Building An Altar Of Worship- Lesson 13 We Have An Altar

Hebrews 13:9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For [it is] good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.

Hebrews 13:11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. 15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of [our] lips, giving thanks to His name.

We have an altar!  Jesus calls us to worship at the altar He provided.  Our heart should be established by the truth of who Jesus Christ is, and what He has provided in the covenant from which we have been birthed.  Our hearts should be drawn to worshiping Jesus for He has sanctified the believer once and for all.  Our worship should be based upon the imputed righteousness provided at the cross of Jesus Christ.  We are called to worship at the altar of grace; we should continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, giving thanks to His name.

Romans 6:5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

At this altar, we are called to present ourselves as alive from the dead.  The same calling brings us to present our members as instruments of righteousness.  Christ took our sin and gave us His righteousness and this is the platform from which we should serve God.

Hebrews 4:9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God [did] from His. 11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God [is] living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things [are] naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we [must give] account. 14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all [points] tempted as [we are, yet] without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The altar we have been called to worship at is a place of rest.  God has called us to cease from our labor and enter His rest.  Our confident worship is based upon the greatness of our great High Priest.  The altar we are called to worship at, calls us to come boldly when we need the grace and mercy the most.  Our altar worship draws us to yield to working of the word of God in our lives; it will divide between our spirit, soul, and body.

Hebrews 7:22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. 23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, [who is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

Our altar of worship is based upon the better covenant; it is where the worshippers are saved to the uttermost.  This altar of worship has provided such a great High Priest that He looks good on the worshipper.  He separated from the sinner but is brought near to us.

Colossians 1:12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed [us] into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

This altar of worship qualifies the worshipper by the greatness of the covenant.  The Father has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. We worship from the perspective of being qualified not getting qualified.  This is all done by the redemption found though the blood of Jesus.  This altar depends upon the works of Christ for justification!

Ezekiel 47:1 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.

Ezekiel 47:8 Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. [When it] reaches the sea, [its] waters are healed. 9 "And it shall be [that] every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.

The prophetic word find water flowing from under the altar.  This water is so great that all that touch the water is healed.  There will be a very great multitude of fish and they will be healed.  Jesus declared I will make you fishers of men.

John 7:37 On the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet [given], because Jesus was not yet glorified.

 Out of the believer’s heart will flow rivers of living water.  That which flows is living water which can heal and make whole.  Yes, we have been called to worship at this altar.

1 Corinthians 6:19  Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

We have been called to worship at the altar Jesus provided; and so great is the provision that we have become the temple of the Holy Spirit.

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.

Because of the greatness of the altar we are called to present our bodies as a living sacrifice; this is our spiritual act of worship.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

We have been called to worship at the altar of grace.  God has chosen to put the treasure in earthen vessels.  Christ in me the hope of glory. 

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Jesus built an altar so we could worship at it.  The true altar always turns our eyes upon Jesus!  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith!   Consider Jesus…

Jesus is the faithful God

God is good all the time!

Building An Altar Of Worship- Lesson 12 Jesus Built An Altar

John 5:19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.

Jesus had spent his earthly ministry, preaching the kingdom of God, healing the sick, casting out demons, and setting the oppressed free.  Yet the will of the Father was not yet accomplished in Him.  We find often that Jesus would go aside and pray; He always and completely relied upon the Father for strength and for purpose and direction.

Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there." 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me." 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You [will]." 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me one hour?

Jesus indeed built an altar in the Garden of Gethsemane.  We will consider Jesus as He built his altar to surrender His own will to pursue and fulfill the will of the Father.

Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak." 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done." 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are [you] still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Even while being at the altar with God the Father, Jesus was calling Peter, James, and John to watch and pray!

Mark 14:32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, [even] to death. Stay here and watch." 35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, "Abba, Father, all things [are] possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You [will]."

Mark identifies the intimacy between Jesus and the Father.  Jesus cried out “Abba, Father”.  It is wonderful we have been called into this same relationship that we might know “Abba, Father” ourselves.

Mark 14:37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak." 39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. 40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. 41 Then He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

The spirit is indeed willing but the flesh weak.  All twelve of the disciples had a willing spirit but all twelve of the disciple forsook Him.  Something had to be done about weak flesh.

Luke 22:39 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. 40 When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." 41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."

Jesus came back to heart of the issue, not My will but Yours, be done.

Luke 22:43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. 46 Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."

Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven and strengthened Him.  Then Jesus prayed more earnestly.  Luke is the only one to describe the agony of Jesus' soul.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling to the ground.

