So David gave Araunah 600 pieces of gold in payment for the threshing floor. David built an altar there to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the LORD answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar. Then the LORD spoke to the angel, who put the sword back into its sheath. When David saw that the LORD had answered his prayer, he offered sacrifices there at Araunah’s threshing floor. At that time the Tabernacle of the LORD and the altar of burnt offering that Moses had made in the wilderness were located at the place of worship in Gibeon. But David was not able to go there to inquire of God, because he was terrified by the drawn sword of the angel of the LORD. Then David said, “This will be the location for the Temple of the LORD God and the place of the altar for Israel’s burnt offerings!” So David gave orders to call together the foreigners living in Israel, and he assigned them the task of preparing finished stone for building the Temple of God. David provided large amounts of iron for the nails that would be needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps, and he gave more bronze than could be weighed. He also provided innumerable cedar logs, for the men of Tyre and Sidon had brought vast amounts of cedar to David. David said, “My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced. And since the Temple to be built for the LORD must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world, I will begin making preparations for it now.” So David collected vast amounts of building materials before his death. Then David sent for his son Solomon and instructed him to build a Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel. “My son, I wanted to build a Temple to honor the name of the LORD my God,” David told him. “But the LORD said to me, ‘You have killed many men in the battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood in my sight, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. He is the one who will build a Temple to honor my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will secure the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’ Now, my son, may the LORD be with you and give you success as you follow his directions in building the Temple of the LORD your God. And may the LORD give you wisdom and understanding, that you may obey the Law of the LORD your God as you rule over Israel. For you will be successful if you carefully obey the decrees and regulations that the LORD gave to Israel through Moses. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!”
1 Chronicles 21:25–22:13 NLT
This would be the vision David cast to his son:
To Solomon, my Son and Heir,
As the Lord stayed the hand of the death angel, I realized twilight descends upon my reign and the dawn of your own approaches. Now that I have acquired the surrounding property of Araunah the Jebusite, my heart is moved to impart to you the vision and purpose that have stirred my soul and guided my steps.
The Lord, in His infinite wisdom, decreed that it is your calling, my son, the great task of building a temple for Him. Though it was my deepest desire to build this house for the Lord, He has entrusted this sacred task to you. In His wisdom, He chose a man of peace, you, Solomon, to construct what a man of war, I, could not. This is the way of our God, whose ways are not our ways, whose thoughts soar far above our own.
This task, more than a mere construction of wood and stone, is an embodiment of our nation’s devotion and a testament to our God’s enduring presence. Understand, Solomon, that this temple is not merely a dwelling for the Ark or a monument to our faith. But it is the housing for the throne of the Living God, a bridge between the Divine and the earthly, where heaven touches earth. Within its walls, the whispers of the past and the echoes of the future will converge.
This temple points to God’s redemptive plan – a plan that spans from Abraham’s altar to the future promised Messiah. Just as our forefather Abraham was tested and provided a ram in place of his son, and as I have laid offerings upon the altar to stay a plague, so this temple stands as a symbol of God’s provision, a foreshadowing of an ultimate sacrifice, a redemption that will eclipse all others. God’s redemptive plan is a plan you are now part of, a narrative you are called to continue.
Therefore, as you embark on this sacred task, let your heart be guided by love and obedience to our Lord. Serve Him not for blessings or earthly gain, but out of a deep, abiding love for Him who is our Creator and Sustainer. Let your devotion be wholehearted, unwavering in the face of trials and tribulations. You are not merely erecting a structure; you are nurturing the hope in God for generations.
Embrace your destiny, Solomon. Lead our people not merely as a king but as a servant of the Most High, a steward of His mysteries, and a caretaker of His presence. May the Lord grant you wisdom beyond measure, and may your reign be marked by peace and prosperity. But above all, may your heart ever yearn for His presence, and may your life be a sweet offering unto Him.
With all my blessings and love,
David, your father, and king
This is the final stretch! If you are competitive answer both questions. Share with your friends: “1) What legacy am I currently building, and how does it reflect my commitment to God? 2) How would you explain the different prices 600 gold pieces here in 1 Chron. 21:25 with 50 silver pieces in 2 Sam. 24:24 last week?”
Happy last stretch folks, let us get it! The legacy I am currently building is my passion in worship and training the next generations to be servants of the Lord. Just seeing the abundant blessings He’s given me with over the years all along with the challenges, I just continue to love Him more each day because God really is who He says He is. I say that because since worship is such a passion of mine, that is one of the most tangible and practical ways members can get involved with the church, serving all the while sharpening their music skills. I pray that God would bring this to fruition so that His name is glorified and lifted on high.
(from Charles)
I do not know if I am necessarily building a legacy like how David did with the Temple but I do believe in investing in the next generation of people. I hope that by serving in the college group that I can help with the next generation of believers and that they will follow God with all of their hearts. As for the second question, I believe there isn’t a discrepancy but a clue is given in the text for the differing amounts. In 2 Samuel 24, the passage mentions 50 shekels of silver for the threshing floor and oxen while the 1 Chronicles 21 amount of 600 shekels of gold is referring to the site which was referring to the area surrounding the threshing floor and more. The Temple was a large structure so it would make sense that the area of a threshing floor would not be big enough to contain the Temple of God.
In regard to what David paid for the threshing floor. I think the confusion is in the translation being taken out-of-context.
