The Old Testament Reveals the Significance of an Altar
Gentle reminders from God
I was at church this Sunday and the pastor brought up something I never thought about. Places were significant in the Old Testament.
Meaning that when someone stopped to pray or worship the Lord, they typically built an altar out of the land around them. The altar then remained long after the person had their time with God.
It represented a physical place that someone met with him and experienced his presence. It was a physical sign of worship, of prayer, of crying out, of vulnerability.
That same person could come by in a week, a month, or even years and still see that altar there and remember why they built it. They could remember the time they spent with God in that place and also what was revealed to them.
The times that God met me in a “place” were many. Whether it was a physical place — like a lake near my hometown — or an emotional place — like a heartbreak or tough life change — God was there in that place giving me access to him.
It’s astonishing to me sometimes that we can just meet God. We have access to him, right now. I think about how many times I take that for granted.
I have altars built throughout my life. They represent a different time I met with God, but…
