For centuries, it was holy ground. The Dome of the Rock, the icon of modern Israel, sits atop a large, flat prominence in Jerusalem identified by Christians and Jews as the “Temple Mount.” Here Solomon built his magnificent sanctuary some 3,000 years ago.
(Photo: The Dome of the Rock on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
In building the Temple for God, Solomon recognized, “Who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense before Him?” (2 Chron. 2:6). Solomon’s question gives a principle that extends to our lives.
Only one place of sacrifice remains today.
Mount Moriah—a Place God Chose for Sacrifice
Even before Solomon built the Temple, the elevated ground held prominence from God’s selection of it as a place of sacrifice.
- A thousand years before Solomon, God had told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, in the region of Moriah (Gen. 22:1-2).
- The Lord then provided a ram to die in Isaac’s place, so Abraham named the place “The LORD Will Provide” (Gen. 22:14).
- David purchased the mount in his day as a place to offer sacrifice to the Lord to stop the plague that occurred because of David’s sin (2 Sam. 24:16-18).
- The chronicler states that Solomon built “the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah” (2 Chron. 3:1).
For centuries afterwards, the Temple Mount served as the place of sacrifice to God.
Near the Temple Mount—the Final Sacrifice
A mere 500 yards west and two millennia after Abraham, another Father offered His only Son as a sacrifice for the sins of Abraham, David, Solomon—and all of us.
And the proverb Abraham spoke a thousand years before Solomon came true a thousand years after him:
In the mount of the LORD it will be provided. —Genesis 22:14
Only One Place of Sacrifice Remains
Indeed, the offering of Abraham on Mount Moriah and the offerings of David’s son on the Temple Mount pale in comparison to the offering of God’s Son.
“Who am I,” Solomon asked, “that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense before Him?” (2 Chron. 2:6).
Solomon’s question gives a principle for us all. Because of God’s holy character and grace to us through offering His only Son, what can we really offer Him in return but absolute worship?
Only one place of sacrifice remains: our lives.
- We offer our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-2).
- We “continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15).
- When we do good and share with others, “with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Heb. 13:16).
Because of Jesus’ final sacrifice, our lives now become the altar on which we offer our love to God.
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This post is adapted from Wayne’s book, Going Places with God: A Devotional Journey Through the Lands of the Bible.
• These 90 devotional readings, each based on a specific place in the lands of the Bible, will help you apply the truths of God’s Word to your daily journey of faith.
• You’ll enjoy pertinent Scripture, inspirational quotes, photographs, maps, and a daily prayer.
After going places with God, you’ll never be the same.