Jacob and Altars

I have a heart for Jacob. So many, including myself have tried to take the easy way to God, sometimes with manipulations and lies, only to find out God is not deceived, and perhaps even laughs at our efforts to get away with things.

The history of Jacob is the history of one in the favour of God, but disciplined in a failing walk, and through failure, the faithfulness of God being evidenced throughout all his failures and wanderings in his attempts to bring about the blessing in a carnal way. Just the result of this is seen in his interview with Pharaoh. (Gen. 47) He goes into the presence of the great potentate of the world, and, without any hesitation, blesses him, whilst at the same time giving a very sorrowful history of his own life. There is most evident superiority in the presence of the world; but, putting himself in comparison with other saints, his own life has been a sad one - few and evil his days. The moment a saint is put in contrast with the highest potentate in the world, he is the superior. It is very lovely to see this lowliness, the result of his "few and evil" days. The saint may have to confess before the world, to his own shame, yet there cannot but be, where the soul is in communion with God, the consciousness of blessing.

The following scripture shows that Jacob built an altar and called it "the mighty God of Israel." This was after getting to where he was headed(Shechem)safely. It also followed the restorative reunion between him and Esau.

As to Jacob's character, he was most assuredly a believer, and, what is more, a believer who valued God's promises. Esau, was not. (Scripture speaks of him as a "profane person.") Jacob valued the promises. Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. But we do not find in Jacob this character of faith - confidence in God to bring about the promises. Therefore, whilst he values the promises, he uses fleshly means to obtain them; he reckons upon human policy, instead of reckoning upon God. There is blessing in the end; but God could not approve his conduct; and, in the dealing of God's government with him, with the measure with which he has meted, it is measured to him again; he is himself continually the object of similar deceit. He tells Laban, "In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times." (Gen. 31.) Cheated about his wife, wronged as to his wages, a wanderer from his father's house, and slave to Laban, through acting in a deceitful way, instead of leaving the accomplishment of the blessing to God: in all this we discern actual discipline because of evil.

We will now consider another altar - that raised by Jacob, on his recall to Beth-el, and a little compare this with God's wrestling with him, when be came out of Padan-aram. There was no altar there.

Genesis 33:20 Then he erected there an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

The significance of that altar was place of thanking God for his deliverance from enemies.

A while later the Lord comes to Jacob and asks him to return to Bethel, the house of God, to erect an altar in the place where he met with him after he had run from Esau.

Genesis 35:1 Then God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to God, R901 who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau."
35:2 So Jacob said to his household R903 and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and purify R905 yourselves and change your garments;
35:3 and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone."
35:4 So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which they had and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem.
35:5 As they journeyed, there was a great terror upon the cities which were around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.
35:6 So Jacob came to Luz(that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.
35:7 He built an altar there, and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed Himself to him when he fled from his brother.

As you can see altars define times and seasons in our lives. Perhaps the altar you receive represents a restoration to your first love of Jesus. Or a reminder of time where God delivered you from the hands of evil, as He did Jacob.

The purpose of an altar is not that you "idolize" the altar, for the altar has no sacred power. It is a reminder or a symbol perhaps of something God has done. Much like when I see a cross or a the sign of "the fish" it reminds me that there are others and who I serve. I do not give power to the symbol.

A reason for developing a family altar with devotions is...
To establish the family in the faith, personal convictions, and doctrine. Children and young people need convictions to stand up against their peers. They must understand their faith and know something of good Bible doctrine so they know what they believe and why. The home makes a good Bible school where the children can be grounded as they face the humanistic, evolutionary philosophy of [our modern society].

It is our desire here to see people come back to the Lord. As you read what is written, it is our hope that you will catch the flavor of what we pray. That people would see restoration in the family and in their community. An altar is one of those "outward signs of inner workings." People see it and ask.

Tomorrow I will