1 Chronicles 21:18-30--David Builds an Altar

1 Chronicles 21:18-30
English Standard Version

David Builds an Altar
18 Now the angel of the LORD had commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 19 So David went up at Gad's word, which he had spoken in the name of the LORD. 20 Now Ornan was threshing wheat. He turned and saw the angel, and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. 21 As David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David and went out from the threshing floor and paid homage to David with his face to the ground. 22 And David said to Ornan, “Give me the site of the threshing floor that I may build on it an altar to the LORD—give it to me at its full price—that the plague may be averted from the people.” 23 Then Ornan said to David, “Take it, and let my lord the king do what seems good to him. See, I give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for the wood and the wheat for a grain offering; I give it all.” 24 But King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” 25 So David paid Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site. 26 And David built there an altar to the LORD and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings and called on the LORD, and the LORD answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering. 27 Then the LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.

​28 At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. 29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon, 30 but David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

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Last time we left off with the plague stopping as the angel of the LORD got to Jerusalem, but the angel of the LORD stands ready to continue the LORD's judgement.  David knows he needs to build an altar and make atonement for himself and the LORD's people.  He goes to the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite 9where the angel of the LORD) stopped and was currently standing), and David purchased the threshing floor, the oxen for the burnt offering, and the threshing sledges (made of wood) for the fuel for the offering from Ornan the Jebusite.  There was some conversation that Ornan was willing to give the land, oxen and wood to David at no cost, but David said that he would not offer a sacrifice to the LORD that cost him nothing.  He would pay full price--whatever price Ornan named as fair market value--for the land, oxen and sledges.  Ornan named a price of 600 shekels of gold for the land, oxen, and sledges, and David weighed it out for him before building the altar and making atonement.  Only after atonement was made did the LORD command the angel of the LORD to put its sword back in its sheath.

David started to make sacrifices here at this altar in this place, for he was afraid to go to the Tabernacle and make intercession before the LORD there (he thought the angel of the LORD might kill him if he stepped outside of Jerusalem), and for the same reason, he didn't go to the "high places" at Gibeon (where the LORD's prophets usually made sacrifices before the LORD).  This place that David purchased would become the location of Solomon's Temple, and soon all the people would come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD's council and to seek atonement, but it would be close for all the kings so that they could easily seek the LORD's council (though most would not do so).