Back to the Altar
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-Joshua 8:30-35-
Point: We need to come back to the altar because it is the place where we are reminded that it is not about us, but about God. We need to come back to the altar because we need constant renewal, recommitment, and rememberence to and of God.
Joshua, after the defeat of Ai, proceeds to take Israel thirty miles north to Shechem. Half the people assemble on Mt. Gerizim, half assemble on Mt. Ebal. The Ark of the Covenant, with the Levite priests, assemble in the valley between the two mountains, with the officers, elders, and judges on either side.
Joshua has ascended Mt. Ebal and a sacrificial altar of unhewn stones has been erected. Big white washed stones, a technique learned while in Egypt, have also been assembled, and prepared. Animals have been brought to the top of Mt. Ebal to be sacrificed. Animals and birds, perfect, male, have been slaughtered for the burnt offering. Animals and birds, male and female, perfect, are slaughtered for the peace offering. A joyous celebration of drink, meat, and grain takes place.
How many days do you think it would take to sacrifice and feed 601,730 Israelites, not including the number of foreignors amongest them? How long does it take to chop up and prepare the animals, to collect the blood, and apply it to the altar for over a half a million people? How many people are we talking about sacrificing for and feeding? The population of Vancouver (600,000) or Scarborough, ON (According to worldpopulationreview.com 2024). We are probably talking about days, as the peace offering was an optional free will offering of gratitude and thanksgiving for what the LORD God did.
How long do you celebrate for what the LORD God has done for you? For those in your life? For the Church? For those in the Church? Do you invite others to celebrate with you?
Israel has just defeated Ai, and they now have a hold in the promised land. Joshua obeys the command of Moses, and takes Israel back to the place where God first promised Abram to make his name great, his people great, and to give to him and his descendants, the land upon which they now stand. It is now time to recommit, renew, and remember who has provided for them …Yahweh, LORD God. It is time to return back to the altar; where it all began …LIFE!
Where did your life begin with God? Do you remember the date, the time, the place that God brought you to Him? Where you answered His call, believed in Him, His Son, and received the Holy Spirit? What were you facing? What were you dealing with? What was the situation? When was it that you were reborn? What did you experience? What did you feel? What were the days like going forward from that time? What changed? How did you change? Why did you change?
Are things the same today or different? Burning as hot, or not? Is the fire still raging, or has it settled, become coles, is it out or nearly out? Why? Have you made a trip back to the altar? Why? or why not?
Illustration - Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash, known internationally as one of the greatest country rockabilly folk singers of all time, sold more than 90 million records worldwide (among the best selling artist all-time). His music spanned country, rock and roll, rockabilly, blues, folk, and gospel. His diversity earned him the rare honor of being inducted into the Country Music, Rock and Roll, and Gospel Music Halls of Fame.
J. R. Cash was born in Kingsland, Arkansas on February 26, 1932 to Carrie Cloveree and Ray Cash. John Ray Cash had 6 other siblings, 3 younger and 3 older, 4 girls and 2 boys. His family was primarily of English and Scottish descent.
Cash was raised by his parents in the Christian faith. In 1944, Cash became a Christian at the Central Baptist Chruch in Dyess, Arkansas, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. He was baptized in the Tyronza River, shortly after becoming a believer in Jesus.
Johnny Cash found that his rise to stardom brought not just fame and fortune, but big problems. While breaking attendance records, and adding more and more Gold Records to his list of accomplishments, in his personal life, things were beginning to unravel. The pressures of show business drove him to take "pep pills," and soon he became addicted to Amphetamines and tranquilizers (sedatives). His first arrest came in 1965, when he was caught with more than 1,000 pills in his pockets. From 200 lbs. he went down to 140 lbs. in weight. In 1967 Cash was arrested in Walker County, Georgia, after police found he was carrying a bag of perscription pills and was in a car accident, that broke his nose and knocked out four teeth. He was going steadily downhill. It is during this arrest that Cash attempted to bribe a local deputy, was jailed for a night, and was then released with by a local sherrif who gave Johnny a long talking to about the dangers of his behavior and his wasted potential. Cash attributed that experience with helping him save and turn his life around. But, Johnny Cash continued to battled drug additction and relapse for many years, and was in and out of drug and alcohol treatment centers many times. Johnny Cash is quoted as saying, in a 1997 interview, “I was taking the pills for awhile, and then the pills started taking me”.
Cash did many free benefit concerts, of which his Prison Concerts made him most famous in the 1950’s. Of particular accomplishment were his two live concert recordings at Folsom Prison in 1968 and San Quentin in 1969. In 1969, Cash eclipsed The Beatles by selling 6.5 million albums, He became the international hitman.
On May 9, 1971, the Man in Black came back to the altar in the small church of Evangel Temple, Nashville, an Assemblies of God congregation pastored by Jimmie R. Snow. Pastor Snow gave an altar call for his congregation to "make things right with God”. Johnny Cash stood up and walked a few steps to the wooden altar. Johnny Cash passed into the glory of His Lord and Savior on September 12, 2003 at the age of 71 from complication with diabetes. This was less than four months after his wife, June Carter Cash passed at the age of 73, May 15, 2003.
