Mercy At the Threshing Floor

Title: Mercy at the Threshing Floor.

Text I Chronicles 21

Provocative thought: “How often do you thank God for His Mercy?”

21 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.

Introduction: "How often do you pause to thank God for His mercy? It’s a question that cuts to the heart of our spiritual lives. As Christians, gratitude for God’s mercy isn’t just a suggestion-it’s a sacred duty. Yet, if we’re honest, how easily do we let this priority slip? We pour ourselves into pursuing God’s will, fighting life’s battles, or serving others-good things, noble things-but in the busyness, we forget to sit in awe of the mercy that rescued us.

Think of it: The cross of Calvary, where Christ bore our sin, can become so familiar that it loses its grip on our hearts. We recite the story, sing the hymns, yet feel no stir in our souls. Let me be clear-this isn’t about emotional manipulation. It’s about the undeniable truth that mercy, when truly received, changes us. It doesn’t demand tears or dramatic displays, but it does demand gratitude-a daily, deliberate turning of our hearts to say, ‘Thank You, Lord. I am here only by Your grace.’

Today, let’s recalibrate. In the time we have, I pray we’ll be stirred to see mercy anew-not as a theological concept, but as the very breath of our spiritual lives. Let’s leave here resolved: Every day, in every way, I will thank Him for mercy that I don’t deserve but cannot live without."Mercy defined

Mercy is God withholding the punishment deserved for sin. (Exodus 34:6-7)

Even the consequences for sin is more merciful than what we deserve.

Mercy Displayed

David’s Sin (21:1)

The identity of David’s sin.

Pride or another unnamed sin, like Fear. (21:1)

No contradiction with II Samuel. 24:1.

God can use Satan to further tempt us as punishment for existing sin.

David’s Remorse (21:8a)

Even in sin, David's heart never strayed too far from God.

David’s Repentance (21:8b)

"David kept a short account with God." Guzik.

"Do away" He asked God to remove his transgression far from him. (Psalm 39:8-10)

David’s Consequences. (21:9-12)

He had to choose

3 years of famine.

3 months of defeat.

3 days of plague

The penalty for his sin affected others.

Famine affected everyone, except the elite such as himself.

Defeat would affect the army, but he was no longer leading the army personally (II Sam. 21:17), so he would not face the possibility of death.

The plague affected everyone, and no one was safe. Not even himself.

David was thankful for.

The Pattern of Mercy (21:13)

God’s pattern of mercy to David made him desirous of receiving correction from Him than from the world.

“David chose the three days of plague. In the other two options, Israel would either be at the mercy of neighbors (as in the famine) or attacked by enemies. David knew that God is far more merciful and gracious than man is.” Guzik

God was merciful at Ziklag. (I Sam. 30)

God was merciful after Bathsheba.(II Sam. 12:13)

"The Lord hath also put away thy sins, thou shalt not die."

David was right about God’s mercy.

God's judgment was more merciful than man's, but that does NOT mean that we can presume upon God's mercy.

We can also count upon His mercy despite the consequences we face.

Often, we are not thankful for the Grace He has already given us. God expects us to be thankful and to show our thankfulness for His mercy.

The Place of Mercy (21:18).

The threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

There was a place that God had ordained that mercy would be extended.

The place where Abraham nearly killed Isaac. (Gen. 22:2 and II Chron. 3:1)

“God will provide Himself a lamb…”

“Abraham taught the fact of the sacrifice, while to David, the reason of that sacrifice of Christ was explained. He was sacrificed to stay the plague – the plague of sin, the punishment of our iniquities.” (Spurgeon)

The place where the Temple of God would be built. (22:1)

The Ark and the “mercy seat”

God would extend his mercy to Israel from this place for the rest of Israel’s history whenever a lamb was slain.

God took a place that would forever be remembered as a memorial of the time God extended his mercy.

This mountain was perhaps part of the same mountain range where mercy would be extended again 2,000 years later at Calvary.

Be thankful for the place God saved you.

“We finally see the man after God’s own heart turning the occasion of his sin and its punishment into an occasion of worship.” (Morgan)

The Person of Mercy

The Peace offering (26)

The peace offering was to thank God for the restoration of a broken relationship.

The Burnt offering. (26)

A lamb without blemish (Lev. 1, 6:8-13)

Accepted by God as a sacrifice (Lev. 4:33)

David’s offense still stood, but it was transferred to the Lamb. No longer to be remembered as David’s sin. (Psalm 103:12)

The Angel of the Lord. (21:16,18,20,27)

Could be the Incarnate Christ.

This would not be the last time that he would be suspended between Heaven and Earth in the city of Jerusalem. This time He came in judgment, but the next time He would come as a sacrifice.

"The ultimate fulfillment of the burnt offering is in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. His physical life was completely consumed, He ascended to God, and His covering (that is, His garment) was distributed to those who officiated over His sacrifice (Matthew 27:35). But most importantly, His sacrifice, once for all time, atoned for our sins and restored our relationship with God."-Unknown

The result of Mercy (21:27)

The threat was slowed in vs 15, but never removed. The threat of God’s judgement was only removed as the result of God’s Mercy.

The death of Jesus Christ as our sacrifice removed the threat of God’s wrath on us. In fact, His wrath was poured on Jesus.