Today’s Reading

Second Chronicles 1-3; John 12:1-19

Selected Verses

Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.   2 Chronicles 3:1

The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign.  John 12:17-18

Reflections

Mount Moriah is significant in biblical history. We hear about it first when Abraham went to that location to offer his son, Isaac, in response to God’s command (Genesis 22:2). A thousand years later, David buys property from a Jebusite named Araunah in order to make an offering there to avert the plague, he had brought upon the nation by taking a census. The location of that property is none other than Mt. Moriah.  It would become the location of the temple which Solomon built.

Long before Jesus’ time, the first temple (Solomon’s) had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in the Babylonian invasion. After the captivity the temple was rebuilt. That second temple is the one which is mentioned in the gospels and which Jesus cleansed (John 2:13-17), but it was in the same location, Mt. Moriah. That temple would later be destroyed by the Roman general Titus in 70 AD.

After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He rode into Jerusalem as the crowds hailed Him as King of Israel (John 12:13). John points out that it was because of the resurrection of Lazarus that the crowds came to see and welcome Jesus.  All this is occurring in the vicinity of Mt. Moriah and the second temple which would soon to be destroyed.

Think about it

On Mt. Moriah Abraham learned that God would provide His own sacrifice for sin.  There David learned that the punishment for his sin demanded an offering. Near Mt. Moriah Jesus offered Himself as the ultimate offering. He referred to it when He cleansed the temple of money changers and sellers of sheep, oxen, and pigeons. “Destroy this temple,” He told the Jews, “and in three days, I will raise it up.” He was, of course, referring to His body, His crucifixion, and His resurrection. (John 2:18-22)

Don’t miss the important lessons of Mt. Moriah where God’s mercy met mankind’s desperate need and our Lord Jesus Christ reconciled His people to God forever.

© 2017 John A Carroll  Used by permission