Johnny Cash did many things for the LORD Jesus in his later days. He performed at many Billy Graham Crusades, worked with other Christian artist, produced several gospel albums, spoke to drug dealers and alchoholics about his life and salvation, even made a spoken-word recording of the entire NKJV of the NT. Cash declared himself “the biggest sinner of them all” and viewed himself as an overall complicated and contradictory man. —Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations; Wikipedia.org
As successful, as Johnny Cash became professionally, he became as equally unsuccessful in his personal life. As he moved away from the altar of God, his life came to evidence more and more of curses of this world. As he moved closer to the altar of God, his life came to evidence more and more of the blessings of God in his life. Even though, the consequences of his choices (drugs), remained to a degree, his life became blessed.
As we live this life, that God has graciously bestowed upon on, are we moving closer to the altar of God, or further away? As Joshua and Israel took up residence in the land of promise, would they continue close to the altar of God, or move away? As God gives us success in our lives today, will we continue close, or drift away embracing the idols in the land?
Joshua enacts a ceremony commanded of God in Deuteronomy 11:26-32 and detailed in Deuteronomy 27:1-26. It is a renewal of covenant to God, of the people, with blessings and cursings, and the establishment of God’s rule in the promised land, His laws or the Decalogue (the Law of Moses). The call back to the altar, is a reminder that Israel receives the land as a covenant gift and for the covenant purposes outlined to Abraham, carried through Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses.
Why did Joshua take the people to Mount Ebal and set up an altar? Because Moses had instructed Joshua to do so, or else Israel would have inherited the cursings of the Covenant committment at Sinai (Ex. 24:8), based on the promise and covenant of God with Abraham (Gen 12:7). Shechem is also the place of the first covenant with Abram. It is the place of the original altar and promises of God. Back to the altar…
And it shall come about, when Jehovah your God shall bring you into the land where you are entering to possess it, that you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and the curse on Mount Ebal.
And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look the blood of the covenant, which Jehovah has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
Jehovah appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to Jehovah, who had appeared to him.
Why would God choose to renew the Covenant, with Israel, after having conquered Jericho and Ai? To establish the fact that obedience to God and His law, will result in success, while disobedience will result in failure. Practically, the law represents the will and presense of God. As Israel and Joshua stay bold, faithful, and courageous to His Law, they will take the land. As we stay bold, faithful, and courageous to the Word of God, we will take land and be able to stand in our world.
What is the significance of ‘the altar of unhewn stones’? God commanded that only an altar of unhewn stones be built, because an alter of hewn stones is to profane it.
And if you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it.
No human effort is to be associated with the sacrifice of the people, lest one come to think and believe that by one’s own works, a sinner can be saved. Israel did not have the ability or technology to make tools. Historically, what they would have had, would have been acquired via a Gentile (presumably Egyptian). Definately, a foreignor, nor a foreign implement, would be acceptable in a holy rite of God.
The Bible states,
Ephesians 2:8–9 (UASV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of your own doing, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no man may boast.
Consider the words of 1 Cor 1:27-29 .
1 Corinthians 1:27–29 (ESV)
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
We are to remember, that God will not share His glory with another, as Achan discovered when he took the devoted things of God. We draw back to the altar of God, it is not because of what we have done, but because of the grace of God, in what He has done. As Pastor Warren Weirsbe has said, “It is not the beauty of the man-made religion that gives the sinner forgiveness, but the blood on the altar” (Lev 17:11).
For the soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the soul.
Why was the altar built on Mt. Ebal?
As to why the altar was set up on Mt. Ebal specifically, is not revealed, other than Moses commanded this be so. As God spoke, Moses spoke. It would make logical sense, that sacrifice would be made, on Mt. Ebal, because it was the mountain representing the curses of the covenant. To make atonement for sin, sin leading to the curses of the covenant, sacrifice for sin makes sense on the mountain representing the curses for disobedience, sin. The blood flowing from the altar or burnt sacrifice and the peace offerings would ‘cover’ the curses. That is the picture of atonment, a covering for one’s sin. And that in fact is the meaning of the word ‘atonement’ [3722] kāp̱ar - verb meaning to cover, to forgive, to expiate, to reconcile. Persons made reconciliation with God for their sins by imposing something that would appease God and cover the sinner with righteousness. In the OT that was the blood of sacrifices (Ex. 30:10). By the shedding of blood, sin was purged (Ps. 79:9; Isaiah 6:7) and forgiven (Ps. 78:38), the offenses removed, leaving sinners clothed in righteousness (Zech 3:3-4), for a time until they sinned again.
Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their error and did not destroy them; he turned away his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.
Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and was standing before the angel. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Look, I have taken your error away from you, and I will clothe you with fine garments.”
Why was Israel commanded to offer Burnt Offerings and Well-being Offerings (or Peace Offering) to the LORD ? (v.31)
Each offering had a specific purpose. The Burnt Offering was the sacrifice of only male bulls, goats, rams, lambs, and birds, which had to be without blemish or defect. The whole of the animal was burnt. It was a sacrifice for atonement for sin.
