Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place “The LORD will provide.” And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” Genesis 22: 13, 14, NIV.
Merciful Savior, here we are again. We are looking to You for what we will need to face this new day. May You speak to our hearts as we study Your Word. We ask these mercies in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Yesterday we studied about the origins of the location where the temple of Jerusalem was built. It was interesting to observe the circumstances under which the site was chosen, and under which the “groundbreaking” took place. It all began with a sacrifice being provided. The amazing depth of the plan of salvation was made plain; and powerfully enacted, “on a hill far away.” Scripture tells us that it was “on the third day [that] Abraham looked up and saw the place far away” (4). We also saw the one who was to become the sacrifice carrying the wood, representing the cross (Genesis 22: 6; John 19: 17). Isaac represents us, who deserved to die because we had sinned, being rescued by the “ram caught in the thicket,” who represents Christ, who took our place! Only on Calvary, there was no one to take His place. He, the perfect Lamb of God, died in our stead. Oh, what love! That is why Scripture declares: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 8: 56, NKJV). On Mount Moriah, Abraham witnessed the plan of salvation fulfilled, in “type.”
Today we continue looking at the site. Again, a sacrifice was needed. When David took a census of the Israelites, he sinned against. When David was convicted of his sin (2 Samuel 24: 10), he chose to fall into the hands of God, rather than into the hands of human beings, because, “God’s mercy is great.” He was instructed by God to “Go up and erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” David obeyed God, and started making his way up the mountain. Let us not lose sight of this distinctive characteristic of the location. It is a place where wheat is threshed.
David arrives at the top of the mountain, and requests to purchase the lot from Araunah. We discovered yesterday, that money was not an issue for Arauna; but it was for David. Anything that he would use in the service of God, had to be paid for, in full! As far as David was concerned, worshipping God was not to be handled cheaply! David explains the reason for the purchase, ” . . . [I]n order to build an altar to the Lord, so that the plague may be averted from the people” (21, emphasis provided). Again, the site was being used, to provide a sacrifice for sin.
Even before its construction, the foundation was being laid for the mission of the church. Yesterday we established that the church is a place where people come to deal with their sins, and the consequences. Today, we discover, that it was built on a threshing floor. I find that significant. Only God can distinguish the wheat from the tares. Therefore, only God is qualified to do any threshing: make the distinction between worshippers. We are to welcome souls just as they are. Jesus knows them that are His, and has warned us to, “Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time [He] will tell the reapers, [what to do]” (Matthew 13: 30). Let us not forget this!
We will continue tomorrow.