History Come to Life

The Bible is an incredible testimony of the God who created all things Who has chosen to reveal Himself to mankind.  The holy scriptures bear no resemblance to works of fiction or mythology because they are a recording of actual history.  There are records of miraculous occurrences by the power of God and prophesies which have been confirmed as precisely accurate hundreds of years later.  Over thousands of years many traditional beliefs have been espoused by the Jews, some supported by scripture and others that are not.  One thing I learned during my travels to Israel from tour guides is it is traditionally believed the temple mount is the place Abraham went by the command of God to bind and offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering.  Because scripture does not say this, it may or may not be true.  By this test Abraham demonstrated his faith in God, the life of Isaac was spared, and God provided a ram for the offering with fire they brought to the mount with them.

However, the Bible does plainly say the reason why the temple was built in a specific place--and it may not be what you expect.  After David numbered the children of Israel and God plagued the children of Israel for three days, David saw an angel with a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.  Details of the historical event can be read in 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 which was written later.  1 Chronicles 21:18 states, "Therefore, the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David that David should go and erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite."  In obedience to God's directive, David negotiated a price for the place of the threshing floor, the floor itself, threshing implements for wood, oxen and wheat for sacrifice, and he paid with silver and gold.  1 Chronicles 21:28 tells us, "At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there."

At that time the Ark of the Covenant was housed in Israel, but the tabernacle constructed by Moses was in Gibeon.  When David saw the offering was accepted by God with fire from heaven (something he did not negotiate or purchase from Ornan), from that time forward upon that altar built on the threshing floor was the place David offered sacrifices to God.  2 Chronicles 3:1 says clearly that is the reason why the temple was built in that specific place in Jerusalem:  "Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite."  The Bible revealed to me true historical facts several tour guides in my times in Israel did not mention.  The sign at the temple mount to this day does not mention this either, and you do not need to go to Israel to read it for yourself!

The Bible is the authority on history, and we can rest in the accuracy of God's word which reveals the truth to all who will receive it.  We owe a great debt to countless people who laboured to preserve the word of God so we can read it in a language we can understand.  Whether or not Abraham went to sacrifice his son on the exact spot of the altar is not confirmed, but God has made clear why Solomon built the temple where he did:  it was the place where the LORD appeared to David at the place he prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.  It was the place where God told the angel to put his sword back into his sheath and received the offering with fire from heaven.  It was a place where peace had been restored because God is our peace, and He chose to place His everlasting name in Jerusalem:  the city of peace.

For Christians this is a lovely illustration how Jesus is our peace and we have been joined with Him by faith.  The Bible reveals those who are born again by faith in Jesus now are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for sinners, and offering God received on Calvary.  God showed He received Christ as an acceptable offering by raising Him from the dead, His ascension into heaven, and the Holy Spirit coming upon believers on the Day of Pentecost.  Those disciples went out into the world and preached the Gospel, the same Gospel Christians proclaim today.  We now are called to offer ourselves as living sacrifices unto God which is our reasonable service.  Aren't God's ways higher than ours and His wisdom beyond compare by bringing history to life?