Hebrews 5:6 As [He] also says in another [place]: "You [are] a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek"; 7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, [yet] He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10 called by God as High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek,"

This moment at the altar was no easy moment for our Lord.  With vehement cries and tears Jesus submitted to the death of the cross.  Jesus became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.

Hebrews 2:8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing [that is] not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom [are] all things and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

At the cross is where all things were made subject to the authority and power of Jesus Christ.  Jesus tasted death for everyone; He became perfect through sufferings.

Hebrews 2:11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified [are] all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You." 13 And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me." 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Jesus destroyed him who had the power of death; believers no longer have to live their lifetime subject to bondage.

Hebrews 2:16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like [His] brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Jesus can come to your aid!  Do you need help?  There is One who is truly qualified to come to your rescue… JESUS is the One.

Hebrews 10:7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come--In the volume of the book it is written of Me--To do Your will, O God.' " 8 Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Jesus' moment of submission to the will of the Father brought us great deliverance.  The law of sin and death no longer stand against us.  We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all!  Praise the Lord we are free indeed.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares [us], and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of [our] faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Consider Jesus!  Turn your eyes upon the one who endured.  Look to the Author and Finisher of your faith.  His sacrifice your redemption and eternal invitation to come to the altar!

 Jesus is the faithful GodGod is good all the time!

Building An Altar Of Worship- Lesson 11 Josiah Built an Altar

1 Kings 13:2 Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you.' "

Josiah = "whom Jehovah heals” 300 years before Josiah is born prophetic utterance was made of him.

2 Kings 23:1 Now the king sent them to gather all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to him. 2 The king went up to the house of the LORD with all the men of Judah, and with him all the inhabitants of Jerusalem--the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the LORD. 3 Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant.

In cleaning out the house of God they found the book of the law.  Then the people of Judah took a stand for the covenant of the law.  They allow the book of the law to define what was holy.  The law, even today, defines what sin is and makes men guilty before a holy God.

2 Kings 23:4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers, to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the articles that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel.

Everything that was not holy by God’s definition had to go.  There was a cleaning going on; all the articles that were made for false god of Baal were burned.

2 Kings 23:5 Then he removed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem, and those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. 6 And he brought out the wooden image from the house of the LORD, to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, burned it at the Brook Kidron and ground it to ashes, and threw its ashes on the graves of the common people.

Even the bones of the idolatrous priests and kings were burned and the ashes done away with.

2 Kings 23:7 Then he tore down the ritual booths of the perverted persons that were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the wooden image. 8 And he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; also he broke down the high places at the gates which were at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were to the left of the city gate. 9 Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brethren.

All the things that allowed sexual perversions in the house of God were removed.  The priest that had participated were not allowed to take part in the holy altar and eat the holy bread but their lives were spared.

2 Kings 23:10 And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech. 11 Then he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-Melech, the officer who was in the court; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12 The altars that were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, the king broke down and pulverized there, and threw their dust into the Brook Kidron.

Every token to a false god was brought down; all the false altars to false gods were torn down.

2 Kings 23:13 Then the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, which were on the south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the people of Ammon. 14 And he broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images, and filled their places with the bones of men.

The cleaning of the house went back to the first king Solomon who brought Israel to their backsliding ways.  Should we not call the false gods of today false gods?  Jerusalem’s house was being set in divine order.

2 Kings 23:15 Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down; and he burned the high place and crushed it to powder, and burned the wooden image. 16 As Josiah turned, he saw the tombs that were there on the mountain. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar, and defiled it according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.

Now king Josiah came to Bethel where king Jeroboam built the golden calf altar and instituted false worship of all kinds; Josiah fulfilled the word of God by breaking down every false altar in Bethel

2 Kings 23:17 Then he said, "What gravestone is this that I see?" So the men of the city told him, "It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel." 18 And he said, "Let him alone; let no one move his bones." So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria. 19 Now Josiah also took away all the shrines of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger; and he did to them according to all the deeds he had done in Bethel. 20 He executed all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned men's bones on them; and he returned to Jerusalem.

The man of God who had prophesied the tearing down of false altars was left undisturbed.  300 years later the man of God’s words came to pass.  When God establishes His word it will be fulfilled.

2 Kings 23:21 Then the king commanded all the people, saying, "Keep the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant." 22 Such a Passover surely had never been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah. 23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was held before the LORD in Jerusalem. 24 Moreover Josiah put away those who consulted mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

Now King Josiah rebuilds the altar of Passover.  It began by putting away the mediums and spiritists.  Those operating though familiar spirits and those trying to connect to the dead.

