Introduction
• Throughout the Old Testament, people stacked stones as a place of sacrifice to worship God and to consecrate a location where God showed His power. Building altars wasn’t exclusive to God’s faithful. Not every stack of stones honored God. Some were built to manipulate the pagan gods into fulfilling the will of the people. The difference now, as it was then, is the relationship between God and His people.
• I’m Brent, and this is episode 53 of The Bible Unplugged. In this episode we look at the role of altars in worshipping God. The implications for us today can be life… altering. I just had to say that.
• Please take a minute to look at the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com. While you are there, check out my devotional series published Monday through Friday.
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Background
• In ancient Israel the people built a number of altars built in different places and for different reasons.
• From Noah to David the word “altar” is used over 400 times. Many of these altars were built to worship God, but many of them were the result of other motives.
• The Hebrew word for “altar” literally means “place of sacrifice.” These stacks of stones weren’t just a memorial to a person, place, or event. They were set up as places of worship to the God who made that place special
The Patriarchs as Stonemasons
• As early as Genesis chapter 4 we have instances of people giving offerings to God, but the first mention of a sacrificial altar is in Genesis chapter 8.
• After the flood, Noah sacrificed a representative sample of every clean animal and bird on an altar to thank God for bringing him and his family to safety.
• Genesis 8:21 says that God “smelled the pleasant aroma” and promised to never curse the ground again.” It’s significant that God “smelled” the aroma. Pagan worshippers believed that their sacrifices were food to give their gods strength and to entice their gods to honor the people’s wishes.
• Abraham and Jacob also built altars when God showed up in a powerful way. The altars were not built to convince God to act, but to thank God for acting in a big way.
• God’s people built altars in response to the Covenant with Israel:
• At Sinai after God brought them out of Egypt the people worshipped God with an altar
• Also, an altar part of worship in the Tabernacle and the Temple
• Joshua built a special altar at Gilgal after the people passed through the Jordan River into the promised land. At God’s command, a representative from each of the 12 tribes of Israel brought out a stone from the middle of the river and built an altar as a memorial to God’s care for the nation.
• In a previous episode we covered the story of Elijah building an altar. This was different than the other altar stories because the intent was to ask for a demonstration of God’s power and eliminate the worship of the pagan god Baal.
Atars vs Tower
• We also discussed in previous episodes how the people built a monument to entice God to act. The tower of Babel was a common monument in the pagan world built for the purpose of convincing a god to come down to the people to honor their requests.
• There’s a significant difference in intent between altars and towers.
• The Tower of Babel was built in rebellion against God’s command to fill the earth. The Tower was built out of human pride and an attempt to compel God’s presence.
• Altars were built in response to God’s revelation and care for His people. Altars honored and marked the covenant. They were places of thanksgiving, not human achievement.
• The theological contrast is significant:
• Altars marked when God blessed His people
• Towers were human attempts to manipulate God
The Ultimate Altar
• In the Old Testament, sacrifices were made repeatedly as a means of reconciling the people to God and to ask forgiveness for transgressing God’s law.
• In the New Testament, Jesus’ death on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice that once and for all offered reconciliation with God. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead 3 days later was a monument to God’s power for all time.
• The Book of Hebrews chapter 13 states that the place of the crucifixion was an altar for the forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God. Jesus’ sacrifice is something we should remember and honor as a once for all time event.
What Do We Learn from This?
• Altars were places where people worshipped and honored God. There are places and times in our lives when God acts in a powerful way. Those places and events should be remembered and honored in the same way God’s people built altars in the past.
• Just as the people of Babel gave in to pride and personal desires, we tend to build towers that focus on human pride. Anything we do that separates us from God and focuses us on personal achievement becomes our own personal Tower of Babel.
• Every altar in the Bible points to the Cross, the place where heaven met earth once and for all. Every altar we build in our lives should point to the Cross and not to ourselves.
What Do We Do with This?
• When you have a powerful encounter with God, symbolically mark that experience so that you will remember how God came through for you. It may be a special place in your home where you pray, or your favorite Bible or prayer journal. Whatever helps you remember God’s love for you—mark that as an altar in your heart.
• Take an inventory of the things that are most important in your life. Are those things there to honor and remember God, or to remind you of your personal achievement. Those things could be the personal pride you have in your home or your career. Whatever it is, ask God to change your heart to honor Him with those things rather than honor your pride.
• In your experiences this next week as yourself, “Am I building spaces for God’s presence—or towers that honor my own achievement.” The act of asking this question can transform—or alter your life.
The conclusion
• Yes, we have reached the end of this episode, but I’ve got a lot more later on.
• I hope this has been helpful. If so, take a minute to give this podcast a high rating and share it with someone you know.
• In the next episode, we will conclude our Bible theme series with a look at the significance of mountains in Scripture. God shows His power in high places.
• My prayer for you is that you will look for altars, not of stone, but surrender to God’s power; and that you will transform the towers you build to your own pride into places of worship for the God who gives you life.
• Have a blessed week.
The disclaimers
• Just to let you know:
• All opinions are my own. If you agree, keep listening. If you don’t… keep listening. I think if you listen long enough you will agree with me.
• All Bible quotations come from the World English Bible which is a public domain work.
• Our show theme song is “Awesome Call” by Kevin MacLeod and is available under a Creative Commons license.
• The content of this podcast is copyrighted 2025 by J. Brent Eaton
• This has been a Power Love and Miracles production.
