Tues.’s Devo - The Altar

Read Ex. 20:22-26 God adds an addendum to the first commandment which was not to make any image of anything earthly or heavenly to worship. Now he adds that they are not to make any likeness of what they think he looks like out of silver or gold. They can make an altar out of soil to offer burnt offerings on. If they decide to make one out of stone, they can’t carve the stone, it has to be natural. God didn’t want his altar to be ornamented by man or the work of man’s toil. The altar had to be made of earth to show that Jesus was going to be totally human. Man was made of the dust of the earth and so Jesus would be. They could make one out of rough stones because Jesus was the rock that followed them in the wilderness. But to make an altar out of gold or silver would be to make God unapproachable and God knew man would start worshipping the altar instead of the God of the altar. Everything about what God wants has to do with his grace and his way. He didn’t want the priest to have to climb steps either lest any of his flesh be seen. He needed to be totally covered. God’s altar for us, which is the cross was a total work of God’s grace and the only way we can approach God is totally covered in the blood of Jesus. Lord, we humbly come before you and worship your holiness and your great love for us. What is man that you think of him? Yet, you do and we are so grateful. Cover us with your blood that we might come boldly before your throne.