2 Kings 23:25 Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him. 26 Nevertheless the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His anger was aroused against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. 27 And the LORD said, "I will also remove Judah from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, 'My name shall be there.' "

There was not a king like Josiah before or after that had turned toward God and away from evil.  However, Judah had been polluted by the breaking of the covenant for so long that this was not good enough to bring remedy to the sin problem.  One good man could not fulfill the righteous requirements of a holy God.

John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' " 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

The world needed a perfect Savior; And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory…  Jesus came to reconcile men to the Father; what a great deal for us!

Jesus is the faithful God

God is good all the time!

Building An Altar Of Worship- Lesson 10 Elijah Built An Altar

1 Kings 18:10 "As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you; and when they said, 'He is not here,' he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you. 11 "And now you say, 'Go, tell your master, "Elijah is here" '! 12 "And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the LORD will carry you to a place I do not know; so when I go and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I your servant have feared the LORD from my youth.

At the word of Elijah there had been no rain in the land for 3 years; Elijah had presented himself to King Ahab announce the drought.  Now at the end of the drought God speaks to Elijah go present yourself to the king.  On his way to the king Elijah comes across Obadiah the king’s servant.

1 Kings18:13 "Was it not reported to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the LORD, how I hid one hundred men of the LORD's prophets, fifty to a cave, and fed them with bread and water? 14 "And now you say, 'Go, tell your master, "Elijah is here." ' He will kill me!" 15 Then Elijah said, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today." 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, "Is that you, O troubler of Israel?" 18 And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.

The man of God was not afraid to go to the wicked king at the word of the Lord.  What a confrontation!  The trouble of Israel was squarely laid to the wickedness of Ahab and his building of false altars.

1Kings 18:19 "Now therefore, send [and] gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." 20 So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. 21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD [is] God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word.

The challenge was on!  How long will you falter between two opinions?  If God is god follow Him, if Baal then follow him.

1Kings 18:22 Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets [are] four hundred and fifty men. 23 "Therefore let them give us two bulls; and let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay [it] on the wood, but put no fire [under it]; and I will prepare the other bull, and lay [it] on the wood, but put no fire [under it]. 24 "Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God." So all the people answered and said, "It is well spoken."

The God who answers by fire is the true God!

1Kings 18:25 Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare [it] first, for you [are] many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire [under it]." 26 So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared [it], and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, "O Baal, hear us!" But [there was] no voice; no one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. 27 And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry aloud, for he [is] a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, [or] perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened."

False God cannot answer or hear the prayers of men; yet they pray on…  Elijah mocked the false gods.  No political correctness with Elijah; the church needs to quit fearing exposing false gods!

1 Kings 18:28 So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. 29 And when midday was past, they prophesied until the [time] of the offering of the [evening] sacrifice. But [there was] no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.

False gods have no voices save that which men have given them.  At the end of the day false gods leave men empty and void; only Jesus can satisfy the souls of men.

1 Kings 18:30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD [that was] broken down. 31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Israel shall be your name."

Elijah was about to repair the altar!  He gets twelve stones for the sons of Jacob and remind them of the command of God; ISRAEL SHALL BE YOUR NAME!  Then Elijah begins to build the altar.

1 Peter 2:4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."

In our covenant we are living stones being built upon the Chief Corner Stone into a spiritual house.  We are the temple of the living God.  Don’t behave like mere men.

1 Kings 18:32 Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid [it] on the wood, and said, "Fill four waterpots with water, and pour [it] on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood." 34 Then he said, "Do [it] a second time," and they did [it] a second time; and he said, "Do [it] a third time," and they did [it] a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

The stone of Jacob become the stones of Israel and the altar is built.  Elijah built the altar in the divine order of God.  Then he begins to pour water out upon the sacrifice again, and again.

1 Kings 18:36 And it came to pass, at [the time of] the offering of the [evening] sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You [are] God in Israel and I [am] Your servant, and [that] I have done all these things at Your word. 37 "Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You [are] the LORD God, and [that] You have turned their hearts back [to You] again."

Elijah calls on God only after the water of the word was poured out upon around and through the sacrifice.  When men begin to prayer after the washing of the water of the word, you can expect the supernatural to show up.

1 Kings 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that [was] in the trench. 39 Now when all the people saw [it], they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He [is] God! The LORD, He [is] God!" 40 And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.

God answered by fire just as the prophet had declared.  God still is answering by fire!  Breathe on us Holy Spirit.  The people declare what the prophet declared before the sacrifice “The Lord He is God”  Then Elijah had all the false prophets put to death.

1 Kings 18:41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for [there is] the sound of abundance of rain." 42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, 43 and said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." So he went up and looked, and said, "[There is] nothing." And seven times he said, "Go again."

