Sacrifice-Temple-Sacrifice

Genesis 22:1-2, I Samuel 15:22, II Samuel 24:1-25, II Chronicles 3, Ephesians 2:8-9

Abraham was told to take his son Isaac to the land of Moriah to offer him as a sacrifice on one of the mountains that God would show him.  It is thought that the place where Abraham offered up his son Isaac is close to the same area where Araunah the Jebusite had a threshing floor.

• 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