This week we gather around our tables with family and close friends and as a nation to give our thanks to God for the many blessings He has bestowed on us as a nation. I often think back to the stories of the Old Testament where the patriarchs were instructed to build an altar, to offer a sacrifice and praise to God for his mercy and deliverance. In fact, we find this concept of building altars and offering beginning with the children of Adam and Eve and continuing throughout the Old Testament through the stories about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and even the prophets, we see the concept of building an altar and offering sacrifices, praises and thanksgiving to God.
Back when I was living in Louisiana, I was listening to a local AM station dedicated to Christian programming. I remember two shows that I enjoyed listening to, one by Lester Roloff and the other by J. Vernon McGee, actually had spent considerable time talking about the importance of the family altar. It was a concept that I found interesting but never put much thought to until a few months ago – and then I realized the importance of such a simple concept. As Christians, the sacrifice for sins has already been done – so this altar has a different purpose. In the book of Joshua, God introduces the concept of this second type of altar to the children of Israel: Therefore we said, Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice: But that it may be a witness between us, and you, and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before him with our burnt offerings, and with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your children may not say to our children in time to come, Ye have no part in the LORD. Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you (Joshua 22:26-28).
This altar was not ever to have a burnt offering laid upon it, nor was blood ever to be poured out for a sin offering. It was to be a memorial – a place of reflection to serve as a reminder of a promise between two people – those children of Israel that remained on the eastern side of Jordan and those that would cross the river into the promised land. The altar had a second purpose as well – to remind all that would come to look upon it that they were called to serve God. It would become a place of prayer, a place of spiritual renewal, and even a place to simply seek his presence. It would also become a place of praise – a sacrifice that I know in my life I have not readily given God the praise that He deserves. Twice in the Bible we are taught that God does see our praise as a type of sacrifice – The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD (Jeremiah 33:11) and By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name (Hebrews 13:15).
Earlier this year, as I was thinking about the spiritual need for a personal altar, I began thinking of the things I had noticed in my travels. In Louisiana, some of my Roman Catholic friends had a place inside their house where they would display their Crucifix, maybe a Bible, and family photos that was their family altar. While I was in the Army and again, while living in Carbondale, Illinois, my Jewish friends had a spot in their house where a copy of the Torah, Sabbath menorah, and other items were placed on a fireplace mantle or a small table that served as their family altar. When I was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington, one of the church families that often invited soldiers to their house had an area set up, a simple concrete bench with a Bible verse inscribed on it under a tree, that served as their altar. In each case, these families set aside an area of their home to worship and fellowship with God. It was an intentional act done out of a sincere desire to be obedient and mindful of God and His gracious blessings.
