An Altar For Today
Timothy K. Cain

The command from God to the Israelites in Exodus 20:24 is still applicable to us today. Even before this command was given, when Noah and Abraham applied the principles found in Exodus 20:24, they too received the blessings of God. As is evidenced in biblical text alone, those who chose to follow the command of Exodus 20:24 have been the beneficiaries of countless blessings through the centuries. Those who have chosen to worship idol gods were not blessed and almost always were destroyed. This destruction, in some cases, had lasting effects for many generations. It is simply a matter of obedience or disobedience to God's word.

For the children of Israel, the answer was, "All that the LORD path spoken we will do" (Exodus 19:8). Approximately three months after God miraculously freed them from the bondage of Egypt, they were ready to accept what God had for them through His servant Moses. Aside from the awesome displays of God's power and presence, there was the daily obligation of sacrificial worship. Today we deal with the same realities. Initially, we experience the awesome power of God's presence in our lives once we have repented, been baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost. Then there is the daily altar worship that must be learned in order to maintain the fire within. This disputes the common misconception that the altar is for the conversion of sinners only. Nothing could be further from the truth. Typically, the altars of today are for the conversion of sinners. However, God gave the command of Exodus 20:24 to His chosen people for the purpose of daily communion through worship, not just for conversion. Therefore, we must learn the discipline of daily communion and worship in order to establish a deeper relationship with God.

We must never forget that we were created by God, in His image, and for His divine purpose (Genesis 1:27-30). Throughout the Bible, God's relationship and interaction with mankind are characterized in many different metaphors. One of the most common metaphors is that of Father and child, God being the creator and giver of life, and mankind in the likeness of a child. Imagine with me for a moment, having a child or a spouse and only communicating with him or her once in a great while. In this context it would be virtually impossible to establish a close, intimate relationship with the parent, child, or spouse. This would especially be true in a parent/child situation. If a parent could nurture and provide for the child but only from a distance and with little or no verbal communication, the intimacy would be severely impeded. How well would the child learn and grow and know the most intimate desires of the parent? How long would a marriage last if there were little or minimal communication? The answers to these questions seem almost elementary to our way of thinking today. Yet this is exactly how we need to view the command from God in Exodus 20:24. God had painfully birthed Israel in the process of freeing them from the bondage of Egypt. The ANE Israelites were God's "first-born," if you will. Israel was a new nation estimated at over one million people (including the wives and children). God had chosen them as the people through which He would accomplish His divine will.

In order to teach the Israelites about His divine will, God took them away from all other outside influences, where they were wholly dependent upon Him. The setting for the Israelites' training is often overlooked and seldom explored. This may be because it so closely parallels our lives today. Like the Israelites, we want to be led and be blessed, but we do not want to go through the wilderness. Moses was to lead the Israelites through the wilderness and into the Promised Land (Exodus 3). The key phrase here being "through the wilderness." The wilderness was to be only a temporary experience, a place of transition from one place to the next, with a beginning and an end. From the bondage of slavery in Egypt to the freedom of owning their own land flowing with milk and honey, a journey through the wilderness of Sinai could have been completed in three days by some estimations. For the

Israelites, it took them three months to get to the place where God could teach them. Some children take longer to teach.

The word wilderness is interpreted to mean different things depending on one's world knowledge and experiences. To some, a wilderness is vast amounts of remote uninhabited land, snow-covered mountains with trees, foliage, lakes, and large wildlife. Others envision vast tropical jungles, swampy rivers, and thick vegetation filled with exotic insects and wildlife. Still others may see a wilderness as a desert climate with its intense heat by day and the shivering cold of night, strange creatures crawling about, and no water in sight for days. Biblical scholars, anthropologists, archaeologists, and scientists all have different views of what the landscape was like for the Israelites in the wilderness. What we can conclude is this, the Israelites were alone with little or no outside influences, and every facet of their lives (including their livestock) was at God's command. God provided for all of their needs and provided Himself a sacrifice. Although God provided everything they needed, many complained about the conditions, even to the point of wanting to go back to the bondage of Egypt.

We, too, find ourselves having wilderness experiences in our lives. In some cases it is the only place where God can teach us. Our physical surroundings may not resemble some of the aforementioned descriptions, but we feel alone as if only God knows who we are and where we are. God sometimes sends us through a wilderness experience as a transitional phase so as to draw us to a closer, more intimate relationship with Him. At other times, our negligence in following God's divine will for our lives leads us to a wilderness experience that only He can lead us out of. As for the children of Israel, often these wilderness experiences are necessary to bring us to the altar and daily communion with God. This book you are reading emerged as the result of a wilderness experience a few years ago. My experience may have been self-imposed, but only God knew what it would take for me to return to His divine will for my life. Furthermore, only God could have seen the future soon to evolve from that experience. The word wilderness sometimes conjures up connotations of untamed expressions, being out of control, or reckless abandonment. While we may experience some of these emotions in the wilderness, God always has a specific outcome in mind for us. If for no other reason, to draw us closer to Him through total dependence.

