1 Chronicles 21:26

1Ch 21:26. He answered him from heaven by fire — Hebrew, by fire from heaven; which was a sign of God’s acceptance. The fire that might justly have fastened on the sinner, fastened upon the sacrifice and consumed it. Thus Christ was made sin and a curse for us, and it pleased the Lord to bruise him, that through him God might be to us, not a consuming fire, but a reconciled Father.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21:26–22:1 The census and plague led up to the dedication of Araunah’s threshing floor as the site for the new sanctuary. Typically, offerings would have been made at Gibeon, where the Tabernacle was located (see 16:39; 21:29; 2 Chr 1:3). The halting of the plague at the threshing floor enabled David to make offerings there in accordance with the word he received through Gad the seer (1 Chr 21:18). David then designated the new location for the future Temple of the Lord God.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

God declared that he heard his request, in that he sent down fire from heaven, for else they might use no fire in sacrifice, but of that which was reserved still upon the altar, Lev. 6:13, and came down from heaven, Lev. 9:24, as appeared by the punishment of Nadab and Abihu, Lev. 10:1.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

David built there an altar--He went in procession with his leading men from the royal palace, down Mount Zion, and through the intervening city. Although he had plenty of space on his own property, he was commanded, under peremptory direction, to go a considerable distance from his home, up Mount Moriah, to erect an altar on premises which he had to buy. It was on or close to the spot where Abraham had offered up Isaac.

answered him by fire from heaven--(See Lev 9:24; Kg1 18:21-23; Kg2 1:12; Ch2 7:1).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 26. He answered him - by fire] In answer to David's prayers, God, to show that he had accepted him, and was now pacified towards him and the people, sent fire from heaven and consumed the offerings.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(26) And David built . . . peace offerings.—Word for word as in Samuel.

And called upon the Lord.—Not in Samuel, where the narrative ends with the words, “And the Lord was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.”

From heaven by fire (with the fire from the heavens).—The Divine inauguration of the new altar and place of sacrifice. (See Lev_9:24; 1Ki_18:24; 1Ki_18:38—Elijah’s sacrifice; 2Ch_7:1.) Also a sign that David’s prayer was heard.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

26. peace offerings] See 1Ch_16:1, note. At the end of the verse LXX. (cp. Pesh.) adds, and consumed the burnt offering. Cp. 1Ki_18:38. The fire is not mentioned in 2 Sam.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He answered him from heaven by fire - This fact is not mentioned by the author of Samuel, since his object is to give an account of the sin of David, its punishment, and the circumstances by which that punishment was brought to a close, not to connect those circumstances with anything further in the history. With the writer of Chronicles the case is different. He would probably have omitted the whole narrative, as he did the sin of David in the matter of Uriah, but for its connection with the fixing of the temple site 1 Chr. 22. It was no doubt mainly the fact that God answered him by fire from heaven on this altar, which determined David, and Solomon after him, to build the temple on the spot so consecrated.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Fire, to testify his approbation. (Worthington; Tirinus) See Genesis iv. 4., and 2 Paralipomenon vii. 1. (Calmet) --- This altar represented the cross, on which the Victim of our reconciliation [Jesus Christ] was offered. (Du Hamel)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

From heaven by fire, Heb. by fire sent

from heaven; which was the sign of God’s acceptance. See Lev 9:24; 1Ki 18:24,38; 2Ch 7:1.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He answered him from heaven by fire. There is no doubt significance in the fact that the compiler of Chronicles records this answer by fire, unmentioned in the Book of Samuel. He would give prominence to this great token, as determining, or going a great way towards determining, the site of the temple. The answer by fire was given on critical and special occasions (Lev_9:24; 1Ki_18:24, 1Ki_18:38)

Accepted offerings.

The site of Ornan"s threshing-floor, once secured, was without delay consecrated to the appointed purpose. The altar was reared, the priests were summoned, the victims were prepared, the prayers were offered; and then the favour of the Most High was manifested, and the nation was spared.

I THE OFFERINGS. Those which were presented on this occasion were of two kinds. The burnt offerings were typical of the consecration of the worshipper, body, soul, and spirit, to the God of Israel. The peace offerings were expressive of reconciliation and fellowship with Heaven. The appropriateness of both in the case before us is manifest.

