1 Chronicles 21:18
Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Sermons
Census ReflectionsW. Bramley Moore, M. A.1 Chronicles 21:1-30
David Numbering IsraelHomilist1 Chronicles 21:1-30
David's Self-ConfidenceR. D. B. Rawnsley.1 Chronicles 21:1-30
David's Sin and RepentanceClergyman's Magazine1 Chronicles 21:1-30
Man, Through God, Arresting the Great EvilsHomilist1 Chronicles 21:1-30
Sinful CountingJ. Parker, D. D.1 Chronicles 21:1-30
The Impotence of NumbersHarry Jones.1 Chronicles 21:1-30
Under a SpellW. Birch.1 Chronicles 21:1-30
Effects of David's SinF. Whitfield 1 Chronicles 21:7-18, 29, 30
The Arrested HandW. Clarkson 1 Chronicles 21:14-27
Ornan's Threshing-FloorF. Whitfield 1 Chronicles 21:18-27














Araunah (Aravnah, Avarnah, Aranyah, Ornan) was:

1. A Gentile by birth; almost the last relic of the Canaanitish tribe whose fortress was taken nearly thirty years before (2 Samuel 5:6). "He was not slain by David in the siege of Jerusalem, because of the good will he bore to the Hebrews, and a particular benignity and affection which he had to the king himself" (Josephus); with whom, during his exile, he may have become acquainted.

2. A proselyte to the faith of Israel (ver. 23). "There was no other people who were specially called the people of God; but they (the Jews) cannot deny that there have been certain men of other nations, who belonged, not by earthly but heavenly fellowship, to the true Israelites, the citizens of the country that is above" (Augustine).

3. A prosperous owner of property on the hill Moriah (at that time outside the city), where he had his threshing floor, and dwelt with his four sons. His prosperity was due, not merely to his own industry, but chiefly to his friendship with David and his people.

4. A partaker of the sufferings, as well as the privileges, of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Whilst occupied in threshing wheat (by means of sledges drawn by oxen), it was given him to see the supernatural messenger of wrath (1 Chronicles 21:20); and "his four sons with him, hid themselves" from fear.

5. A loyal subject; respectful, courteous (ver. 20), and grateful for the king's visit to him in his threshing floor (ver. 21). "It was a piece of condescension to be marvelled at; and the language expresses a desire to know his pleasure concerning him, supposing it must be something very urgent and important" (Gill).

6. A generous donor and public-spirited man (ver. 22). "All does Araunah, O king, give to the king" (ver. 23). "His liberality and princely munificence is registered to all after ages in the Holy Scripture; what is done by a pious heart to the honour and worship of God shall never want its own reward and blessed remembrance; as was the breaking of the box of precious ointment" (Guild).

7. A devout worshipper of God. "Jehovah thy God accept thee."

8. A ready helper toward the building of the altar and temple of God.

9. A pattern to Christians.

10. A pro-intimation of the willing homage of the Gentile world to Christ (2 Samuel 22:50); an earnest or firstfruits of the harvest (Psalm 72:10, 11). "In every place incense shall be offered," etc. (Malachi 1:11). - D.

And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it.
Lessons:

I. THAT IDLENESS IS THE PARENT OF SIN. It was when David was living as king in ease at Jerusalem that he was tempted of Satan.

II. THAT ONE OF THE BEST REMEDIES FOR WOE IS WORK. The angel of destruction stayed his steps at the threshing-floor of Ornan, even as the angel of salvation visited Gideon as he was threshing wheat.

III. THAT PRAYER, EVEN AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR, MAY BE BY GOD'S GRACE EFFICACIOUS. When the sword was actually drawn in the hand of the destroyer it was kept from further execution when David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

IV. THAT OUR GIFTS TO GOD, AS TO MEN, SHOULD BE BESTOWED IN A GENEROUS SPIRIT.

V. THAT WE SHOULD NOT OFFER TO GOD WHAT COSTS US NOTHING.

VI. THAT GOD SANCTIFIES EFFORTS, HOWEVER WEAK THEY MAY BE, IF THEY BE SINCERELY MADE; ACCEPTS GIFTS, HOWEVER HUMBLE THEY MAY BE, IF BESTOWED FROM THE HEART.

VII. THAT THE BEST PROOF THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT OUR OFFERING IS ACCEPTED BY GOD IS NOT THAT WE EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF INFLATED IMPORTANCE OR SELF-SATISFACTION, BUT THAT WE ARE FILLED WITH AN ABIDING SENSE OF PEACE.

VIII. THAT THOUGH WE MAY WORSHIP GOD ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE, YET THAT IN HIS DULY CONSECRATED SANCTUARY, IT IS FITTEST TO DO HIM REVERENCE.

(R. Young, M. A.)