In biblical history, some of the greatest blessings came as a result of wilderness experiences. Noah and his family were alone in the entire world when the ark rested and he built an altar to God and offered sacrifices (Genesis 8:20). God called Abraham away from everyone, including his servants, to the mountains of Moriah to offer Isaac (Genesis 22). Abraham walked until God showed him the exact spot where he was to build the altar. Jacob's self-imposed exile for fear -of death led him into a wilderness experience where God molded him into the father of Israel (Genesis 32). Jacob's son Joseph experienced betrayal by his brothers, beaten and left for dead in a pit, tempted by his employer's wife, falsely accused and sent to prison. Still, God preserved Israel through Joseph's unfailing commitment to do what was right (Genesis 39-50). Prior to the birth of Moses, there was not a leader to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses was born for that very purpose, yet it took Moses eighty years of preparation just so God could use him to lead the Israelites through the wilderness. God is always seeking someone willing to follow His divine will, but how can we know God's divine will if we do not daily commune with. Him at an altar?

The answer is simple. To know God's divine will for our individual lives, we must develop a closer, more intimate relationship with Him through daily altar worship. It is essential that, as a member of the royal priesthood, each individual follow the command of Exodus 20:24. If we begin our day by building an altar and offering our lives as a living sacrifice, then God will send the fire to empower us to accomplish His will for that day. This was considered required worship in the OT. While we may view worship today through a modern definition, the result of our worship must accomplish the same end. W. W. Comfort said, "Worship is an effort of the individual to realize the real presence of the Divine.' Viewing Moses' worship according to Exodus 33:9, H.H. Rowley said, "When Moses consulted with. God he is not said to have used mechanical means, but to have gone into the Tent of Meeting to consult God in a personal encounter."' A daily personal encounter is what God desires and what we need. We cannot expect to spiritually survive if we fail to have a personal encounter with God every day.

Exodus 20:24 is still a valid command for our lifestyle today. It is up to each individual to integrate its principles into his daily routines. Those who have obeyed God's Word in Acts 2:38 are a part of the royal priesthood. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost. God has already provided us the means to make an altar for worship to Him. When we offer to Him our sacrifice, God will send the fire. Fuel the fire with nourishment from the Word of God, breathe new life into the fire with oxygen from your prayers, then God will consume you and set you ablaze.
"Make me an altar of earth. . ."

Many people today have misconceptions about what an altar is and should be used for. Undoubtedly the most common misconception is that altars are to be housed in a church building and that these altars are for the conversion of sinners. Altars in our churches today do function as a place of conversion but also as a gathering place for corporate worship. According to Exodus 20:24, the altar is to function as a place of daily sacrifice and renewal. Realize that not every church building is open every day for its saints to come and pray at the altar for their daily devotion, but they should be. Moreover, it is not necessary to go to a church altar for daily worship. Jesus said, "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou bast shut thy door. . . ." (Matthew 6:6). All that is necessary is to get alone with God in our mind and heart. It is preferable that we get physically alone where we are not easily interrupted or disturbed.

Our devotion with God today is not dependent on any one particular altar structure. The modern definition of an altar is, according to Webster's Dictionary, "a raised structure (as a block, pile of blocks, pillar, or stand) on which sacrifices arc offered (any structure or place serving as a place of sacrifice or worship)."3 The English word altar derives from the Latin word altare, meaning "a raised structure on which sacrifices are offered to a deity.' The Encyclopedia Americana International gives this definition, "an elevation or elevated object used for sacrifice, consecration, or prayer. An altar can be a simple stone outdoors or an elaborately carved structure in a church."5 The altar of Exodus 20:24 was to be constructed of earth or unhewn stones (verse 25). Simply stated, God has made it possible for anyone to make an altar in compliance with His Word. The poorest homeless person of our society still has earth beneath his/her feet or access to unhewn stones.

God has provided Himself with a place for worship, the earth. Setting aside the availability of all modern construction equipment, how humbled we would be before God if we had to kneel and bend to form an earthen altar for worship. This element of humility is far too often passed over. How blessed we would be if every home had an altar structure for daily worship, but it's not required. What is required is that we find a place every day to get alone with God in a spirit of humility. Be it in public or private, we can create a place to worship God wherever we go.

