WHAT'S ON YOUR ALTAR? PART 4

Threshing floor in Santori, Greece by Stan Zurek

    The more I write on this topic the more I find that I want to share new insights. I started out thinking that within three articles I would have exhausted the theme, but I am discovering so much I feel I have to share it with you. My faith is growing and I would like yours to be too. Today I look at the sacrifice on the altar and give a little more on the historical background that led to Jesus being the ultimate sacrifice to point you back to the question of how to apply this in your life. 

Like myself, many people think they understand the meaning of sacrifice, but it is very misunderstood. What is a sacrifice? As Christians, we are taught Jesus paid a price for us, and we should give ourselves in sacrifice to The Lord. But we stop there and do not carry the concept forward. I want to start by explaining a second stage of development of what sacrificing meant to God.

The first stage of altars and sacrifices can be found in part 1. It was a practise used by many people groups. I compare the sacrifice to a transaction in part 2. You can find out more about the kind of sacrifice that God is looking for, in part 3, but here in part 4 I want to go into a little more detail on the second phase or turning point for Israel. I apologise that this blog is bit longer than usual as it is needed to look at the final stage of sacrifice which is in how we apply it (to be found in part 5). 

Let us take a look at the account of David. But this event shows how God is a master planner and has a forgiving heart to the point where He repents of the very punishment that is deserving for the people of Israel. In 2 Samuel 24:18-25, God using Gad, the prophet, told David to go to Araunah's threshing floor and build an altar for Him.  Instead of receiving the gift of the property from the man, David insisted on paying something. This principle is still practised. To secure the purchase of an asset today, lawyers usually advise that it is to be bought by money or fiat, even if it is for just one dollar. The purchase seals the deal.

Now the backstory to this is that God was angry with Israel. David was tempted to number the people as a test. King and people caused God to pass judgement. Matthew 6:31 says, Bring us not into temptation, so it is possible for God to allow a temptation as a test. He moved David against them 2 Samuel 24:1. David failed the test, which meant that there was a high probability that the sin that angered God would continue, or become institutionalised or go without correction. It was evident at all levels of society. 

When faced with punishment, David chose to be at the mercy of God. But when David saw many people were dying, he was repentant and understood as king he should take responsibility. God too was repentant vs 16, 'the LORD repented Him of the evil'.  This is why God says David had a heart after His own (Acts 13:22, 1 Samuel 13:14).

And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. 2 Samuel 24:16.

At this point the angel was at Jerusalem. 

And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel. 2 Samuel 24:24-25

I find it especially noteworthy that David conquered this land. He did not have to pay for it. At this point, David had not built a temple for the LORD nor did he know where it should be. It was to be located at Jerusalem or Yireh-salem or Jireh-salem. This was the same place where God put a stop to the angel. 

Charles Spurgeon said;

Meet God in a barn!” one says. Why not? Does that astonish you? God met Adam in a garden, Abraham under a tree, and Noah in an ark. There is less of man in the open field than in the cathedral, and where there is least of man there is at least an opportunity to find most of God.

The threshing floor of Ornan was to become the permanent meeting place of God and the site for all of Israel to be one with one sacrifice made on one altar. As a Jebusite, Araunah was from the cursed lineage of Canaan. It was a statement against the pride of the Jews. Since God punishes where the sin lies, I can safely say that the sin He responded to was one of pride although it is not stated.

The threshing floor is curious for several reasons. In Latin, threshing means tribulation. The threshing floor is where we ought to be in prayer. It is where David confessed sin, see verse 17;

And David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

On the threshing floor, sin is put down, and death is overcome. The wheat is separated from the chaff. It is where God's provision is evident. As with Cain and Abel, the sacrifice determines the state of the heart for God. God reserves the right as Sovereign God to sift and to judge. He is perfect and without sin or blame. Jesus intercedes for us continuously setting an example for us. Each of us has to have a threshing floor. At this point let me ask you, What's on your altar? The effort and pains that God goes through for us, lends importance to our altars and our sacrifices.

