We continue our study of what it is to honour the name of the Lord. An amazing promise is attached to hearts which lift up words remembering when the Lord has revealed himself by name.

Verses

1 Peter 2:4-5 As you come to him, the living stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.

Exodus 20:24-25 Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honoured, I will come to you and bless you. If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones … and do not go up to my altar on steps…

Observations

Altars: Built of “earth”

In these passages, Peter and Paul both offer a commentary on Exodus 20:24-25. But we will only see that when we dig more deeply. The Lord tells Moses to make an altar of earth (adamah: ground, land, earth, soil, dust). This is the same material from which we are all created; the same material which, animated by the breath of the Father, becomes alive. Our bodies are the dust for the construction of an altar. This connects Peter’s idea of “living stones” and Paul’s idea of “living sacrifices”. They are describing an identical reality.

Furthermore, we are not to attempt to alter the living stones to make them dressed stones (gazith: cut stones, smooth stones, well-hewn stones). There is a reason given. Every attempt we make to fashion our lives ourselves simply results in another form of idolatry.

So we are to bring our living stones, our hearts and our bodies, as they are to the Lord. The dust of our body is not the sacrifice; it is the altar! From the altar, the burnt offerings (olah: ascent, stairway, that which goes up to heaven) are prayers and words that are incense ascending to heaven. In fact, the Lord seems less interested in the sacrifice than he is in the incense that arises from the altar. The Lord is far more interested in our prayers, our praise and our words directed to heaven.

Altars: Where the Lord is Revealed by Name

We are provided with a number of examples of altars being constructed. Here is an incomplete list:

• Genesis 22:8- Abram built an altar at Mount Moriah and named it (JHVH yireh: The Lord will see to it) and from that interaction it came to be said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be seen (yeraeh).

• Exodus 17:15-16 Moses built an altar after the battle at Rephidim. He has spent the day with his hands raised on the mountain top. He named the altar The Lord is my Banner (JHVH Nissi).

• Judges 6:23-24 Gideon built an altar to the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace (JHVH Shalom) because the Lord had appeared to him and spoken to him, “Peace! Do not be Afraid! You are not going to die.”

• Judges 13:17-18 Manoah built an altar and asked the angel for His name. Many interpret the answer as a rebuke, but perhaps it was not. The angel of the Lord answered, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is secret (pali: wonderful, incomprehensible). He then ascended in the flames from the altar. His name is Wonderful. It is also incomprehensible. We are never to assume that by knowing one or two names we know anything more than a small part of all God is.

These altars were to become memorials to His Name. They were to be locations to remember the acts of God by name. Altars were erected to remember significant interactions between heaven and earth. Also, they were to be locations from which the words of mankind ascended to heaven with His Name on our lips.

Altars: Remembering His Name

There is a reason the Lord wants His name on our lips at altars. The reason is a significant promise from the Lord: “Wherever I cause my name to be honoured, I will come to you and bless you.” The wording of the phrase is actually a little bit different to “honoring His name”. We might better read it as kol (every) maqom (place, home, room, site) zakar (I remember, hear mention of, have brought to my remembrance) shem (my name), I will come to you to bless you.

This promise is amazing and extraordinary. We are encouraged to remember the names by which the Lord has revealed himself to us. From that act of remembering, we direct our lips to raise His name to heaven from hearts of dust. When his name is brought to His attention, He will once more bring his presence and his blessing. The names of God express His character. His names express testimonies. Furthermore, His names are promises that he will continue to reveal himself by that name.

We build altars in our hearts by remembering His name. We build altars in our hearts by taking His name upon our lips in prayers that ascend to heaven. So too, we are built into the Body of Christ, when we build altars corporately.

Prayer

• Take time to remember a time when the Lord has revealed himself to you. This may have been by direct intervention of heaven into your world or by reading a testimony. What name of God best captures this revelation?

• Thank him by name for his intervention from Heaven in those circumstances

Lord, we bless your Holy Name, [your memorial name]. May you continue to express to me your heart and character demonstrated in your Name [your memorial name]. May you demonstrate the revelation of your Name [your memorial name] to others around me.