Even living in an agrarian culture in the rural hill country of west Tennessee, you can find a place to commune with God. My father's mother would rise early, fix the family breakfast, then go to the field to work with the rest of the family. Around noon, instead of walking back to the house, she would go to a favorite spot in the woods where she would commune with God. The structure of the altar was not a necessity for my grandmother. She knew the importance of purifying the temple through daily sacrifice. Memories of visiting my grandmother's house as a child bring back the sounds of her praying aloud, piercing the night air throughout the house. It causes me today to wonder if that is how she prayed in the woods. Her commitment to prayer was passed on to my father. Before sunrise, we could always find my father praying or studying in the living room of our home. Wherever Abraham went, he built an altar. Today, we too need to find a place in each of our lives to get alone with God. More importantly, our individual homes should be the training ground for our children in the building of altars. God took the Israelites through the wilderness so that he could teach them the importance of sacrificial altar worship. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 charges us that we should do the same.

When God called Abraham to take Isaac into the mountains of Moriah to worship, Abraham rose up early the next morning (Genesis 22:3). When Moses went up into the mountains to meet with God, he rose up early in the morning. The required daily sacrifice of the burnt offerings (`olah) was offered both morning and evening. Before the morning sacrifices could be offered, Moses had to remove the ashes and mend the fire. Once God has sent the fire, it must never go out. Continual sacrifices have to be made.

Where is your altar? This question has been intentionally poised at the end of each chapter to force us to think of that special place where we commune with God on a daily basis. If you do not have such a place, let me strongly urge you to create such a place immediately! Regardless of age, if you are a living and breathing human being, you need an altar. Stop reading right now and search your home for a place to designate as your altar! If you are a parent, designate a common place for each member of the family to use for an altar. You do not have to build a special room addition (although that's okay) onto your house to have an altar. Use an unused corner of a room, the living room sofa, the foot of a bed, a closet, storage room, a certain chair or ottoman. The possibilities are endless, but use the same place every morning and evening. Fathers, you are responsible for making sure that each family member has an altar and a time of worship. Occasionally go and pray with other family members, or have them come pray with you. It helps if each family member knows when the other family members are in prayer. This keeps the interruptions to a minimum. Building an altar is the first step to a complete altar experience. . .and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your sacrifices of well-being, your sheep and your oxen..."

Without question, the above text is the most important part of this verse. The sacrifice also happens to be the most important part of a complete altar experience. An altar is just a structure without a sacrifice on it. Furthermore, without a sacrifice, there is no need for a fire. In previous chapters, we have discussed the importance of bringing a proper sacrifice and its purpose in the redemption process in the context of the OT. We have also made clear the redemptive significance of Jesus Christ's being the final sacrifice for sin through His death on the cross. With this in mind, some may question the validity of this part of the scripture to our form of worship today, especially in the light of its literary context, i.e. "burnt offerings" and "sheep and your oxen." Like the altar, a sacrifice is still a critical element to a complete altar experience today. The significance of sacrifice has not diminished, but it has changed in form for us today (as discussed in Chapter 5).

Once again for clarification, the subject of sacrifice warrants a reminder. We are not promoting, condoning, or encouraging literal animal sacrifice. The intent is merely to show the relevance of OT animal sacrifice in a metaphorical context to our worship today. This is reinforced in the types of worship witnessed worldwide in the daily lives of apostolic Pentecostals. It should be noted, however, that there are other religious cultures who still actively participate in ritual animal sacrifices throughout the world. According to a recent article, there are approximately six hundred Samaritans living in the area of Israel and Palestine who still perform ritual animal sacrifice similar to that of the OT. The writer of the article correctly shows that "Animal sacrifice played a significant role in Jewish history from the time of Abraham until the time of Christ, when the Romans destroyed the Jerusalem temple. The practice endures on Mount Gerizim, the mountain holy to Samaritans, who still offer sheep as a sacrifice on the eve of the feast of Passover."' As we mentioned earlier, many Jews anticipated the return of the sacrificial altar until sometime after the destruction of the Temple in about A.D. 70. Today most of the Conservative, Reconstructionist, and even some Orthodox groups have "explicitly renounced the hope of returning to the sacrificial system."' However, as recently as about seventy years ago, a prominent Orthodox leader tried to encourage its revival. "Rabbi Abraham I Kook, the leader of the Orthodox Ashkenazim of Palestine, anticipating the speedy coming of the Messiah, attempted to found a school for the practical training of priests. But the project attracted little support.'

"For centuries Jewish children began their Bible studies with the Book of Leviticus. This strange choice was justified by the contention that pure young children should first learn about the sacrifices which were brought in purity." In latter generations, "the Siddur [the prayer book], was the first book the Jewish child learned to read."' The importance of this type of training in the life of an impressionable young child cannot be overestimated. Both groups were teaching the significance of individual sacrifice as it was required in that day. While admittedly the form of sacrifice has changed, the principle has not. It is therefore incumbent upon us that we too instruct our children in the principles of individual sacrifice today. Former high school teacher to ex-President Jimmy Carter, Miss Julia Coleman, is quoted as saying, "We must adjust to changing times but still hold to unchanging principles." One principle that has not changed is sacrifice; it has existed since the creation of mankind. Although the types of sacrifices have changed and the means by which they are offered have changed, the need for sacrifice has not changed. Furthermore, what good is this temple to God if we do not offer it to Him as a "living sacrifice" to be used in service for the fulfillment of His divine will?

