Building Permanent Altars

Genesis 12:7-13 -  Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. Thence he removed to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.  And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.  Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sar'ai his wife, "I know that you are a woman beautiful to behold;  and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife'; then they will kill me, but they will let you live.  Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared on your account." 

How amazing must it have been to see God face to face… the radiance of his glory shining on Abram’s face as he gazed at the massive amount of fertile land in front of him. He must have been spellbound by God’s glory and the wonderful blessing …acres and acres of beautiful land…that would become his family’s inheritance.  Abram clearly thankful for this gift…stops to give the Lord praise….and he builds in that very spot an altar…and worships him…and calls on his name his next set of directions. We knew that Abram had found favor in the Lord’s eye…now we know one of the reasons….for Abram had a personal relationship with our God. Abram’s righteousness comes partly from his this relationship with the Lord…stopping to give thanks for his good gifts…and seeking his will in prayer. God would develop a kind of faith in Abram that would need a name change in later chapters …but for now he would test this new personal relationship and Abram’s ability to totally rely on God for his protection…. as he directs him to leave that promised land and go to Egypt to survive a famine.

Abram shows promise a s he tracks to Egypt…and does not return home…but he does not pass his next test….like me…most of the time…I do not wait on God’s timing and directions…and I let my own inadequate ideas of solving a problem dominate how I handle things.  It is somewhat comforting to know that Abram made a mess out of this one…just like I do.  But it is also very convicting as I read the story of how not to handle my next dilemma. It is our fear that gives Satan a stronghold…it is our lack of trust that causes us to insert our own solutions…when God has clearly not told us what to do yet….or has stayed silent for other reasons he just does not want us to know.

What’s really cool about this story is how God works with his mess anyway…he does not take away his gift..he just allows Abram to learn from his mistakes!  You have to peek at chapter 13 to see the verse where he sees the altar he built…after he had been with God. I just bet he felt pretty confused as he left Egypt…under escort. I just bet he thought about his stupidity all the way back to Bethel…I bet he beat himself up the way I do when I step out on my own without God’s guidance and clear answer. I let Satan grip me with doubts that double the size of Texas….and I just don’t understand what went wrong…I mull it over in my head and over analyze it to death…as I am sure Abram was doing as he traveled back to Bethel. Who knows how many times he had relived the half-truth he told…cause Sarai was his half sister you know!  As he finally topped the hill to Bethel….and saw that altar he had built to God…the feelings of conviction must have forced him to his knees and his tears overcome the confusion so he could clearly see what he needed to do next. He needed to give his life back to God…and let him control it once more. He needed to renew his commitment to the one who had promised to take care of him!

Father…I thank you for the commitment you made to me when I gave my life to you when I was 14. I thank  you that you did not accept that meager relationship and have sent many tests to help me learn to rely totally on you. I admit that I too need to build you an altar…maybe even a physical one…that will remind me when I see it that I have given my life to you…and that you will take care of me as you did Abram and Sarai.  Help me to put confusion behind me…and look forward to what you have planned for me. Forgive me for being such a bad student…and needed so many lessons. Help me to look deep within myself and see the potential that you have placed there to help you share the love of your son Jesus with others. Renew your promise in me…and give me a new reverence for who you are and what you did to save my life. Amen