Day 39 with Moses: God does not honor every altar or every offering

“An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

There’s an interesting scene in the movie, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” where they are presented with a table full of different drinking cups. They were desperate to find the right cup (the Holy Grail), thinking that it had healing powers. The bad guy chose to drink from a very elaborate cup “fit for a King.” He chose poorly and died because of it. On the other hand, Indiana Jones chose a simple cup saying this was “the cup of a carpenter.” He chose wisely and was able to save his father from dying. Now this is a fantasy; but this scene offers a valuable lesson.

You see, we may have an idea of what God wants and we offer that to Him. Often, in our exuberance, we go full throttle toward what we think will please Him; and often we are wrong.

At the transfiguration of Jesus, Peter being overcome with the thrill of the moment, had a “great idea.”

“and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17:2-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Although it isn’t spoken, we know that shrines to Himself, Moses and Elijah, was not what Jesus wanted at that point in time. But Peter thought it was a good idea.

The fact is, the Lord does not honor every gift or every deed we think up to offer to Him. It’s only when we offer what He wants that He puts His name on it (receives that offering, blessing the one who gives it).

Most of us know about the fact that the Lord accepted the offering of Able but rejected the offering of Cain.

“And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭4:3-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We receive more insight into why Cain’s offering was not accepted from the writer of Hebrews:

“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Throughout the word of God we see the Lord being very displeased with His people who were keeping His ordinances in the way they saw fit, basically choosing what they would do for Him and when they would do it. At the same time, they were ignoring the things He had clearly spoken as being His will! Look at these examples:

“Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord? “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭58:5-6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.”

‭‭Amos‬ ‭5:21-24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

““To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭1:11-12, 16-17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Today we find Moses being instructed by the Lord as to how to build an altar to Him on which sacrifices will be offered. Additionally, Moses is told that in obeying the instructions of the Lord, the Lord will put His name on the altar (honor it) as well as receiving and blessing the sacrifice.

I’ve been there. I’ve had “great ideas” of what I thought God would want from me; but I was wrong. Let’s listen to the Lord and give Him what He wants, where, when, and how He wants it. In so doing, our offering will be received and blessed!

For today let us discover what Moses discovered:

God does not honor every altar or every offering.

#40dayswithmoses