1 Samuel 24:18 "And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite." The very last word of that verse is key. This event takes place at the end of a pestilence that came upon the nation for king David's great sin of relying on the strength in numbers (he took a census for reassurance) instead of trusting God. They have seen the angel that brought the pestilence standing on this threshingfloor. And God has instructed David to build an altar right there. This place would be the future home of Solomon's temple. Here is why the word "Jebusite" is so key. Had this man been a Jew, even though he sold the property (v24) to the king, in the Jubilee year it would have gone back to him. Even if the temple was standing there the land and everything now on it would have belonged to Araunah by God's law. Because he was a Jebusite, an outsider living in the land, he could sell the land and ownership would stay with the new owner. Here is the kicker, he was supposed to be dead! The Jebusites lived in Jerusalem when the Israelites first crossed over Jordan and they had instructions from God to kill all the Canaanites (general term for everyoneliving in the land at the time) but they didn't. In fact David had to drive them out of Jerusalem so he could make it his capital. So what does that mean for us? Well, if we are saved then you and I are supposed to be getting rid of our old sinful ways (the native inhabitants) drive them out and kill them off or as Paul said we are to bring our body under subjection (1 Corinthians 9:27). But we are human still and we will mess up. What we need to do is own our mistakes (confess them to God) and build a testimony for God's glory with them. We don't have to repeat those same sins, we can get our joy back. David did once he got right with God and so can we.
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