As a people, Adonai wants us to have one altar and one sacrifice. Having one location builds on His oneness. It taught the people to meet with God, to be in prayer and supplication, and to repent. God set the example of repentance. As a people He wants to be the one and only God. Where is our meeting place with God? He is in Christ and the in-dwelling of The Holy Spirit. God is a dwelling place for even Jesus says this; 

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever The Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:15-17

The final stage of sacrifice is in multiplication through us. Soon I will publish part 5 on why Christians do not see the evidence of God's prosperity in their lives or why we find that we give so much and have nothing to show for it. 

 

I pray you have revelation of the sacrifice of your heart for God. I pray your sacrifice is as a sweet smelling savour for Him who is Sovereign, in Jesus name. 

Dear Heavenly Father,

I ask you to forgive my sins in knowledge or ignorance. Please forgive me. I accept Jesus as my Saviour. I ask that Jesus comes into my life as I live to be a witness for Him. Please change my life and make me into the person you want me to be. Guide me in these times so I can be used by you to help others in Jesus name I pray. Thank you Father.

 

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WHAT'S ON YOUR ALTAR? PART 3

    In this blog I again ask you a personal question. In part 2 I write about the altar itself and in part 1 I established that Jesus was the sacrifice made for the sins of the world. Again I ask the same question but with a different meaning. Again, I am focusing on Abraham. Abraham acted on faith. By any measure, it was, and still is, a huge gesture of faith. There are many publications and sermons written about this. You can find the account in Genesis 22:1-19.

God tested Abraham. However, as a man, Abraham was willing to sacrifice his most prized treasure, his son Isaac. What brought Abraham to this point? Isaac represented the promise of God. Today, I want to ask you, what or who is your most prized treasure? Are you willing to sacrifice your treasure to God if He asks? What can you put on your personal altar? Perhaps it is a relationship with a spouse.

And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. Genesis 22:2

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. Genesis 22:6

This test was never required again. It is the only time God has asked anyone to sacrifice a child. At that time sacrificing children was common, just as abortion is common in some countries. The account of Abraham is a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb slain for the sins of the world.

There are similarities to consider. God was willing to sacrifice His only Son, Jesus, just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac. Take a look at the comparison below.

Obedience means a lot to God. It should be important to us as well. Obedience is better than sacrifice. 

And Samuel said, “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22

Abraham had learnt his lesson of disobedience. His sin with Hagar was punished. If we don't understand who our God is then we can be like Abraham and mistake the identity of the real promise. I will make a quick detour to explain this.

Sarah, Abraham's married wife was not Ishmael's birth mother. They substituted God's perfect will for a tradition. This was a situation contrived by humans and did not reflect God's character. God did not create this situation. If God makes you a promise, it is based on the terms He determines to be acceptable. God did not approve of the use of a handmaiden. 

God is able and therefore man's interference (both Abraham's and Sarah's) was due to doubt in God's ability to keep good on His promise. In short they are saying; God is not able. It is similar to slapping God in the face. Yet, despite this, because Ishmael is of the seed of Abraham, God has blessed and continues to bless the Ishmaelites.

  

Let us continue. Abraham was punished in the same place of the sin. The whole family had to be circumcised. Circumcision is practised to this day and is a memorial of Abraham's disobedience and distrust. God asks us to give complete submission and obedience.

At this point in his life Abraham's attitude is different. When God asks him to sacrifice his son as a burnt offering he complies fully. Abraham did not know that it was a test. He had to trust that God knew what a great sacrifice it would be for him. He had to believe that God will keep His promise to give him nations as descendants. When God speaks it is fixed.

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. Genesis 22:8

The reward was a covenant formed between God and Abraham and his lineage. 

