Focus: The Place Of Sacrifice

Text: 2Chron.3:1

"Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite."

Solomon built the temple on mount Moriah. On this same mountain David his father had encountered the angel of the Lord. On this mountain David had made a sacrifice to avert the anger of the Lord, after which he bought the land for the purpose of building a house for God.

Let us go back to Genesis and see something. After the battle from which Abraham rescued his nephew Lot, a great figure met him. Moses wrote, "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth…" (Gen.22:18-19). 

Salem is Jerusalem. Melchizedek, the king of Jerusalem and the priest of God blessed Abraham. This was Abraham's first blessing in connection with Jerusalem. The second blessing in connection with Jerusalem happened in Gen.22, after the sacrifice of Isaac. We read, "And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD… That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed…" (Gen.22:16,17). So Abraham was twice blessed in connection with Jerusalem, first by Melchizedek, and second by God Himself.

Now Moriah is one of the mountains of Jerusalem. Long before Solomon built the Lord's house here, God had instructed Abraham, "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of" (Gen.22:2). It was right here on mount Moriah that Abraham sacrificed his son Isaac. This sacrifice pointed to Calvary where Jesus Christ the Lamb of God died to save us from Satan, sin, and death. Calvary is a place in the land of Moriah. Golgotha is not far removed from mount Moriah. 

Just as Solomon built God's house in the place where Abraham and David made sacrifices, so did Jesus Christ build His church on the soil of Calvary.

The church, God's spiritual house, is standing on the sacrificial blood of Christ shed in the region of Moriah. Paul says to the church leaders of Ephesus, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the CHURCH of God, which he hath purchased with his own BLOOD" (Act.20:28). 

The church is purchased with the blood of God, meaning that there is no church without the blood of Christ. The church is established on Christ's blood. The blessings of Moriah flow from the cross of Christ. The church cannot be defeated because of its blood foundation - the blood of the Son of God.

Melchizedek said to Abraham, "Blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered THINE ENEMIES into thy hand" (Gen.14:20). In Gen.22, God said to Abraham, "That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed… and thy seed shall possess THE GATE OF HIS ENEMIES; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed…" (Gen.22:17-18). As the seed of Abraham, Paul tells us that "having SPOILED PRINCIPALITIES and POWERS, he made a shew of them openly, TRIUMPHING over them in it" (Col.2:15). Concerning the church, the Lord Jesus Christ says, "Upon this rock I will build my church, and THE GATES OF HELL shall not prevail against it" (Mt.16:18). 

Abraham and his seed are associated with victory. The church is associated with victory. Christ the builder is first Christ the Lamb of God.

Solomon built where Abraham and David had made great blood sacrifices. The Lord Jesus Christ is building His church on one foundation - the foundation of His own blood. The church is rooted in the place of blood sacrifice. The church is destined to win. The victory of Christ is our victory. The blessings of Calvary flow freely, fully and unendingly.

Let us join Solomon and Christ in this building project! Remember that Christ is "the greater than Solomon!" If you are not building, then you are destroying. If you are not for Christ, then you are against Him. There is no neutral ground.

The place of sacrifice is the place of victory, blessing and construction. The Lord's house is forever situated on the soil of sacrifice.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter