THE ALTAR OF EARTH AND THE ALTAR OF STONE
[p. 109] THE ALTAR OF EARTH AND THE ALTAR OF STONE
In thinking of the material that is spoken of for the altars in this chapter, there is this particularly, that God reminds His people that He had spoken to them from heaven and that they should not make with Him gods of silver nor unto themselves gods of gold, i.e., there is a suggestion of respectable idolatry. However respectable the gods may be or seem to be, they are, nevertheless, idols, and to be refused.
God had spoken out of heaven, and had enjoined, early in the chapter, that He had rights over them which were indisputable. They had seen no form but had heard a voice and they were to be on their guard against idolatry — a danger which is ever present even as we partake of the greatest privileges. As God may be pleased to address us in the most intimate way, the danger of the heart being diverted is ever present.
The enemy would suggest what is respectable; that which, in the world, would be regarded as of the first order — gods of silver, gods of gold. These are what the enemy would introduce immediately after there has been a manifestation from God. God had spoken to them out of heaven, but the danger was present, nevertheless, of the heart being diverted by what would pass muster, in religious circles, as being respectable, and the Lord in proceeding brings in the idea of the altar.
I thought of this, dear brethren, as a line of preservation for us. You will observe that it does not say ‘if’ in verse 24, whereas in verse 25 He says, “If thou wilt make me an altar of stone”. The altar of earth was imperative; the altar of stone may be [p. 110] beyond us. The want of it does not unchristianise us, but no one can be in relation to God without the first. There must be an altar of earth. It is the means or guarantee of our security; it is the acceptance of divine provision and is the confession of our part in flesh and blood.
The altar of stone, I apprehend, leads us further and suggests that we have part in an order of things outside flesh and blood. This is a most wonderful suggestion in this particular phase of Israel’s history, and if there is to be a recognition of their condition, they might go on to an order of things quite outside flesh and blood. If one might carry further or elucidate the truth opened up in this verse, one might refer you to the first epistle to the Corinthians; I speak of it tonight because of the need of each individual christian to be self — sustaining and not dependent for his spiritual welfare on what the Lord may provide in the way of gift. There is the need for each christian to be self — dependent, as it were. Not independent, surely, but able to live on in dependence upon God. Psalm 16 is an expression of the dependent man. It is not Christ in resurrection; it is Christ here in the place of dependence on God in acceptance of the conditions which He had taken up before God.