And he shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
The offering did not remove the sin, or change man’s sinful nature, but makes fellowship between sinful man, and Holy God possible, by providing a ‘cover’. It appeases the anger of God, makes propitiation of God’s wrath. Propitiation means ‘turning away of anger by the offering of a gift’ (Rom.3:25; Heb 2:17; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10). The gift offered in the burnt offering is the sacrifice, but specificaly, the blood of the sacrifice, is what turns away the anger of God. David offered burnt offerings to stop the plague when he took an unauthorized census (2 Sam 24:25; 1 Chr. 21:26). Job offered burnt offerings every week for his seven sons just in case they may have sinned (Job 1:5).
Burnt offerings were also offered as an act of obedience and thanksgiving. Abraham offered Isaac as an act of obedience and thanksgiving. His faith was vindicated in the end, when God provided a ram for the sacrifice. God was testing Abraham’s obedience and willingness to obey His commandments.
The Burnt Offering if meant to free the worshipper from the consequences of sin, to protect him/her from God’s wrath. Laying one’s hand on the sacrifice identified the sacrifice as carrying one’s sin …a ransom payment also. The Hebrew word for ‘lay’ [55564] sāmaḵ - means to lay on, to uphold, to sustain. It also means to lean, or to press against (Amos 5:19). Also, when the Lord upholds, supports, and sustains someone (Ps. 3:5-6; Isa 59:16; 63:5). The worshipper did not just lay his hands on the sacrifice, he leaned on it; it was His life!
Is the Lord Jesus our life? When we believe upon Him, and received Him as the gift of the grace of God the Father, we lean on Him for our salvation before God. He satisfies the wrath of God completely. His shed blood is the covering for our sin that completely turns away the wrath of God from being upon us. He is the gift that was provided to us to provide absolute cover from the consequences of death, for our sins. Hallelujuah! Praise the Lord! But His covering is only provided if we identify ourselves with Him, confessing that He is our Lord and our Savior, who forgives my sin, when I confess my sin, His blood is applied, my covering is complete! He is the sacrifice of Isaac complete.
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his soul as a ransom for many.”
knowing that it was not with perishable things like silver or gold that you were redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but it was with precious blood, as of an unblemished and spotless lamb, that of Christ.
He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
The Peace Offering or Offering of Well-being was a sacrifice of thanksgiving and gratitude. It was not required, but was optional. If you wanted to praise God, thank God, confess to God, you could do so.
The Peace Offering required the sacrifice of animals as well, but was not burnt. The sacrifice could be male or female, but only the fat, lives, and kidney’s were burned. Blood was poored over the sacrifice. Why only “the fat” persay? Because the fat was considered ‘the best’! (Gen 45:18). By giving the best of the animal, the worshipper showed he was giving God the best part of his life and acknowledging God’s greatness.
The Peace Offering was shared. It was the most popular part of the service, for God gave back to the worshipper, partly, what was given. It symbolizes the way that God gives back to His people, their lives, to go and enjoy. This meal recognized God’s presence being particularly near, and made the occasion particularly joyful.
And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
Of great joy was the fact that people received the joy of having meat! Meat was a luxury in ancient Israel. All meat came from the worshipper, given to God in sacrifice. Now the Lord gave back to the worshipper! Joy! A preview of the good that Jesus has for us today, and in His future kingdom. Glory! Praise!
What does sacrifice look like for us today?
Do you happen to see any parallels to the Last Supper, the LORD’s Supper, or Communion? Absolutely! Jesus refered to the New Covenant in His blood, by doing so He refered back to Ex 24:8 and the Mosaic Covenant.
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
The Lord’s Supper is a peace offering that we are to enjoy until Jesus returns. We are to remember what He did for us by dying on the cross, shedding His blood, our propitiation. But we also look forward to the great day when He will return and bring us into His Kingdom! The Lord’s Supper is a foretaste of the good things He has for us today and tomorrow to come! By consuming the bread and wine, we physically pledge the goodness of God toward us. Just as Joshua and Israel all did on the Mountain of Ebal as they made burnt and peace offerings …God’s best was yet to come as they were on the verge of taking the promised land as He promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses! They would enjoy the goodness of God by His hand!
but if we are walking in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
What is our sacrifce today? Is there a requirement on our behalf as response to God’s goodness in Jesus?
Paul instructs us to be a living sacrifice, by presenting ourselves as the shed blood, to be a gift to our world, to our spouse, to our children, our neighbors, even the stranger.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Have you and I left the altar of God? Do we need to find our way back? Do we seek the blessings of God, or the curses of wrong relationship? No one is to far gone to go back to the altar of God. Give Him glory! Give Him praise! It is due Him! Acknowledge all things are from His hands, and He will guide your ways, give you what you need, even the desires of your heart. But only if we follow His ways, his law, his commands. He desires to bless us, not curse us. The blessings were read and mentioned first on Mount Ebal. Indicating the good He was about to bless the people with! Follow Him and experience His great blessings! Amen.