An Altar is a place where sacrifices or incenses are continually being offered. One of the early altars built for the LORD in the bible was found in the book of Genesis 8 vs 20-21, where after the LORD has rained upon the earth, Noah offered a sacrifice unto the LORD after he left the ark, but firstly had to build an altar.
“And Noah built an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered Burnt offerings on the Altar”- Genesis 8:20
In the above bible passage we understand that when sacrifices are to be offered unto the LORD, an Altar must be firstly built by the man, which means no Altar, no sacrifice.
An example of someone else who built an Altar unto the LORD was father Abraham in Genesis 22 vs 9- 14, where the LORD told him to offer his son Isaac unto him as an offering, he built an Altar and later named it Jehovah-jireh (the lord will provide).
“And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an Altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the Altar upon the wood”-Genesis 22:9
After an Altar was built and the sacrifice was offered in the book of Genesis 8, we were told how powerful a sacrifice offered on an Altar can be presence in that same chapter.
After an Altar was built and the sacrifice was offered in the book of Genesis 8, we were told how powerful a sacrifice offered on an Altar can be presence in that same chapter.
“And the LORD smelled a sweet savor; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground anymore for man’s sake” – Genesis 8:21
As we have seen in the above verse, the sacrifice offered by Noah caused a change of heart for the LORD, which indeed shows how powerful a sacrifice can be.
In the book of Genesis chapter 4, we were told about two brothers, which are Cain and Abel. Cain brought of the fruit of the ground as an offering unto the LORD, Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof as an offering unto the LORD.
The LORD had respect to the offering of Abel and had no respect to the offering of Cain. The passage shows that no matter how big or large the sacrifice offered unto the LORD, it might not be accepted of the LORD, if it does not follow the way of the LORD, just like prophet Samuel said that obeying the LORD is better than sacrifice.
“But Samuel replied, “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, to heed is better than fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22
A good example of this is the contest on Mount Carmel, when Elijah and Baal prophet had encountered. After the Baal prophets has tried their possible best to call down fire but to no avail. Then comes Elijah turn to call down fire, the first thing the bible told us he did was to repair the broken altar according to the word of the LORD.
“And Elijah said unto all the people, come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying Israel shall be your name.”1 Kings 18:30-31
In our text, the LORD told Moses how he wants his altar to be, how he wants fire to be continuously burning on the altar built to him, the fire must not burn out and how the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and then the burnt offering in order upon it.
The fire is of a lot of importance like purity, zeal and acceptance from Old Testament to the New Testament. In the New Testament, we were told how the LORD makes his angels a consuming fire. At the upper room experience we were told the cloven tongues like as of fire sat upon each of them. When John was to announce the lord Jesus purpose, that he will baptize his people with Holy Ghost and fire.
In the Old Testament, people brought sacrifices to the altar, the fire does the burning to produce a sweet savor or smell that goes unto the LORD as burnt Offering. The smell or savor that goes up to the LORD does mighty things in the sight of the LORD, just like how it caused a change of mind of the LORD after Noah offered the sacrifice.
“And Noah built an Altar unto the LORD and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savor and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I have done” Genesis 9:21
The smell or savor that goes up on to the LORD can invoke God’s blessing upon a life, just like Solomon, when he offered the LORD a thousand burnt offering, as a result the LORD blessed him with great Wisdom.
Knowing the delight of the LORD in burnt offerings, people started raising different altars unto the LORD offering their burnt offering on it. Solomon the son of David decided to build a temple or house unto the LORD, where different people can come to raise their altars and offer their sacrifice.
In the book of Acts, we were told that the LORD does not dwell in temples made with hands and how the LORD primary intention is to dwell in man as a house, not in a temple made with hands.
“But Solomon built him a house. Howbeit the most high dwells not in temples made with hands; as said the prophet. Heaven is my throne, and earth is my stool what house will you build me? Says the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Has not my hand made all these things?” Act 7:47-50.
God achieved his intention by sending Jesus who became our high priest offering both sacrifices and gifts for our sins, which led to fulfilment of New Testament.
“ For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both Gifts and sacrifices for sins” Hebrews 5:1.
In this New Testament, our body becomes the temple of the LORD, where sacrifices are continually being offered, as a result of this we were told to offer our body as a living sacrifice unto the LORD.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” Romans 12:1
A man body becomes the temple, the altar and then the sacrifice unto the LORD, which is why the bible is calling us a sweet savor of Christ unto the LORD.
“For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them who are saved, and in them who perish: to the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ”2nd Corinthians 2 vs 15-17
In conclusion, is a life that has surrender to Christ, obeying the commandment of Christ in love, in prayer, in studying of God’s word and in total obedience to God’s word. A life with a burning altar is evident with its fruit producing holiness, righteousness, joy, and love so on according to Galatians 5:22-23 which says that "the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:”
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ReplyDeleteThank you for this message sir. More Annointing.
ReplyDelete"And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning".
ReplyDeleteThe condition for our altar fire not to go out.
Thank you for the message Sir
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