Understanding what it means to sacrifice will help us to know how we can practically apply the principle of sacrifice in our lives. Since we have already uncovered the meaning of sacrifice from its original Hebrew and Greek terms, we should look now at the meaning of the English word. There are two meanings of the word sacrifice that should be considered, the secular meaning and the religious meaning. You will notice that these two separate definitions somewhat overlap. In the secular context, the word sacrifice is defined as "self-deprivation" or "voluntary deprivation."' Some have defined the word sacrifice as simply giving up. "The deprivation is always effected so that the sacrificer may achieve a purpose that to him or to some other person or cause is of greater value than that of the object sacrificed.' Even though this is a secular definition, it may apply in a religious context. The English word sacrifice "comes from the Latin noun sacrificium and the verb sacrificare, which are blanket terms for any religious act in which a thing is made sacred, that is, given to a deity and made his property.' Webster's International Dictionary defines sacrifice as "an act or action of making an offering of animal or vegetable life, of food, or drink, or incense, or of some precious object to a deity, or spiritual being, (destruction or surrender of something)."15 From these collective definitions, we can conclude that a proper sacrifice today would require the voluntary surrender of something valuable that we may in turn become sacred or holy. What could be of greater value than the offering of our lives as a "living sacrifice" unto God? When we sacrifice to God our whole heart, our whole mind, and our entire strength, then He can consume us with the fire of the Holy Ghost and make us holy.

The song "I Surrender All" has been sung in churches throughout the world for generations, but how often do we contemplate the true meaning of its words?

Verse 1	
All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His service daily live.

Verse 2	
All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow;
Worldly pleasure all forsaken,
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

Verse 3
All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

Verse 4
All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

Verse 5	
All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame;
O the joy of full salvation,
Glory, glory to His name.

Chorus	
I surrender all,
I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.' 6

These powerful words exemplify the perfect sacrifice of oneself to God. God wants all of us, not just a little part that we desire to give Him on occasion. The word all in this context is inclusive of everything in one's life, holding nothing back for ourselves! Reaching in to the most secret recesses of our being, we expose it to God through prayer and supplications. All that we have is really God's anyway, for He gave us what we have to be used for His divine purpose. Through the various sacrifices, the ANE Israelites were required to give back to God on the altar a portion of all that they possessed. This exchange between the Israelites and God at the sacrificial altar was viewed collectively as worship. We too are sacrificing when we push everything aside in our daily lives to worship God.

When bringing a sacrifice for a moral, ethical, or ritual violation in the OT, the giver's first order of business was to confess the wrong to the priest. Naturally, confession required the speaking aloud to the priest by the individual bringing the sacrifice. True confession to God exposes our human vulnerabilities and reveals our need of Him. This was the OT form of repentance, which had to be done. Today, it is with our mouth that we confess our sins directly to God, who is the only one able to forgive us of our sins! "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9) (Also see Romans 10: 10.) As the apostle Peter preached in. Acts 2:38, the first essential step to forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation is repentance. The writer of the Book of James told us that the tongue is the most unruly member of the body, which "can no man tame" (James 3:8). Therefore, if we are to surrender all to God, it should begin and end with our mouth, from confession to the infilling of the Holy Ghost. When we are willing to give even our most unruly member to God, He will make us "speak with new tongues" (Mark 16:17). Perhaps this is why Jesus chose to use the tongue as the evidentiary sign of His Spirit living inside of us (Acts 2:3, 4; 19:6). This is all predicated on communion through communication with God (i.e., prayer).

True enough, God knows our hearts, but how can we expect to confess, repent, and receive the Holy Spirit in our lives without prayer? How can we begin to know God's divine will for our lives if we do not communicate with Him? To literally offer ourselves as a "living sacrifice, holy and acceptable," we must live every second of every day as He wishes us to live it. We must go where He wants us to go, do what He wants us to do, say what He wants us to say, and be what He wants us to be. This is the example of sacrifice that God was teaching the Israelites in the wilderness. Today, this kind of relationship requires the daily sacrificing of ourselves at an altar of prayer.