It was time for the rain and the prophet went to praying!

1 Kings 18:44 Then it came to pass the seventh [time], that he said, "There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!" So he said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Prepare [your chariot], and go down before the rain stops you.' " 45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. 46 Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Then the rain came.  The rain did not come until the word of God came to pass.  The rain did not come until the people acknowledged that God was indeed Lord.  If we want the rain we must exalt Jesus is Lord in the land.

Building An Altar Of Worship- Lesson 9 Jeroboam Builds An Altar

1Kings 11:31 And he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you 32 '(but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), 33 'because they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do [what is] right in My eyes and [keep] My statutes and My judgments, as [did] his father David. ...

Last lesson we talked about Solomon being an altar builder.  In the end Solomon also built false altars and allowed his wives to pull him away from his relationship with God.  Because of his backsliding God split Israel and gave 2 tribes to Solomon’s son to reign over and 10 tribes to Jeroboam.

1 Kings 11:37 'So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel. 38 'Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do [what is] right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.

God raised up Jeroboam as king over the 10 tribes of Israel and it came with great promise to build him and enduring house just as he did for king David.

1 Kings 12:25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel. 26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: 27 "If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah." 28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!" 29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.

The desire for self-preservation lead to idolatry.  Jeroboam built a false altar.  He had served King Solomon and had seen the glory come down at the altar of God; it was not enough to bring him to faithfulness.

1Kings 13:1 And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you.' " 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This [is] the sign which the LORD has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out."

A man of God was sent to cry out against the false altar!  The man of God prophesied that a King from Judah, by the name of Josiah, would rise up burn the false altar and the bones of the men who worshipped there. 

1 Kings 13:4 So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, "Arrest him!" Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself. 5 The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 6 Then the king answered and said to the man of God, "Please entreat the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me." So the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him, and became as before.

The king stretched out his hand against the man of God.  That did not work out so well for him.  The king relented and asked the man of God to heal him.

1 Kings 13:7 Then the king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward." 8 But the man of God said to the king, "If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. 9 "For so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.' " 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel. 11 Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king.

The king invited the man of God to dinner; we can learn be careful who we hang out with.  The man of God had a word of direction from the Lord and it protected him from fellowshipping with Jeroboam the king, who was walking in idolatry.  

1 Kings 13:12 And their father said to them, "Which way did he go?" For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah. 13 Then he said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it, 14 and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, "[Are] you the man of God who came from Judah?" And he said, "I [am]." 15 Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread." 16 And he said, "I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. 17 "For I have been told by the word of the LORD, 'You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.' "

The man of God stayed on tasked and was not moved when the old prophet invited him to stop and eat after God said not stop until he left the polluted land.

1Kings 13:18 He said to him, "I too [am] a prophet as you [are], and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.' " (He was lying to him.) 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water. 20 Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back; 21 and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, "Thus says the LORD: 'Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you, 22 'but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which [the LORD] said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water," your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.' " 23 So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back.

The old prophet used a “God said” to fool the young prophet into disobedience to the word of God.

1 Kings 13:24 When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. 25 And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse. Then they went and told [it] in the city where the old prophet dwelt. 26 Now when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard [it], he said, "It [is] the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the LORD. Therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to him."

The young prophet paid for his disobedience with his life.

1 Kings 13:27 And he spoke to his sons, saying, "Saddle the donkey for me." So they saddled [it]. 28 Then he went and found his corpse thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse nor torn the donkey. 29 And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. So the old prophet came to the city to mourn, and to bury him. 30 Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb; and they mourned over him, [saying], "Alas, my brother!" 31 So it was, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, "When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb where the man of God [is] buried; lay my bones beside his bones.

The old prophet buried the young prophet and instructed his son to bury him next to the young prophet when he died.

1 Kings 13:32 "For the saying which he cried out by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the shrines on the high places which [are] in the cities of Samaria, will surely come to pass." 33 After this event Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but again he made priests from every class of people for the high places; whoever wished, he consecrated him, and he became [one] of the priests of the high places. 34 And this thing was the sin of the house of Jeroboam, so as to exterminate and destroy [it] from the face of the earth.

The young prophet had spoken the word from God but failed to obey the word of instruction that came with it.  Yet the word of God would stand.  The altar of idolatry word indeed be destroyed.

Hebrews 13:9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.

We have a word of instruction from the one who brought us grace and truth.  Let our hearts be established by grace.  Come and worship at the altar God has prepared for the new testament believers.  Like the young prophet who was fooled into walking in disobedience; don’t allow spiritual idolatry trickery allow you to partake of the old testament altar, when Christ has provided much greater altar.

Jesus is the faithful God

God is good all the time!