Homilist.
That men suffer for the sins of others is a fact written in every page of history, obvious in every circle of life, and recognised as a principle in the government of God. "The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." That this principle is both just and beneficent, consider —

1. That no man is made to suffer more than he deserves on account of his own personal sins.

2. The men of Israel now for their own sins deserved this stroke of justice.

3. That the evil which descends to us from others is not to be compared to that which we produce ourselves.

4. The sufferings that come to us from others can give us no remorse, which is the very sting of the judgment — our own sins do this.

5. That the knowledge that we can injure society by our own conduct has a strong tendency to restrain vice and stimulate virtue.

(Homilist.)

I. THE PROGRESSIVE COURSE OF SIN.

1. Temptation. Satan the black fountain of all transgression.

2. Transgression (ver. 2). In face of warning (ver. 3). Its desperate folly seen by others (ver. 6). The deadening, hardening power of any lust.

3. Punishment (vers. 10-12). As soon will the magnet escape the influence of the pole, the sea the influence of the moon, an atom the binding force of gravitation, as the sinner escape punishment. "Be sure your sin," etc.

II. THE PROGRESSIVE COURSE OF RECONCILIATION WITH GOD.

1. The messenger, God's afflictive stroke (ver. 7). The prophet, Gad (ver. 9). Every person or circumstance that reproves is God's messenger.

2. Conviction. (ver. 8). The true convict, always confesses, never excuses. Not only owns the sin, but acknowledges its greatness.

3. Penitence (ver. 16).

4. Acceptance.

5. Grateful acknowledgment (ver. 24).

III. UNDERLYING TRUTHS.

1. Though man be tempted, sin is his own act.

2. Our sins affect others. How many widows and orphans!

3. Though sin be pardoned, it leaves terrible scars behind. In David's memory. Gaps in the families and homes of the people. Avoidance of sin is infinitely better than pardon. Christ the only sin-healer.

(R. Berry.)

When the father of the house goes down in character he carries down with him, to a considerable extent, the character of his innocent children. The bad man is laying up a bad fortune for those whom he has brought into the world; long years afterwards they may be told how bad a man their father was, and because of his iniquity they may be made to suffer loss and pain.

(J. Parker, D. D.)

Our sin affects others as well as ourselves. A man whose garden was injured by a troublesome weed said it was due to a neighbour's neglect. He had let his garden run wild, and when the seeds of this particular weed were ripe, the wind blew them over the fence. So one sin may make many innocent people suffer.

People
Araunah, Benjamin, Dan, David, Gad, Gibeon, Israelites, Joab, Levi, Ornan
Places
Beersheba, Dan, Gath, Gibeon, Jerusalem
Topics
Altar, Angel, Araunah, Build, Commanded, David, Erect, Floor, Gad, Grain-floor, Jebusite, Jeb'usite, Messenger, Ordered, Orders, Ornan, Raise, Rear, Saying, Spake, Surely, Threshing, Threshingfloor, Threshing-floor
Outline
1. David, tempted by Satan, forces Joab to number the people
5. The number of the people being brought, David repents of it
9. David having three plagues proposed by God, chooses the pestilence
14. After the death of 70,000, David by repentance prevents the destruction of Jerusalem
18. David, by Gad's direction, purchases Ornan's threshing floor;
26. where having built an altar, God gives a sign of his favor by fire.
28. David sacrifices there, being restrained from Gibeon by fear of the angel

Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Chronicles 21:9-26

     4843   plague

1 Chronicles 21:15-26

     4524   threshing-floor

1 Chronicles 21:18-19

     8626   worship, places

1 Chronicles 21:18-28

     4542   wheat

Library
"For what the Law could not Do, in that it was Weak through the Flesh, God Sending his Own Son in the Likeness of Sinful Flesh,
Rom. viii. 3.--"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh." For what purpose do we meet thus together? I would we knew it,--then it might be to some better purpose. In all other things we are rational, and do nothing of moment without some end and purpose. But, alas! in this matter of greatest moment, our going about divine ordinances, we have scarce any distinct or deliberate
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Work of Jesus Christ as an Advocate,
CLEARLY EXPLAINED, AND LARGELY IMPROVED, FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL BELIEVERS. 1 John 2:1--"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." By JOHN BUNYAN, Author of "The Pilgrim's Progress." London: Printed for Dorman Newman, at the King's Arms, in the Poultry, 1689. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This is one of the most interesting of Bunyan's treatises, to edit which required the Bible at my right hand, and a law dictionary on my left. It was very frequently republished;
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Hardening in the Sacred Scripture.
"He hath hardened their heart."-- John xii. 40. The Scripture teaches positively that the hardening and "darkening of their foolish heart" is a divine, intentional act. This is plainly evident from God's charge to Moses concerning the king of Egypt: "Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not harken unto you, and I will lay My hand upon Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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