In a small midwestern town, a church that once had over two hundred in regular attendance had dwindled to a bare existence. Around the spring of 2002, the pastor of the congregation felt it necessary to leave. A faithful man who for years had been the assistant pastor was voted in as the new pastor. Being a man of much prayer and devotion, the new pastor knew what it would take to breathe new life into that congregation. Within a short time after officially taking over the church as pastor, he announced a week of nightly prayer at the church. On Tuesday night of the first week of prayer, a stranger walked into the church in need of salvation. The congregation began praying with the man. That same night, the stranger repented of his sins and was baptized. Prayer continued throughout the week. The following Sunday, eight people received the Holy Ghost and those that needed baptism were baptized! Needless to say, prayer was what breathed new life into the fire! Imagine the amount of personal sacrifice that took place in that congregation, though small in number, to accomplish God's divine will.

To accomplish daily communion through prayer, there has to be daily sacrifice. Remember, the animal being sacrificed in the OT was not slain on the altar. It was brought to the altar and slain beside the altar. Sometimes it becomes a sacrifice for us just to find the time and place to pray. One Jewish writer wrote, "A person at prayer is like a bed of coals; as long as a single spark remains, a great fire can again be kindled. But without the spark there can be no fire. Always remain attached to God, even in those times when you feel unable to ascend to Him. You must preserve that single spark lest the fire of your soul be extinguished."' King David wrote, "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth" (Psalm 34:1). This sentiment is echoed in the NT by the writer of Hebrews, "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name" (13:15). As the priest of the OT was to keep the fire on the altar and sacrifice daily, we too must daily sacrifice and tend the spiritual fire in our temples. This requires time and discipline.

From the moment a Jewish child receives his first prayer book (Siddur), he never ceases to use it. Though the prayers contained in this book are to be learned and recited, over time they become an intimate part of daily life. To know God, communication through prayer must become a lifelong process! Think back to the first time you prayed. It may not have been the most elaborate prayer you have ever prayed, but no doubt you were blessed for the sacrifice put forth. The spirit with which one approaches God is of great importance. Not only should we teach our children the sacrificial giving of their time, but we should stress the importance of humility and reverence when coming to God. Humility and reverence were what David was trying to convey in Psalm 51:16-17, "For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, 0 God, thou wilt not despise." This scripture implies that a spirit of humility is a vital part of the sacrifice.

To offer the daily sacrifice of communion through prayer demands the discipline of our time. What one person sacrifices may be different than that of another person. However, prayer takes time, regardless of its intensity. It is up to each individual to find the time in his daily schedule to commune with God at an altar. No set rules dictate prayer at certain times each day, but some examples should be contemplated. In Matthew 6, Jesus gave to us examples of when and where we should pray. This chapter also contains the Lord's Prayer, which is a formula for how to pray or what to include in our prayers. While the words of a prayer are important, they are worthless if we do not make the time to get alone with God and pray them. That said, there are times, such as in emergency situations, when one must pray wherever he/she is. The apostle Paul admonished the Thessalonians to "Pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17). This does not mean that we should disregard everything in our daily lives and pray continually. Rather, through the discipline of a consistent daily prayer life, our thoughts are not far from God throughout the day. Should the need arise to talk with God outside our regularly scheduled prayer time, a word or two is all that is needed to reestablish contact with God. When we pray, the Bible says our prayers "come up for a memorial before God" (Acts 10:4). In this context, our daily prayers then would come up before God on a more regular basis and not just when we want something.

King David knew the value of his prayers and felt the need to pray on a consistent basis as a sacrifice. In Psalm 141:2, David prayed, "Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." David also implored God to listen to him with this prayer, "Give ear to my prayer, 0 God; and hide not thyself from my supplication" (Psalm 55:1). We find David's daily commitment to prayer a few verses later in verse 17, "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud." These few verses give us a glimpse into the importance of prayer to David on a daily bases. In the life of Daniel, we find a similar commitment to daily prayer. Daniel had a specific place in the upper chamber of his house, with windows opened facing Jerusalem, where he prayed. "Three times a day he knelt down, prayed, and made confession to his God, as he had always done" (Daniel 6:11 JPS). The practice of praying three times per day in the OT does not appear to be a consistent practice among all Jews. However, after the destruction of the second Temple in Jerusalem, rabbinic Judaism began instituting mandatory daily prayer times in place of the sacrificial altar worship. It is still obligatory for every Jew to pray a minimum of three times per day (morning, afternoon, and evening). Blu Greenberg, the wife of an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, says, "The heart should overflow three times a day." Real prayer should consist of "devotional intent, being attuned to God, with the whole self given over to God."18

