in Leviticus. • The verse bridges Law and history, revealing a consistent, unbroken line of worship that finds its climax in the final, perfect sacrifice. |
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