Judah

Genesis 37:26-28 & 38:1-7 & 49:8-12, 1 Peter 1:1-9, Revelations 5:1-5

Who was Judah.  He was the 4th son of Jacob and Leah.  He was one of the brothers who sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt.  It was his suggestion to sell him rather than kill him.  Compared to two of his brothers that might be viewed as more compassionate than to kill him.

• King David sin of numbering the people resulted in him needing a place to offer up burnt offerings and peace offerings.  He was instructed to raise an alter to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the jebusite.  He insisted on paying for the site even though Araunah offered it to him for free.

• Sometime later, after the death of King David we read in II Chronicles 3 that Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah.  This leads one to conclude that it is likely that Abraham offering his Isaac, Araunah threshing floor and the the temple King Solomon built are in the same close area.

• Sacrifices tend to you offerer to get something.  David insisted on paying Araunah the threshing floor etc because he did not want to give an offering that cost him nothing.  However, Abraham's raw that was offered in place of Isaac cost him nothing.  The real issue is the heart of the matter.  In I Samuel 15:22 we learn that obedience to the Lord is better than to sacrifice.  Finally, God's sacrifice of His son is the free gift of salvation to all who receive Jesus as Lord and Savior of their lives.  Ephesians 2:8-9