In the passage we read from NLT 1 chron 21:25, David paid “Araunah 600 pieces of gold* in payment for the threshing floor”. In NLT 2 Sam 24:24, David paid “fifty pieces of silver* for the threshing floor and the oxen.”
It does seems inconsistent that David paid only 50 pieces of silver for both the parcel of land and the oxen. So how can we explain it. If we read the other translations, things become more clear.
Consider NIV version (this is my goto version when reading the bible) –
But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.
I think the text is similar but the words were rearranged slightly and now you can read this as David bought the threshing floor.
And when he wanted to do an offering to the Lord at the location, Araunah offered to give him the Oxen but David insisted in paying for the offering and paid Araunah and extra 50 silver for the Oxen.
The cost of the threshing floor was 600 gold and the cost of the Oxen was 50 silver. Also note that if you look at other translations, most of them are similar in wording to NIV version.
The other part of the question is a bit harder for me. I believe I do try to model to anyone I meet how a good Christian should live. I try to not be a hypocrite and just do lip service to the Lord teaching.
I don’t pretend to be perfect but I don’t think God children need to be perfect. We need to be honestly acknowledging God’s authority and express our love to Him by living to be pleasing to Him.
So I model His teaching and I hope that in doing so I can show a way of life that’s pleasing to those that God already called.
As long as I don’t turn away through my own wrong doing a soul God is calling then I feel that I have done my part.
I hope to present way of life that’s righteous for the kids, hoping that if they will recognize that living such a live will give them peace and happiness beyond just the earthly trappings.
I sometime pray that God would use me better to make a huge difference in the lives of others but that’s pride on my part. I pray God would at least grant me the blessing to be a guiding model for the few people in my life.
Niki: This reminds me of my continual prayers for my kids. “ Therefore, as you embark on this sacred task, let your heart be guided by love and obedience to our Lord. Serve Him not for blessings or earthly gain, but out of a deep, abiding love for Him who is our Creator and Sustainer. Let your devotion be wholehearted, unwavering in the face of trials and tribulations. “. My prayer is hope for my kids is for them to have their own personal experience with God just like me. And for them to continue to serve God in ministries according to their gifts and talents..what God has blessed them with. I admit my shortcomings and pray with my kids as they make their mistakes to help them learn grow in God truths but also help them to know how loved they are by God and to continue to trust in God and his plans for them.
This also reminds me of my dad’s legacy of serving the church and leading Children’s ministry. So I hope my kids and the staff that are in CM will faithfully continue to serve God with the little ones.
David is pouring his whole heart and all that God has blessed him into building this temple for God, for the Ark to stay at a more permanent place. He is fully invested in building this temple. He initially paid for the altar and animal to be sacrificed. But paid more for the entire site where the threshing floor of the altar is at to build the entire temple for God.
Dear Timmy,
As we continue to journey through life and realize that our time with you may be limited, our greatest desire is for you to witness the model of service in our lives. Our commitment to serving others stems from the profound love and service we have received from God in every facet of our lives. Our legacy for you is one of selfless service, an unwavering love for God, and a deep affection for your brothers and sisters, treating them as you would wish to be treated. Rather than succumbing to the fleeting pleasures of this world, we encourage you to utilize your resources to further the Kingdom of God, ushering more souls into eternity. We hope that your reputation will be built on your love for God, kindness to your people, faith in Jesus, and humility in your service, leaving a lasting mark on the lives of those you encounter. with much love and blessings – your mom – jho
I think even though the discrepancy exists between the two passages, it is not necessarily a contradiction but rather a result of different sources, interpretations, or focuses in the narratives. The main message is that David purchased Araunah’s threshing floor for an altar to the Lord, remains consistent in both accounts.
1. The legacy I’m building is through the close relationships I have and those I make through 1-1 interactions at my jobs that allow me to spend extended amounts of time with the same people to get to know them more, connect, and share about my faith
2. 50 shekels of silver for the threshing floor vs 600 gold pieces for the land surrounding the threshing floor
I’m not competitive, but I do want to finish strong! What legacy am I building? With my marriage and 4 kids, we pray that we’re building a legacy of men and women who love Jesus and love people and understand/appreciate grace. We try to model for them not a religious ethic but a culture of wonder and awe that a God so great would love us like this:
I John 3:1 NKJV
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
I have recently joined the children’s ministry staff to assist with the little kids, and I would love to see them follow in their parents’ footsteps by coming to church, just as I did when I was a child. I believe that I contribute to building our next generation’s knowledge and understanding of God and the Gospel. It is crucial for them to recognize that our God is both the Creator and the Savior, and they must follow Him faithfully, staying connected to God and the church. The difference between 600 gold pieces and 50 silver pieces lies in the fact that David paid 50 silver pieces for the threshing floor and oxen specifically, while the 600 gold pieces represented the total price he paid for the entire site, including the threshing floor, oxen, and everything else.
1) Wow, David really invested in building the temple for the Lord. Currently, my hope is to invest in the younger girls in our church community. I am so grateful for the work the Lord has done to bring me to Him when I was a freshman in high school. My hope is for younger girls to also know God’s amazing love for them & to receive Jesus in their hearts. I know it requires an investment of my time, energy, & resources to build on God’s Kingdom. I pray to give it all back to God with a heart full of joy and gratitude.
2) 600 pieces of gold for the threshing floor and the surrounding area (1 Chronicles 21:25) & 50 pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen. There is price variance in the 2 verses that we’re comparing but upon my research, cost was different because of the difference in sizes of the land and also oxen.