THEOSISCaesarius of Arles
Observe how Ornah generously offered King David a threshing floor along with oxen for a burnt offering, yet David declined to accept it without making payment. This action prefigured the arrival of our Lord and Savior, as He likewise refrained from claiming the hearts of the Gentiles without first redeeming them with His precious blood. What was the cost? “Fifty shekels of silver,” the Scriptures declare. The number fifty signifies the grace of the Holy Spirit and embodies the meaning of the forgiveness of sins. Indeed, on the fiftieth day, the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, and in the Old Testament, the fiftieth year was devoted to the theme of pardon. Thus, David paid the silver—this David, of whom the other was a shadow—shed His invaluable blood.
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To secure the threshing floor of the Gentile king, David offered fifty shekels. To establish an altar for Himself on the Gentile threshing floor, Christ, the true David, bestowed the gift of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins on that fiftieth day. Therefore, dear brethren, since He has blessed us by establishing His temple within and among us, let us not cause Him to suffer in His dwelling. If He is grieved by our transgressions, He may swiftly withdraw—how tragic for the soul that finds itself forsaken by Him. Undoubtedly, when one is deprived of light, he is engulfed in darkness. Let us, with His grace, endeavor to live in such a manner that we merit having the good Lord not merely as a visitor but as our eternal Resident: through the assistance of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belongs honor and glory alongside the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.