The Wonders of the Altar (3)

The Wonders of the Altar: Lessons from David, Abraham, Moses, and Gideon 

Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. And David built there an altar to the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel. – 2 Samuel 24:24-25

We have already cited the experiences of Cain and the sons of Aaron as examples of individuals who suffered disastrous consequences due to their improper conduct at the altar. This is to help us appreciate the sensitivity of an altar, including both physical, spiritual, and symbolic altars.

Building on the victory of Elijah over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, we will continue to explore the positive and redemptive power of the altar as we conclude this series by examining the examples of certain individuals who also experienced divine intervention at the altar.

Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on the altar. But God intervened and, being so impressed with Abraham’s heart, blessed him with an everlasting blessing that is not just unique but also universal. Abraham’s blessings are still being coveted to this day, thousands of years after his death (Genesis 22:1-18).

Moses at the Battle of Rephidim. The Israelites had one of their most extraordinary victories when they defeated the Amalekites at the Battle of Rephidim, where Moses’ hands had to be lifted by Aaron and Hur at the altar, and then later suspended by stones when the men themselves grew tired. This was because, if Moses’ hands were lifted at the altar, the Israelites were winning the battle. But once the hands went down, they started to lose (Exodus 17:8-16).

Gideon remarkably launched his ministry in Israel through the wonders of the altar. Before Elijah, he had also made a sacrifice to God, which was endorsed by fire. This then gave him the boldness he needed to demolish the altar of Baal and then build an altar to the LORD in its stead. From then on, he continued to grow in strength during his tenure as judge over Israel (Judges 6:11-24).

David witnessed the redemptive power of the altar firsthand as he erected an altar at the threshing floor of Araunah. Having angered God by the census he conducted in Israel, he inadvertently instigated a plague in the land that left thousands of his citizens dead. And the plague would have continued until he was told to go and erect an altar to God to stem the wave of death. Immediately, he was able to do this; God had mercy on the people and stopped the plague.

As fanciful as this may sound in reading, it must have been an unforgettable experience for those who survived the plague and those who witnessed its end alongside David (2 Samuel 24:18-25).

We will continue tomorrow…

You Will Succeed in Jesus’ Name!

Also read:

• The Wonders of the Altar (2)
• Giant of the Day: Overcoming Fear and Life’s Battles with God’s Strength
• The Origin of Jesus – He was Born King
• Men in the Bible: Adam – A Man of Himself
• The Paradigm Shift – Living A Conscious Life
• God Is Faithful All The Time!

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