Mon.’s Devo - The Temple and the Altar

Read: Exodus 19:16-21:21; Matthew 23:13-39; Psalm 281-9; Proverbs 7:1-5
God sounded the shofar louder and louder to call the people to the mountain of Sinai. The mountain was full of smoke and when Moses spoke to the mountain, God answered. Moses went up to talk to God and God sent him back down to warn the people not to try to come up. He told him to put limits around the mountain to keep them off of it. God spoke to the people the Ten Commandments in an audible voice so they could hear. There was also thunder and lightning and trumpets and smoke. It was so terribly frightening that the people begged Moses to tell God not to speak to them like that again. Moses told them not to be afraid because God was only putting his fear in them so they wouldn’t sin.
Then God gave specific instructions about worship to him. They weren’t to make a god of gold or silver or build an altar of stone with steps. God has always been more interested in our humble heart sacrifices than what we can build with our own hands.
Slaves were to be set free the seventh year because the seventh year always stands for the end of time when all will be set free and the earth restored. In the laws about the slaves, God gives the picture of salvation. The slave can choose to lay down his life for his master by piercing his ear to the door with an awl. This is the picture of self-sacrifice. The door is Jesus and the awl is the nail. The man who does this is choosing to lay down his life for the gospel.
Romans 7:14 tells us that the law is spiritual. So all of the laws have spiritual meanings. Being “put to death” means to repent - to die to that sin.
In Matthew, Jesus addressed the same thing God did with Moses. The Scribes and Pharisees valued the gold and the offerings more than the temple and the altar. They had everything backwards. It was the temple and the altar that was the most important but they were too blinded by worldly gain to see spiritual things. God would rather them give justice, mercy, trust than their natural offerings they gave to be seen of men. They were hypocrites who gave only to look good. They killed all the prophets between the Temple and the altar. God sent them to point out their sins but instead they killed them and would eventually kill Jesus too.
God promised to do what our Psalm says, “…tear them down and never build them up again.”
Thank you Lord that you are our strength and fortress of salvation. You bring salvation and blessing to your inheritance.