To sacrifice daily through regular prayer times is to fulfill the command of Exodus 20:24 in our lives today. We are bringing ourselves as the sacrifice in place of the animals of the OT. God desires us to bring our sacrifice willingly, to intentionally make time in each day to commune with Him. Some people are self-disciplined enough that their daily prayer times almost seem second nature. Still others need the regiment of fixed times of prayer. The obligation to pray at certain fixed times often compels some people to pray when they otherwise would not. While some may view regular fixed prayer times as a ritual service, it is much more than that. "Even if the only sacrifice offered in prayer is the sacrifice of the time allotted to it, and the only meal offering we bring is one of words, these still represent an act of real giving."19 Regularity in prayer provides a sense of commitment, of an ongoing constant connection with God. "Regular prayer provides even those who by nature are distant from spirituality with a reminder and incentive to create a relationship with God. . . Regularity and frequency of fixed prayer can well generate moments of real communication that would never have otherwise occurred."20

With the exception of the sacrificial rites, which only the Israelite priests could perform, each individual was required to bring his own sacrifice. "Just as one cannot be nourished by the food eaten by another, so he cannot pray except by himself.' Though God fills the earth with His presence, in individual prayer we seek to personally commune with God, as it were, "face to face" as Moses did. Whether alone or in a large group, the worshiper should attempt to remain always focused on isolating himself in the presence of God. "The focal point of one's prayer is the relationship between the human 'I' and the divine 'Thou' of God as He reveals Himself at that particular moment."22 Moses admonished the Israelites in the Book of Deuteronomy before they entered the Promised Land concerning their service to God. Moses knew the cost of sacrifice was the obedience to God's commands. He reminded the Israelites to "love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (Deuteronomy 6:5). "And to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul" (11:13). It seems only natural then that with a heart of "love" and "service," the three obligatory prayers of the Temple correspond to the order of daily sacrifices: "Shahanit corresponds to the daily offering (Tamid) brought in the morning; Minhah to the Tamid offering brought toward dusk; and Ma'aniv to the flesh of sacrifices burnt on the altar during the night hours."' Regardless of how many times a day one prays to God, prayer is still the greatest means of personal sacrifice for us today.

In the NT, the apostolic church of today was born in prayer. Prior to the Holy Ghost falling on the disciples on the Day of Pentecost, prayer was made for ten days in one accord (Acts 1:14; 2:1). The early church did not stop praying after receiving the Holy Ghost. The Bible says they continued steadfast in their prayers (Acts 2:42). The apostle Paul told us we should be "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with al perseverance and supplication for all saints" (Ephesians 6:18). "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2). This was followed by Paul's words to Timothy, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men" (I Timothy 2:1). If we are to effectively present our bodies today as a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1), we must be willing to sacrifice whatever fills our daily lives, for a time of personal prayer and supplication with God. As the early apostolic church grew, so did Paul's need for more prayer. The apostles said, "We will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4).

We cannot expect to maintain the fire of the Holy Ghost without the sacrifice of daily prayer and communion at an altar. It is for us to bring the sacrifice, not God. He has already offered the supreme sacrifice for us on the cross. If we will sacrifice our time in prayer, God will meet us at the altar and set the fire ablaze once more. God's purpose through prayer is described best by David K. Bernard, "Prayer is not a mechanical process whereby we earn favors from God. Rather, it is the means of communing with God and maintaining our relationship with Him. We do not purchase power from God by so many hours of prayer and so many days of fasting. Rather, prayer and fasting are the means by which we conform our minds and bodies to God's will. Prayer does not change God's attitude, but it changes our attitude so that we are ready to receive what God has planned for us." 24

There must be a proper sacrifice on the altar for God to consume it with fire (Holy Ghost) (Leviticus 9:24). This fire on the sacrificial altar, of course, is the OT symbol of the Holy Ghost experience in the NT and today. "Consequently, the exposure of every portion of the sacrifice to the altar fire represented the yielding of the grateful worshipper in his entirety to the operation of God and the Holy Ghost. It is the surrender of our whole nature, body, soul, and spirit, to the disposal of the Holy Ghost." If only we could learn to daily present ourselves to God, as the burnt offering sacrifice in the OT, God would consume us with the fire of the Holy Ghost and make us holy. To accomplish this, we must daily obey the command of Exodus 20:24 by offering our whole self as a sacrifice on the altar in humility and reverence. In this light, we should consider the words of F. R. Havergal:

"Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, ALL for Thee.”25

". . . in every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come to you and bless you."

This last phrase of the verse alone is conclusive evidence that this command is still applicable to us today! Furthermore, it ends with a promise to all who fulfill the command! Keep in mind, this command was given while the Israelites were camped at Mount Sinai. We should also bear in mind, at this point in the history of the Israelites, the name YHWH was considered too holy to mention. "Because of its holiness, pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton, i.e. the four letters which make up his personal name, YHWH, was banned except to the priests in the sanctuary.' Even so, Noah, Abraham, and the Israelites had all received blessings through obedience to God's word. God still fulfills His promise of blessings when we obey His Word.

