An Altar Made of Earth
Build for me an altar made of earth, and offer your sacrifices to me—your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats, and your cattle. Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you. Exodus 20:24
God’s instructions seem a little strange at first. He told the Israelites to build an altar for Him out of earth. Earth? Dirt? Rocks?
Surely there must have been a better option. What about gold or silver? What about using the skills of gifted craftsmen to create something impressive? After all, the Israelites had spent years in Egypt where they had seen magnificent buildings, statues, and monuments.
Wouldn’t a beautiful altar bring more honor to God? The Lord answered that question before anyone could ask it. He instructed them to use only natural, uncut stones. They were not to shape them with tools. They were not to improve them. And they were not to decorate them. Just gather the stones and build the altar.
I have often wondered what the people thought when they heard those instructions. “Lord, don’t You realize how plain that will look?” “Won’t the altars of the gods of other nations appear more impressive?” ” Lord, wouldn’t it be better if we polished things up a little?”
Yet God was making an important point. The altar was not about man’s workmanship. It was about His.
Long before Moses ever wrote these instructions, God had already created the earth. He had formed every rock, every stone, and every grain of dirt. The materials used for the altar were already part of His handiwork.
Only God Can Take Credit for this Altar
No craftsman could stand back and admire his carving. No artist could boast about his design. Builders could not point to the altar and say, “Look what we made.” Only God could do that.
The more I think about it, the more I realize this principle extends far beyond an Old Testament altar. The New Testament tells us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Think about that for a moment. You are God’s workmanship. You are His creation. Plus you are a living testimony of His grace.
Yet many of us spend our lives trying to chisel ourselves into something we think will be more acceptable. We compare ourselves to others. We wish we had different abilities, different gifts, different personalities, or different opportunities. And we keep trying to reshape what God has already created.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. God certainly changes us. He molds us, sanctifies us, and helps us become more like Christ.
But there is a difference between God’s work in us and our trying to become someone He never intended us to be.
The same God who formed the stones for the altar formed you. He knows exactly what He is doing.
Life Application:
- Thank God for creating you according to His purpose.
- Stop measuring your worth by comparing yourself to others.
- Allow God to shape your character instead of trying to manufacture your own identity.
An uncut stone did not become holy because of what man did to it. It became holy because God chose to use it. The same is true for us. We are not valuable because of what we have made of ourselves. We are valuable because we are the workmanship of God, and He doesn’t make mistakes.
Lord, I don’t lay my life on the altar because I am an altar set apart as a holy living sacrifice unto you.
Check out these other related posts in Exodus
- How to Trust God in Difficult Circumstances
- Story Of The Burning Bush In The Bible
- Signs And Wonders From God
- Moses Interceded For Israel With Great Results
- Obedience To God Is Important
- The Enemies Of God Will Turn And Run
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