One of the things we have discovered while living in Israel is the necessity of making the statement that we believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The Arabs believe in the God of Abraham and Ishmael. Our father Abraham taught Isaac about his God and we find Isaac building altars like his father did on several occasions. The following passage confirms this.

"The Lord appeared to Isaac while he was in Beersheba one night and said, 'I am the God of your father Abraham; Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you, and multiply your seed, For the sake of My servant Abraham.' So he built an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants dug a well." (Genesis 26:23-25)

There are several reasons that we should build an altar unto the Lord and this is one of them. It is when we know the Lord has spoken to us. Isaac did not build this altar out of necessity to fulfill some principle but he did it out of a grateful heart to show his God that he appreciated hearing Him speak to him. I pray that you are quick to give thanks to the Lord when He speaks to you. I believe the Lord looks upon this as your building an altar unto Him.

We find our friend Jacob being sent away by Isaac to secure a wife from the family of his mother's father. So we see that Jacob left Beersheba on his way to Haran. On the way to Haran we are told that at a certain place he spent the night and took a stone and placed it under his head for a pillow. This is where he had the dream of a ladder reaching into heaven with angels ascending and descending on it. Again we hear the Lord speaking to man.

"I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and your seed. Your descendants shall also be like the dust of the earth and you shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and the south; and in you and your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

When Jacob awoke from this dream we find him taking the stone that he had slept on and putting it with other stones made an altar unto the Lord. We find Jacob making commitments unto the Lord and telling the Lord that the God of Abraham and Isaac will be his God. This is another reason for us to build an altar unto the Lord. It is telling the Lord that we acknowledge Him as our God and that by His grace we will serve Him in awe all the days of our life.

Ruby and I attended a memorial service the other morning for a precious saint that went on into glory after living for the Lord all her life. The Lord spoke to me to tell you that He only wants you to build altars in your walk with Him if you can do it out of a heart of gratitude and joy. God is not requiring us to build altars. Only as a free will offering will the Lord be pleased, and this is what the Lord showed me about this precious saint. She was full of joy because she had made Jesus her delight all of her life. Glory!

We will continue to speak about altars and may we all endeavor to open our hearts to hear what the Spirit will share with us about this subject.

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Blessings, Homer.

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homer@samaritanfoundation.org