I Chronicles 18-20  David is a warrior king.  He fought continually with the Philistines.  He defeated Moab and Hadadezer, king of Zobah.  He fought the Arameans and the Ammonites, the Edomites and the Amalekites.   Battle after battle, David and his army subdued the enemies of Israel.  David also collected a great amount of silver, bronze, and gold from those cities that they overcame.

Chapter 21  David orders Joab to conduct a census of the people of Israel, which Joab reluctantly does.  For some reason this was "abhorrent" to Joab and considered a sin to the Lord.  The Bible Knowledge Commentary suggests that this was a matter of David putting his trust in the size of his military instead of in the Lord.  David repented of his disobedience and the Lord gave him a choice of 3 consequences.  David chose to place his fate in the hands of the Lord, " please let me fall in the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are very great. But do  not let me fall into the hand of men. "

So the Lord sends a plague on the land and over 70,000 men die.  But something happens as the Angel of the Lord stands "between earth and heaven" near Jerusalem.  David sees this Angel, and falls on his face in sackcloth, along with the elders.  He asks the Lord to spare the people and take just him and his family.  David is told to build an altar there on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.  David buys the land from Ornan, builds the altar, and offers the sacrifices.  The Lord accepts this, sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar.  The plague is stopped there.  From that point on this would be the site of worship to the Lord.  Here is where  the temple would be built.


Truth - God knew that David would sin. He knew what punishment David would choose.  He knew that the land that Ornan had was the place where the temple would be built.  We are told that this is the same place where Abraham took Isaac to offer as a sacrifice in obedience to God's command.
This is the place that God has chosen for His Name to dwell.  In His timing we will see it again.

Father in Heaven,  let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  We ask for Your Kingdom to come!  May Your Name be exalted over all the earth and may every knee bow before You.  In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.