1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.
6 But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab.
7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel.
8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
9 And the LORD spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying,
10 Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
11 So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee
12 Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.
14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
18 Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.
20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.
23 And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.
24 And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.
26 And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
27 And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.
28 At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.
29 For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon.
30 But David could not go before it to enquire of God: for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.
The book of 1 Chronicles is a historical record of the genealogy of the Israelites and the establishment of the kingdom of David. Chapter 21 focuses on an event that occurred during David's reign, where he orders a census to be taken of all the people of Israel. This chapter also highlights the consequences of David's actions and the importance of obedience to God's commands.
The chapter begins with Satan inciting David to take a census of the people of Israel. This action was in direct disobedience to God's command, as seen in Exodus 30:12 where God instructs Moses to take a census only when commanded to do so. However, David's decision to take a census was not entirely motivated by evil intentions. He wanted to know the strength of his army and the number of people in his kingdom. This was a common practice among kings in ancient times, but in this case, it was not in accordance with God's will.
David's commander Joab tries to dissuade him from taking the census, but David persists. The census is conducted, and the results show that there were 1.1 million men who could handle a sword in Israel and 470,000 in Judah. This number was much higher than the previous census recorded in 2 Samuel 24, where there were only 800,000 men in Israel and 500,000 in Judah. This sudden increase in numbers could be due to the inclusion of non-Israelite residents in the census, which was against God's command.
After the census was completed, David's heart was stricken with guilt, and he confessed his sin to God. He acknowledges that his actions were foolish and that he had sinned against God. As a consequence of his disobedience, God gives David three options for punishment: three years of famine, three months of fleeing from his enemies, or three days of pestilence in the land.
David chooses to fall into the hands of God rather than his enemies, and a pestilence comes upon Israel. The angel of the Lord destroys 70,000 men in Israel, and when the angel reaches Jerusalem, God commands him to stop. The angel is standing at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, and God tells David to build an altar there and offer sacrifices to Him.
The threshing floor of Ornan holds great significance in this chapter. It was the site where Abraham was stopped by the angel of the Lord when he was about to sacrifice his son Isaac, and it became a place of worship for the Israelites. Later, King Solomon would build the temple on this very site, making it the holiest place in Jerusalem.
When David goes to Ornan to buy the threshing floor and the oxen for the sacrifices, Ornan offers to give them to David for free. However, David refuses to accept them for free, stating that he will not offer sacrifices to God that cost him nothing. This shows the importance of offering sacrifices to God with a pure heart and a willingness to give up something of value.
The main themes of 1 Chronicles chapter 21 are obedience, consequences of disobedience, and the importance of offering sacrifices with a pure heart. David's decision to take a census may seem trivial, but it had severe consequences for his people. It was a reminder that even the smallest act of disobedience can have grave consequences and that it is essential to follow God's commands wholeheartedly.
Furthermore, the chapter also emphasizes the importance of offering sacrifices to God with a pure heart. David's refusal to accept the threshing floor and oxen for free shows that true worship and sacrifice involve giving up something of value. It is a reminder that our sacrifices should not be empty gestures but should come from a place of genuine devotion and obedience to God.
The chapter also foreshadows the significance of the threshing floor of Ornan, as it becomes the site of the temple, the dwelling place of God on earth. This further reinforces the idea that true worship and sacrifices should be given at a holy place, with a heart that is pure and devoted to God.
In conclusion, 1 Chronicles chapter 21 serves as a reminder of the importance of obedience to God's commands, the consequences of disobedience, and the significance of offering sacrifices with a pure heart. It also highlights the significance of the threshing floor of Ornan, which becomes a holy site for the Israelites. This chapter teaches us the importance of wholeheartedly following God and offering sacrifices that come from a place of genuine devotion and obedience.
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