Use of the words "in every place" is both definitive and very broad in context. In the broad context, "in every place" seems to account for the past, present, and the future, with only one precondition, the pre-condition, of course, being "where I cause My name to be mentioned." In other words, in every place where God desires to communicate with His people and the people call upon His name. We see this broad context already established by God in the lives of mankind from the creation of Adam through the patriarchs of Noah, Abraham, and Moses. Although these men had not received the command of Exodus 20:24, whenever they called upon God, they received a promise from God. Through their obedience to God's word, they received blessings that we still enjoy today. Moses certainly had a clear understanding of this principle from his being called of God out of the burning bush to the deliverance of the Israelites out Egypt. It only seems natural then that Moses would receive these words (Exodus 20:24) as a part of the "Book of the Covenant" which was to be obeyed for all time to come. "This seems to mean that God reassures the people that He will continue to be present even after they will have left Sinai."27

Following their experience at Mount Sinai, wherever the Israelites traveled throughout the wilderness and obeyed God's commands, God's presence was evident. Upon their crossing into the Promised Land, the words "in every place" continued to be applicable in the Temples (until the final destruction in A.D. 70). Rashi and other traditional commentators emphasize that God promises to be present in the place where He himself will cause His name to be mentioned, that is, in the sanctuary. Other Jewish literature conclude that this phrase "can only mean the Temple. Hence, outside the Temple, God's holy name (YHWH) is not pronounced at all."' The Jewish Publication Society Commentany has this to say regarding the phrase "in every place." "Hebrew makom, like Arabic maqam, most likely means here, `sacred site,' that is, a site rendered sacred by the location of an altar to God, as in Genesis 12:6 and other texts."' Still others suggest that "in every place" can only refer to places where the Shekhinah of God, or His "Divine Presence" dwells. Conclusively, these interpretations can all be accurate. They also help us to see the more definitive nature of this last phrase.

The definitive context of the phrase, "in every place," is clarified by the words that follow, "where I cause My name to be mentioned." These words are more specific as to where "every place" is or should be. For the ANE Israelites traveling through the wilderness, the name of YHWH was mentioned in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. In the Promised Land, "every place" was not only the Temples but also wherever priests, prophets, etc. built an altar and called upon the name of the Lord. During the second Temple period, and after the destruction of the Temple in A. D. 70, the name was mentioned in the synagogues, as well as private gatherings. Jesus Christ was the earthly personification of God the Father. His death, burial, and resurrection gave a more personal application to Exodus 20:24. Once again, through obedience to God's Word, we can take on His name. By dying to sin through repentance, being baptized unto His death, we can then receive the Holy Ghost (His Spirit) in our fleshly temples, thereby taking on the name of Jesus Christ. Thus, we, like Him, become a part of the "royal priesthood" (I Peter 2:9). Today, as a part of the "royal priesthood," we are commanded to proclaim the name of the Lord wherever we go!

Wherever we take the time to call upon the name of Jesus Christ in sincere humility and reverence, He will commune with us. Not only will God commune with us, but He has promised to bless us. Noah was a righteous man of his generation. Because of his obedience and reliance upon God, Noah and his family was saved. Likewise, Abraham's obedience and reliance upon God caused an entire nation of God's people to be born. Today, we too are the recipients of the promise given to us in Exodus 20:24, if we will daily make the time to build an altar and offer up a sacrifice.

To build an altar and offer oneself as a "living sacrifice" allows the natural man to be consumed with the fire of the Holy Ghost, therefore, taking an otherwise sinful thing and making it sacred or holy. Since God is holy and the purest form of holiness, we must daily seek to become more like Him. "There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God" (I Samuel 2:2). God's Spirit living inside of us is the only medium that bridges the gap of the spirit world between man and God. As priests of these earthly temples, we must daily remove the ashes from the day before, nourish the fire with the Word of God, and breathe new life into the fire with the oxygen of prayer. This call to holiness began in the OT at Mount Sinai. "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:1-2). Notice that the command here is to "all the congregation of the children of Israel," just like the command of Exodus 20:24. The significance of holiness is further expressed in the NT for us today. "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). The only way we can be holy is through obedience to God's Word. The only way to know God's will for our lives is through a daily altar experience. Furthermore, the only way for us to make it to the New Jerusalem is by God's Spirit (Holy Ghost) living inside of us!

The apostolic Pentecostals of this generation need to gird up the loins of truth, breathe the oxygen of prayer back into our daily lives, and nourish ourselves with the fuel of the Word. It will only begin when we take on the attitude of the prophet Elijah (I Kings 18). In a world of false prophets and idol worship, Elijah alone challenged them by obeying the command of Exodus 20:24. "And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob . . . and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. . . . And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood. . . . And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near" (I Kings 18:30-33, 36). Elijah called upon the name of the Lord (verses 36-37). "Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the
trench" (verse 38). This great victory occurred because Elijah was faithful to obey the command of God given to Moses generations before at Mount Sinai.

