1 Chronicles 21

Jehovah

Jehovah — the covenant name, 'I AM', the premortal Christ

And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man. 1 Chronicles 21:13

David chooses to trust the mercy of the LORD rather than men. Latter-day Saints understand Jehovah, the merciful God of Israel, to be Jesus Christ before His birth.

How we know: Jehovah is the premortal Christ (Abraham 1:16; D&C 110:3–4)

• a parallel account in 2 Samuel 24:14 — Same choice in the Samuel account.

David as type of the Good Shepherd

And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued. 1 Chronicles 21:17

The shepherd-king asks for the punishment to fall on himself instead of the sheep. It is a small picture of the Good Shepherd, the Son of David, who really did take the blow for His flock.

• a parallel account in 2 Samuel 24:17 — Same plea in the Samuel account.
• a type of what is in John 10:11 — The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Sacrifice as similitude of Christ

Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people. 1 Chronicles 21:22–24

An altar is raised so the plague will stop, and David insists the offering must cost him the full price. Sacrifice under the law pointed to Christ, whose offering was not without cost and who stops the destroying power of sin for His people.

• a parallel account in 2 Samuel 24:24 — 'Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing.'
• a type of what is in Moses 5:7 — Sacrifice is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father.

Sacrifice as similitude of Christ

And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. 1 Chronicles 21:26–28

Heaven accepts the offering with fire, and only then is the sword of destruction put away. On this same spot, later the temple mount, the pattern teaches that judgment is stayed through an accepted sacrifice, which points to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, 'the great and last sacrifice'.

• a parallel account in 2 Samuel 24:25 — The plague was stayed from Israel after the offering.
• a type of what is in Alma 34:14 — The whole meaning of the law points to that great and last sacrifice, the Son of God.