Why did Araunah offer the threshing floor and oxen for free to King David? Text of 1 Chronicles 21:23 “Ornan said to David, ‘Take it for yourself. And may my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. See, I give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering—I give it all.’ ” Immediate Narrative Setting A devastating plague, unleashed because of David’s census, has swept across Israel (1 Chronicles 21:1–19). At God’s command through the prophet Gad, David must erect an altar on Araunah’s (Ornan’s) threshing floor. The plague’s angelic executioner is visibly standing there; judgment will cease once sacrifice is offered. Into this tense moment Araunah steps forward and offers both site and sacrificial materials “for free.” Identity of Araunah (Ornan) the Jebusite • A resident of Jerusalem before David conquered the city (2 Samuel 24:16). • Likely a converted worshiper of Yahweh by this point, given his invocation of “the LORD your God” (2 Samuel 24:23). • Wealthy enough to own a prime threshing floor on the summit of Mount Moriah, the very ridge on which Abraham once offered Isaac (Genesis 22:2) and where Solomon would soon build the temple (2 Chronicles 3:1), confirmed by topographical studies of the Eastern Hill in Jerusalem (Kenyon, Excavations in Jerusalem, 1961–1967). Ancient Near Eastern Protocols and Royal Etiquette • Kings customarily received land, goods, and labor as expressions of loyalty (e.g., Genesis 23:11; 1 Samuel 6:14). • Failure to show generosity in a crisis could be construed as rebellion or ingratitude, carrying lethal political consequences. • Araunah therefore acts in accord with established diplomatic courtesy while also revealing heartfelt reverence. Spiritual and Theological Motivations 1. Fear of Divine Judgment – The angel’s drawn sword (1 Chronicles 21:16) demonstrates Yahweh’s tangible wrath. Araunah, whose household sees the angel (v. 20), eagerly cooperates to hasten atonement and spare lives. 2. Faith in Sacrificial Atonement – He understands that burnt and grain offerings appease divine anger (Leviticus 1; 2). By supplying oxen, sledges (wood), and wheat, he furnishes every element required, embodying Levitical worship principles even before a standing temple exists. 3. Recognition of King David’s Mediatorial Role – David, God’s anointed, is tasked with interceding for the nation (2 Samuel 24:17). Araunah honors that office, a forerunner of acknowledging the ultimate Mediator, Jesus Christ (1 Titus 2:5). Political and Personal Loyalty Factors • By offering the site freely, Araunah signals total allegiance to David’s throne, mitigating any suspicion toward a former Jebusite landowner living inside the royal capital. • The gesture mirrors other loyalist acts such as Barzillai’s support during Absalom’s revolt (2 Samuel 17:27–29). Covenantal and Redemptive-Historical Significance • The threshing floor becomes the future temple mount (2 Chronicles 3:1), placing Araunah’s gift at the heart of Israel’s worship for centuries. • Mount Moriah typologically connects Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac and Solomon’s temple sacrifices, all anticipating Christ’s once-for-all atonement (Hebrews 10:10–12). Archaeological and Geographic Corroboration • Surface-bedrock exposures on today’s Temple Mount correspond to an ancient threshing floor, where prevailing winds aid winnowing—matching the function cited in Scripture (Mazar, The Temple Mount Excavations, 1978). • Ox-drawn sledges uncovered at Hazor and Megiddo illustrate the exact implements listed by Araunah, reinforcing the account’s authenticity. Why David Refused the Free Offer (Complementary Insight) • David’s celebrated reply—“I will not take for the LORD what belongs to you, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing” (1 Chronicles 21:24)—teaches that true worship entails personal sacrifice, not convenience. • The episode crystallizes a central biblical ethic: God-honoring giving stems from heart devotion, foreshadowing the believer’s call to present himself as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). Summary Answer Araunah offered the threshing floor and oxen without charge because: 1) he feared God’s visible judgment and longed to end the plague; 2) he believed in the efficacy of sacrifice and recognized David’s God-ordained role to intercede; 3) cultural custom dictated lavish generosity toward a reigning monarch; 4) he wished to display loyal submission as a former Jebusite inhabitant of Jerusalem; and 5) in God’s providence, his voluntary gift positioned the very ground on which the temple—and ultimately Christ’s redemptive fulfillment—would stand. |
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