That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. Genesis 22:17-18

The sacrifice made by Jesus is a fulfilment of Isaac's near sacrifice. It ultimately fulfils the request made by Father God. God will not ask you anything that He is not able or willing to do Himself. He will even take the burden away from you as He did by providing Jesus in place of Isaac. Look at verse 8, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. Out of Abraham's mouth was the prophecy, it is in future tense and it says that God will do it Himself. 

In the King James Version (KJV), the Hebrew word 'Jehovahjireh' is used, it means 'The LORD will provide'. Compare Genesis 22:14 in the KJV to the Berean Standard Bible (BSB);

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.  (KJV)

And Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. So to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.” (BSB)

The sacrifice and provision of God was so immensely important to the Jews, they changed the name of the location. It was once called 'Salem'. Shem called it 'Salem' but Abraham called it 'yireh'. The two names were combined to be 'yireh-salem' which eventually became Jerusalem.

When we face tests we build capacity. The testings are to see our obedience. God tests to build strength in us but the devil tests to weaken us and separate us from God. In direct comparison, the ministry of the cross is that of reconciliation with God. Separation occurred with the sin of disobedience in the garden of Eden.

Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, rendering any animal sacrifice unnecessary. Sometimes we place obstacles in the way of our relationship with God. Jesus's sacrifice brought us back to God. Sometimes those obstacles are relationships or things we care about deeply. Can you give it up to God? Would you be content with God's solution or response? He prefers obedience.

I pray you have strength to be obedient to God in Jesus name.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I ask you to forgive my sins in knowledge or ignorance. Please forgive me. I accept Jesus as my Saviour. I ask that Jesus comes into my life as I live to be a witness for Him. Please change my life and make me into the person you want me to be. Guide me in these times so I can be used by you to help others in Jesus name I pray. Thank you Father.

 

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WHAT'S ON YOUR ALTAR? PART 2

In part 1 of this mini series, I spoke of altars and sacrifices. When Jesus died on the cross He became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. In this part, I want to ask the same question but with a different meaning. In the first part, it is explained that Jesus was on the altar for us. In this part I am asking you about your personal altar. 

Altar

An altar is a place of sacrifice. A place where a transaction occurs. Something is offered, and something is accepted or rejected. If the terms are accepted, an exchange occurs. Jesus became the lamb that was slain and God accepted the sacrifice. In return for pleasing God on the cross, God forgives us of our sins provided that we too, accept the sacrifice. This transaction is called a covenant. 

Altars and sacrifices were used to create covenant between man and God. 

Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. Genesis 12:7 

Abram's altar commemorates the gift and is used to give back something pleasing to God. However, for God to accept your sacrifice, the altar and the sacrifice must be satisfactory. In Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus says;

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Jesus is saying the transaction or altar cannot be accepted if your heart is filled with anger or someone has an accusation against you. Also, only clean animals should be sacrificed on the altars. Animals should be without blemish. This is why Jesus's sacrifice is perfect and still effective. Jesus is without sin. 

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar. Genesis 8:20 

With a clean heart given to God, we can have covenant with God. Our sacrifice can be acceptable. With a clean heart, we can approach God or be in His presence. Your altar is not clean if your life is not clean. You cannot engage in sin and expect God to accept your altar. As David said, 

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

Psalm 51:10-11

Since we no longer build physical altars we are to use our hearts as our altars. What is your altar made of? Is it without spot or sin? Do you clean your altar by going before God with a repentant heart? Do you act with forgiveness towards others to avoid accusations made against you?

I pray that your altar is made with a good foundation of the love of Christ and the sweet fellowship of The Holy Spirit in Jesus name.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I ask you to forgive my sins in knowledge or ignorance. Please forgive me. I accept Jesus as my Saviour. I ask that Jesus comes into my life as I live to be a witness for Him. Please change my life and make me into the person you want me to be. Guide me in these times so I can be used by you to help others in Jesus name I pray. Thank you Father.

 

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