Mercy - the Place of Worship

For any leader it is always a fine line between trusting in God and trusting in the resources that you have around you. King David crossed that line. In 1 Chronicles chapter 21 so much had been going well for David and his kingdom: old enemies were subdued, borders expanded. David could take stock, perhaps make plans for the future. Yet that became the moment of in-discretion - he ordered his commander to take a census of fighting men.

The error soon became obvious, and David realised he would have to hope for mercy from God. There is lots that one could look at here, but lets skip to the moment of mercy in verse 15. A plague was sweeping across the people, and would strike at the very heart of the nation - Jerusalem. Yet God relented and called 'Enough'. So acute was the situation that we have mapping coordinates for the very spot - the threshing floor of Araunah.

This location becomes a place of humble repentance, mercy ... and then worship. It also becomes the location of the eventual temple (see chapter 22 verse 1).

The Temple, the all important focal point for Israelite worship of God, the place where God would meet with people, the eventual pride of the nation, was located at the point of God's mercy. A physical reminder that our worship, our ability to meet with God, is enabled by God's mercy.

In time Jesus would of course supersede the physical temple, being God literally meeting with us. On the cross he would become both the place and the means of mercy for all mankind.

Lets not believe that we must encourage people to come to a certain building or physical place in order to meet God and worship. Rather let us find a way of taking them to the cross - for the place of mercy becomes the place of worship.