Reading: Genesis 12-15
Verse of the day: "Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, 'I will give you this land to your offspring'. So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared before Him" (v. 12:7)
Questions
Why did Abram build an altar?
Verse of the day: "Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, 'I will give you this land to your offspring'. So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared before Him" (v. 12:7)
Questions
Why did Abram build an altar?
- To serve as a physical reminder of God's calling and His promises. While God is not confined to a location or a symbol, it is often to our benefit to have a visible reminder of the vision God is calling us into. Without it, we can lose sight God, who is invisible, and get side-tracked by a closer, more tangible sources of comfort and providence.
- The altar is the place where God's people offer their sacrifices. During the time of Moses, the Israelites were commanded to offer 5 types of sacrifices: the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering and the peace/fellowship offering. Before the specific Laws concerning animal sacrifices were made however, it seems that the people exclusively offered burnt offerings (e.g. Noah (Genesis 8:20), Job (Job 1:5)). The burnt offering is the only type of offering listed in the book of Leviticus where neither the priest nor the offerer receive any portion of the animal; instead, the whole sacrifice was consumed by the fire of God. While the offering was primarily meant for a general atonement, the fact that the animal sacrifice is wholly given to God is also symbolic of a commitment of a total surrender to God. The altar that Abram built was not only a reminder for him, but also a statement of faith and willingness to trust in God's promise.
- Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Abram forgot about his own commitment. When a famine hits the promised land, Abram fled to Egypt (Genesis 12:10) instead of trusting in God's providence. While he left Egypt as a rich man, he brought with it a seed of discord (Hagar was likely obtained from this venture). The consequence of sin may not be readily apparent until many years (or even decades) after the act - in fact, some sinful deeds may seem beneficial at first, but it will always lead to disaster and pain.
- Despite Abram's failings, God continues to seek out the man and formed a covenant with him (Genesis 15:17), and Abram continues to follow God's lead and consecrated himself before Him, building an altar wherever he pitches his tent. Abram approaches God without being deterred by guilt or shame. He trusted in God's great mercy rather than his own performance. How different is his attitude towards God than ours!--frequently caricaturing God as angry, cruel and merciless.
- As Abram continued to walk with God, we see his faith grow and mature, to the point where he is willing to sacrifice his only son Isaac as a burnt offering to God, by now fully trusting that God can and will deliver His promise to produce descendants to Abram from Isaac. Through his difficult and rocky journey, Abraham grew in character and in hope - and he has finally obtained that hope that does not disappoint - that is God's love poured in our hearts (Romans 5:4-5).
- Christians are no longer required to offer animal sacrifices, but instead we are called to offer our own bodies as living sacrifices as a token of our deviotion to the Lord (Romans 12:1). This means that we should be willing to part with our flesh - aspects of our lives that we consider defining parts of our identity (e.g. our career, our relationships, our hobbies, etc.) - if those things are stopping us from being filled with His Spirit. At the same time, we don't have to fear or lose hope whenever we stumble and fall. Instead, we should continue to allow God to examine our lives, and to correct and guide us, and have hope that He can change us and restore our brokenness.
- What are the things that God is calling us to give up on to be able to follow Him?
- Am I willing to give them up?
