What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 21:28? At that time • The phrase roots the event in a specific moment—immediately after the plague that struck Israel because of David’s census (1 Chron 21:14-17). • It signals a turning point: God’s judgment is concluding, and mercy is unfolding (Psalm 30:5). • The narrative pauses here to show that history, worship, and God’s intervention intersect in real time. when David saw that the LORD had answered him • David pleaded for the plague to stop (1 Chron 21:17; 2 Samuel 24:17). Fire fell from heaven to consume his offering (1 Chron 21:26), a visible proof that the plea was heard. • Scripture often links divine fire with divine approval (Leviticus 9:24; 1 Kings 18:38). • David’s “seeing” is more than physical sight; it is recognition that God’s wrath has been turned away—an assurance echoed later in Psalm 32:5. at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite • A threshing floor is an open, elevated space—ideal for both agriculture and worship. God chooses ordinary sites for extraordinary purposes (Genesis 28:16-17). • Ornan (Araunah) was a Jebusite, reminding us that God’s redemptive plan reaches beyond ethnic Israel (Joshua 2:9-11). • This very location becomes the future temple mount (2 Chron 3:1), anchoring Israel’s worship for generations and fulfilling earlier hints of a permanent dwelling place for God (Deuteronomy 12:5-7). he offered sacrifices there • David acts immediately, showing that genuine faith responds with obedience (James 2:17). • Sacrifices express gratitude, atonement, and dedication. Here they celebrate deliverance and acknowledge God’s ownership of the site (1 Chron 21:24-25; Psalm 116:12-14). • The progression—petition, answer, sacrifice—models biblical worship: approach God, receive mercy, respond in wholehearted devotion (Romans 12:1). summary 1 Chronicles 21:28 records David’s realization that God had chosen both the place and the moment to halt judgment and establish future worship. Seeing unmistakable evidence of answered prayer, David dedicates Ornan’s threshing floor by sacrifice, marking it as the divinely selected ground for Israel’s temple. The verse invites readers to recognize God’s interventions, honor Him at once, and cherish the spaces He redeems for His glory. |
    |