Alters were central for the communication with God.  The importance of the Alter, and where it fits in our life:  Our Alter is Jesus Christ.

Alters "a place of slaughter or sacrifice", in the Old Testament were typically made of earth Exodus 20:24 or unwrought stone 20:25.

Alters were generally erected in conspicuous places of the men used of God.  The first alter recorded in the Old Testament is that erected by Noah Genesis 8:20.   Alters were erected by Abraham Genesis 12:6-8;

Abraham went to Bethel. And built an alter to the Lord right there and called upon the name of the Lord. 

Abraham confronted culture by worshiping and witnessing at strategic places. And when Abraham worshiped in the midst of oppositio, he realized God at work there!

So far in Genesis 12, The Lord has appeared to Abraham and promised him blessing, land, and offspring. But now two problems present themselves -- (1) famine shakes the faith of Abraham and (2) he moves his family to Egypt and away from fellowship with the Lord. Genesis 12:10-20;

The truth is: Life is messy. God knows and God cares. Abraham's action doesn't seem to be either honorable or faith-filled.  God knows what we need and guides us back to our fist Love. Returning To Christ When You Have Lost Your Way

Genesis 13:1-4; - There is no doubt that the entire experience in Egypt left a bad taste in Abram’s mouth. He left enriched yet humiliated. His failure of leadership, his dishonesty and cowardice may have caused him to doubt God.  The total lack of any mention of worship or any word from the Lord lends itself to the thought that Abram was in serious trouble at this point.

And he journeyed on…as far as Bethel…where his tent had been at the beginning…where he had made an alter at first… Abram returns to the beginning, or the last place he had built an alter. The fact that the alter remains where he first set it up indicates that God and his promises have never forsaken Abram; God remains faithful even if we are not. Abram returns to the God he loves. Returning to God is a theme that runs throughout Scripture.

In Genesis 22:9; God calls Abraham to test his faith and obedience.

The deep love of a parent for his/her only child—yet willingness to give him/her up completely to God's purposes and will—is inferred to be representative of the most complete and meaningful description of love.

 

Genesis 22 profoundly illustrates God the Father's anguish of soul resulting from offering His only Son.

In Genesis 26:25, God confirms the covenant he made with Abraham with Isaac.  In Genesis 26:16-25, the covenant is confirmed with Jacob and in verse 25, Jacob builds an Alter.  In Genesis 35, Jacob moves to Bethel.  There God instructs him to build an alter and changes his name to Israel.  

Most of all alters were built after an arrival.  They are a place of new beginnings where God reveals himself to men in the midst of their need.

The alter is where humanity responds to God.  An alter call is a sacred place where men have met God since the beginning of Time.

 

 

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