Why did David request the threshing floor in 1 Chronicles 21:22? Setting the Scene • 1 Chronicles 21 recounts David’s sin of numbering Israel, the ensuing plague, and God’s instruction through the prophet Gad: “Go up and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite” (v. 18). • Arriving at the site, David says, “Grant me the site of this threshing floor, so that I may build an altar to the Lord on it. Sell it to me for the full price, so that the plague on the people may be halted” (v. 22). David’s Immediate Motivation 1. Obedience to God’s word • Gad’s message came “by the word of the Lord” (v. 19). Purchasing the exact spot demonstrated prompt, precise obedience. 2. Propitiation and atonement • An altar was required so sacrifices could be offered; God had already signaled mercy when “the Lord relented from the calamity” and commanded the angel to halt (v. 15). 3. Ending the plague • David links the purchase directly to stopping the judgment: “so that the plague on the people may be halted.” 4. Personal cost—true repentance • David insists on paying “the full price” (v. 22) and later says, “I will not take for the Lord what is yours or offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing” (v. 24). • Genuine worship involves costly surrender (cf. 2 Samuel 24:24; Psalm 51:17; Deuteronomy 16:16). Deeper Spiritual Reasons • Restoring covenant order – Israel’s census violated reliance on God (Exodus 30:12). The altar re-centered trust on the Lord’s provision through sacrifice. • Public testimony – By purchasing the land, David made the altar—and the grace shown there—a permanent, witnessed event (cf. Genesis 23:17-20). • Foreshadowing ultimate sacrifice – Blood shed on this ground prefigured the need for a greater sacrifice that would once for all halt judgment (Hebrews 10:10-14). The Threshing Floor’s Future Importance • Location: Mount Moriah – 2 Chronicles 3:1 identifies this threshing floor as “Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to David.” – Same ridge where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22:2). • Temple foundation – Solomon later built the temple here, making David’s purchase the legal and spiritual cornerstone of Israel’s worship center. • Center of national atonement – Annual sacrifices on this site would continually speak of sin judged and mercy granted (Leviticus 16). Lessons for Today • Genuine repentance acts quickly and costs something. • Obedience to specific revelation brings restoration. • God turns sites of judgment into centers of grace. • What we purchase in faith today may bless generations tomorrow. |
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