II THE OFFERER. In David"s offering we remark as characteristic of himself:

1. His obedience. As appears from ver. 18, he was acting in literal and immediate compliance with the direction he had received from the Lord through the angel. He had learned from Samuel the seer that "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." In this case the sacrifice and the obedience were one.

2. His prayer. David called upon the Lord. He was emphatically a man of prayer, and it was in answer to his prayer that the plague was stayed. We learn that his sacrifice was not merely a ceremonial act, but that it was accompanied with spiritual desires and acknowledgments.

3. His humility and submission. The king clothed himself in sackcloth and fell upon his face; and the man who in such a spirit sought to avert the Lord"s anger would certainly accompany his offering with contrition and submission.

III THE ACCEPTANCE. This was apparent in two ways.

1. God answered him from heaven by fire, thus showing that the sacrificeand the worshipper were not rejected.

2. "The Lord commanded the angel, and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof." His wrath was laid aside, his mercy was manifested, the people were spared.

PRACTICAL LESSONS.

1. The spirit of David is an example to every suppliant sinner whodeprecates the wrath, and would be delivered from the condemnation, of the righteous Judge.

2. The offerings of David are a symbol of the one Offering, Christ Jesus,provided by God himself.

3. The acceptance of David is an encouragement to every true penitent toapproach the Lord with confidence, coming in God"s own appointed way, and in the spirit God approves. T.

Propitiation.

On a subject of so much complexity, it is hardly fitting to raise a full discussion from a merely incidental illustration, especially in view of the fact that this incident is in harmony with the Old Testament conceptions of propitiation, and fuller and clear doctrinal light has since come in the teachings of the apostles. Here we note that David offered himself to God by a sacrifice, as a man convicted, penitent, and recovered to a right mind, and cherishing a spirit of full consecration. This offering God was pleased to accept by a symbol of fire, and to make a ground on which he could be propitiated. With the distinct understanding that we do but touch one side or aspect of a profound and mysterious subject, and that to deal with a part fully recognizes the importance of the other parts which go to make up the whole, we suggest the consideration of the following points:

I JUDGMENT IS THE DIVINE RECOGNITION OF A MAN"S WRONG STATE. Carefully distinguish between a man"s wrong state of mind and will, and a wrong act. Both must be evil in the sight of God, but he must consider the wrong state as more serious than the wrong act. Judgment, coming as it must in the human and earthly spheres, will always seem to us to be the recognition of wrong acts; but when we come to see the deeper truth, we find it is Divine revelation of man"s state, and due punishment of it. This David found out. The plague seemed to be judgment on his wrong act, in ordering the "census." When he came to his right mind, he found that it was Divine recognition of the wilfulness and self-glorying out of which the foolish command to take the census had come. Show that precisely the convictions which God"s judgments aim to produce are convictions of inner wrong, heart-evil, sin of will.

II PROPITIATION IS THE OFFERING TO GOD OF A MAN"S STATE RECOVERED TO RIGHT. This is the essence, but, as may be seen in David"s example, it may properly find outward expression in fitting acts. And this view helps us most materially in our apprehension of the propitiation made by the Lord Jesus Christ. In the light of his spotlessness and sinless obedience, we can see that, standing for man, as man"s Representative and Head, he presented to God man recovered to right.

III UPON THE RECOGNITION OF MAN"S RIGHT STATE, JUDGMENT CAN BE REMOVED AND THE SENSE OF ACCEPTANCE GRANTED. Because the end of judgment is evidently reached (for we can only conceive of Divine judgments as revelational and corrective) and mercy may have its free, unhindered path. And it therefore appears that all the humiliations and all the persuasions of the gospel have this for their supreme aim, to bring us men into a right state so that we may actually be represented by the infinitely acceptable Son of God and Son of man. For what Christ pledges on our behalf we are bound actually to be. But this further truth needs to be here stated, that Christ is now working in us, by his Spirit, that right state of mind and heart which he has, in his great sacrifice, pledged us to win. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.