Altars…

 Altars…

To whom do we set up altars?

I thought it was interesting that in two chapters, king Saul set up two altars…one to the Lord for His help…the second one to himself in his pride…

Even the first one was done as an afterthought …he had done what he thought was right without consulting God…

It made me think of the monuments we erect for various events…in honor of others, temples to various gods around the world…

Saul’s second altar was in his own honor, for his “own” victory…he was an on again, off again, halfhearted follower of God…

 Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first time he had done this.

1Sam.14.35

 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”

1Sam.15.12

 But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!” 

As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.” 

Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 

So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord. Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 

Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel…

1Sam.27-31, 34-35

“Altars serve as powerful reminders of our devotion to God. They are not just physical structures; they symbolize our commitment to worship, sacrifice, and prayer. When we look at the Bible verses about altars, we notice they help us to reflect on our relationship with God. Consider this: every time we step to an altar, we are meeting God in a special way, just like our ancestors did. They remind us of the holiness of God and our obedience to His will. Through the act of building or coming to an altar, we acknowledge God’s power and presence in our lives. Each time we turn our hearts towards an altar, we renew our commitment to a life filled with faith, love, and service.”biblestudyforyou.com

 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

Exod.17.15-16

 Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered to the Lord burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings.

Josh.8.30-31

 Unless the Lord builds the house,the builders labor in vain.Unless the Lord watches over the city,the guards stand watch in vain.

Ps.127.1

Thank YOU….

Psalm 127 Song…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcGhyVlvX3g

https://builtbyhim.com/2018/09/04/lesson-3-saul-proud-in-heart/

https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-an-altar.html

https://biblestudyforyou.com/bible-verses-about-altars/