“Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father.” 2 Chronicles 3:1
Dear Ones:
In Genesis 22, we find the first mention in the Bible of “…the land of Moriah.” (v. 2) It would be on mount Moriah that Abraham would be instructed by God to offer his son Isaac, “…for a burnt-offering.” It is important to realize that Abraham considered Moriah a place of worship. (22:5) That which is most significant in this story is not the faith, person, or action of Abraham, nor the apparent compliance of Isaac, in permitting his father to bind him, laying him on the altar. That which truly, and most prominantly, distinguishes this place from any other is the manifest presence of “…the angel of the Lord, (who) called out to him (Abraham) from heaven.” (v.11) That presence, and that voice, came from the Maker and Redeemer of us all, the Eternal God, and Lord of life…the Lord Jesus Christ.
Years later, when David was king of Israel, there came a time when the Lord was greatly displeased with Israel, and, “…the anger of the Lord was kindled.” ((2 Samuel 24:1) It would be at this time that “…Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” (1 Chronicles 21:1) The result was that God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. David, feeling very keenly that he was in part responsible for this, sought the Lord for forgiveness. The Lord would then instruct the angel: “It is enough, stay now thine hand.” (v. 15) It is very remarkable to notice here, “where” the angel stopped and stood still. David would see the angel of the Lord standing between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in His hand stretched out over Jerusalem.” This would be by “the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebsusite.” It would be at this site that the angel would instruct David, by Gad, to build an altar, and to offer there burnt-offerings, and peace-offerings. (v.26) The place where Abraham was to come to offer his son, would again be a place of worship, distinguished by the very manifest presence of God, by the angel of the Lord, in the days of David.
The fact that the Lord had answered David’s prayer of supplication to spare Jerusalem, and Israel, “…in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, persuaded him that, “…This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of the burnt-offering for Israel.” (22:1) It would be at that place, on Mt. Moriah, that David would instruct Solomon to construct the temple of the Lord, the very “house of God.
As we consider the God of Moriah, what are the lessons that we must learn? God is the God of history and time, who chooses WHERE He would have us worship, and how we are to worship. Our attention is directed to Jerusalem, for the world to see and know this. Though Jerusalem is set before us as a place of worship, yet we must remember that this same God said to the Samaritan woman: “…You will neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.” (Jn. 4:21) He goes on to say, “…the true worshipers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.” (v. 23) The primary point of this entire subject is that we are called to worship God in the place of His choosing, based on the sacrifice of His Son. It is there, in alone-ness with Him, that we are to worship Him in Spirit and truth. It is also there, that He will reveal Himself to the heart.
Dear Father, teach us to worship Thee in Spirit and in truth, in the place of Your choosing. We would believe thee, In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad