The Threshing Floor of Araunah
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David and those with him were given a glimpse beyond the veil separating seen from unseen. Just as Balaam had seen an angel with a drawn sword blocking his way (Numbers 22:31), David now saw an angel with an outstretched hand, ready to deliver justice to those living in Jerusalem. While David had expressed sincere repentance for his actions, the punishment of Israel for prideful failure to credit God for their blessings was in the hands of the Lord.
Would God, in His mercy, spare Jerusalem? The prophet Gad came just then with another message for David. “Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite” (2 Samuel 24:18). Even though the Jebusites were a conquered people (2 Samuel 5:6, 7), Jerusalem was still home to many of these early inhabitants.
As soon as Araunah (or Ornan; 1 Chronicles 21:18) knew David’s reason for wanting his threshing floor, he offered the land willingly, along with anything necessary to stop the dreadful plague (2 Samuel 24:21, 22). “But David tells him who would make this generous offering, that the Lord will accept the sacrifice which he is willing to make, but that he would not come before the Lord with an offering which cost him nothing. He would buy it of him for full price. He offered there burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. God accepted the offering by answering David in sending fire from Heaven to consume the sacrifice. The angel of God was commanded to put his sword into his sheath, and cease his work of destruction.” “The spot where the angel halted was on Mt. Moriah, the mountain where Abraham had erected an altar for the offering of Isaac and where God had appeared unto him (Gen. 22:1–14; 2 Chron. 3:1), and it was here that Solomon later erected his temple. The place where death had been stayed by mercy was holy ground and was henceforth recognized as such by God’s people. . . . “. . . With this account of David’s repentance and reconciliation to God the book of Samuel closes.” “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1).
