A Grander Scheme: The Place (Part 6)
One Year Bible (July 20)
I1 Chronicles 1:1-3:17
A GRANDER SCHEME: “The PLACE” (Part Six)
The beginning of 2 Chronicles signifies a big change for the nation. King Solomon “took firm control” of his kingdom. This book will focus on the mission left to him by his father to build the Temple.
Before we move into that message, let’s look at “The Charge To Keep” which Solomon was given by his father, David. Another significant part is the Location that is given to Solomon to build the temple. What is the importance of each of these things?
First, let’s look at his “Charge to Keep”, “So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel-the Lord’s assembly- I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance. And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind.” (I Chronicles 28: 8-9)
These were the words of a father to his son… Solomon, not only knew the “Charge to Keep” issued by his father, but he knew the Father that made a way for his earthly father when he had not faithfully kept the commandments of God. He knew that he was the one that was instructed to build the Temple, but that God himself had ordained it on ‘holy ground’.
This part of the story is the CULMINATION of God’s Grander Scheme…
In keeping with the “two words” challenge, I have two words for you today that summarize this entire lesson…THRESHING FLOOR.
That’s it. Got it? Sounds simple, but there is much more to this story than meets the eye...
Due to David’s sin, he was given three choices to select as his punishment, and as we discussed yesterday David chose the latter, “Three days of the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land”. ( I Chronicles 21:12) David was in great distress and unable to make a decision, so he said, “Let me fall into the HANDS of the LORD for his MERCY is very GREAT.” (21:13)
Today, we will realize how TRULY GREAT THAT MERCY IS!!
David puts on burlap to show his deep distress and fell face down on the ground and expresses his deep remorse and desire to take the punishment rather than having it afflict his people. He said, “I am the one! Punish me!”
Then, David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, reaching over Jerusalem and preparing to destroy it. God tells the angel, “Stop! That’s enough!” (21:15)
Where does all this take place? At the “Threshing Floor of Araunah the Jebusite”.
Where does God instruct the angel to tell the prophet, Gad, to direct David to go and build an altar to the Lord?
He is to go UP to the “Threshing Floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
David goes there to BUY the threshing floor to offer his sacrifice.
He says to its owner, “I will not present burnt sacrifice that has cost me nothing.” (v. 24)
What is the significance of God meeting David’s sin with an instruction to go to a “Threshing Floor”. Notice, that God does not ask him to go to any threshing floor. He is given direct instructions through the angel and the prophet to go to this exact one!
The location is Araunah’s Threshing floor and he is to go UP to get there.
Where is this location?
It is on Mount Moriah, the very place where Abraham offered his son Isaac at God’s bidding and God provided a sacrificial lamb to take the place of man.
Let this first part sink in a bit. God is weaving together a “Someplace in Time” kind of moment and the music is rising…
So, we understand that God is calling David to come to this exact place, but what is the significance of a threshing floor?
A “THRESHING FLOOR” in scripture is a place of separation and revelation.
It was here that the harvest was prepared by separating the grain from the useless chaff…
Separating the ‘wheat from the chaff” is a term for judgment.
Who would separate the “wheat from the chaff” on this day, and how would that be done?
Luke 3:17 says, “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor and will gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable.”
It was here on the “THRESHING FLOOR” that David came to atone for his sins and seek mercy at the hand of HIS God for his people who were paying the price for his sin.
Just as mankind had received the sentence of death for the sins of one man, Adam,...In the same way, 70,000 had paid the sacrifice for David’s sin. The number seven in the Bible is a perfect number showing completion.
So, God takes him to the very place where he provided the lamb for Abraham and his son, Isaac.
This is a word picture moment that was inescapable!
Out of God’s great mercy, He had led David to THE PLACE to encounter his perfect sacrifice for sin. What a Grander Scheme… “The THRESHING FLOOR”