The command of Exodus 20:24 is still applicable for us today! Where is your altar? Do you have a special time and place where you enter into communion with God on a daily basis? What sacrifices do you need to make in order to accomplish God's divine will for your life? When is the last time you spent enough quality time at an altar that you were consumed by the fire of the Holy Ghost? These are the questions we need to be asking ourselves on a regular basis.

The time and place for an altar experience are significant only because they represent a special visitation and communion between God and man. Throughout this book, we have referred to several special visitations of God's presence in the OT. Yet to this day, we are not certain where many of these visitations occurred, specifically the exact location. For instance, where did Cain and Abel make their first offerings? Only Cain and Abel would know. Archaeologists, investigators, anthropologists, scholars, and Bible students have all tried, without success, to locate Noah's ark and the altar he built after coming out of the ark. Do we really know the exact spot in the mountains of Moriah where Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac? Only Abraham and Isaac were there, only they would know. Where is Mount Sinai? Is it the same location as indicated on modern-day maps? Or was it a reference to a chain of mountains? Award-winning author Howard Blum reveals the latest evidence by investigators to locate Mount Sinai in his book The Gold of Exodus. If the evidence presented proves true, does it matter? Can we locate the individual locations of the OT Tabernacle as it was erected in the wilderness? And what about the building of multiple altars in the Promised Land? What was the meaning of the destruction of the first and second Temples? The answer to these questions is found in Exodus 20:24, ". . . in every place where I cause My name to be mentioned. . . ."

From the first offering by Cain and Abel to today, God has stressed the importance of individual communion and worship. This leads to a personal relationship with God. It is no accident that we cannot establish the exact spot where many significant visitations of God took place in the OT. Those altars and altar experiences were significant only to the individuals who were there at that time. While we can learn from the principles established in the OT, their altar experiences cannot be substituted for our worship today. As previously discussed, the form of worship has changed by God's design. Today, we should seek to worship God in spirit and in truth through obedience to His Word. There is no better place to begin than by following the example of Exodus 20:24. Find a place where you can have a daily altar experience. Gather some stones, build an altar, offer yourself as a living sacrifice, and let the fire of the Holy Ghost consume you!
Where is your altar?

Notes
1. W. W. Comfort, "Worship." Websten's Intennational Dictionary Unabnidged.
2. H. H. Rowley, Wonship In Ancient Isnael, 68.
3. "Altar," Websten's Intennational Dictionary Unabnidged.
4. "Altar," The Encyclopedia of Religion, 222.
5. Emil G. Kraeling, "Altar," The Encyclopedia Amenicana Intennational Edition, V1, 635.
6. "Abraham: Father of Three Faiths," National Geographic, Vol. 200, No. 6, 112-113.
7. W. Gunther Plaut, "Leviticus," The Tonah: A Modenn Commentany, 755.
8. Ibid.
9. H. Schauss, The Lifetime of the Jew, 100.
10. Adin Steinsaltz, A Guide to Jewish Pnayen, 3.
11. Jimmy Carter, Sounces of Stnength, 173.
12. W. Gunther Plaut, "Introduction," The Tonah: A Modenn Commentany, 750.
13. "Sacrifice," The Encyclopedia Amenicana Intennational Edition, Vol. 24, 80.
14. Ibid.
15. "Sacrifice," Websten's Intennational Dictionary Unabnidged.
16. J. W. Van de Venter, and W. S. Weeden, "I Surrender All," The Cokesbury Wonship Hymnal, 148.
17. Arthur Green, Barry W. Holtz, Youn Wond Is Fine, 112.
18. Blu Greenberg, How To Run A Tnaditional Jewish Household, 140.
19. Steinsaltz, 39.
20. Ibid., 39-40.
21. Ibid, 44.
22. Ibid, 43.
23. Ibid, 49.
24. David K. Bernard, "Purpose of Prayer," Gnowing A Chunch: Seven Apostolic Pninciples, 33-34.
25. H. D. M. Spence, Joseph S. Exell, "The Book Of Exodus," The Pulpit Commentany, Vol. 1, 166.
26. Hannah K. Harrington, "The Holy One," Holiness: Rabbinic Judaism and the Gnaeco-Roman Wonld, 25.
27. W. Gunther Plaut, "Exodus," The Tonah: A Modenn Commentany, 565.
28. Ibid, 573.
29. Nahum M. Sarna, "Exodus," The JPS Tonah Commentary, 116.

The above article, “An Altar For Today” was written by Timothy K Cain. The article was excerpted from chapter seven in Cain’s book, Building An Altar Unto Him.

The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.