Four encounters in the bible where Abraham built an altar for God.
God told Abram to leave his country and family and go to a land that He would show him. He then promised him that He would make him a great nation and he would be a blessing to others.
Just imagine how difficult it was for Abraham to step out in faith, leaving his country and family behind to go to a place that he knew nothing about.
The Assurance
God assured him that He would bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him, and all the families of the earth would be blessed through him.
Abram took his family, wealth, and possessions and stepped out in faith, doing as God instructed him.
Let’s look at the four altars that were erected to God.
The First was the Altar of Promise – (Gen 12.6-7)
“And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.”
Before Abram left his country and family, God promised him that he would give his descendants the land that he would show him. Here we see Abram erecting an altar to God after God had appeared to him and told him He would give his seed this land.
The second was the altar of Praise and Worship – (Gen 12.8)
“After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord. Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev.”
On this altar, he offered prayer, praise, and thanksgiving to God.
The third altar was the altar of Peace (13.14-18)
“ And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left
After Lot had gone, the Lord said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants[a] as a permanent possession. And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.”
When Lot’s herdsmen and Abram’s herdsmen came into a disagreement about land space, Abram told his nephew Lot that they were family and he didn’t want that to cause any disagreements between them. So he asked him to choose which land he wanted. Lot chose the land he wanted, and Abram gave it to him to keep the peace.
After this, God appeared to Abram and told him that as far as his eyes could see, He would bless him and his descendants with that land. Abram shows us that it’s best to look for peaceful resolutions in situations, and God will bless you for it.
The fourth altar is the altar of Provision. (22.9-14)
“When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice.At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”
“Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, he was obedient and followed His instructions. There on the mountain, God stopped Abraham and provided a ram for him to use instead. And the place was called Jehovah Jireh, the God that provides.
Significance of Abraham Altars
- What is most significant about Abraham’s altars is that they came after his encounters with God. In most of these encounters, God blessed Abraham and his generation.
- God always repeated to Abraham his initial promise to him, which was that He would make him a great nation and bless him and his seed with the land. As each altar was set up, we see God fulfilling his promise to him.
- After each encounter, Abraham made an offering to God. This showed that he believed everything God was saying to him.
6 things we can learn from Abraham
- Abraham had great faith in God to believe that He would do what He said He would do.
- He saw the importance of building an altar and always erected one when God spoke to him about the promises and blessings He would give him.
- He did not let anything that God had given him become an idol because his only God was God Himself.
- Abraham always looked for a peaceful resolution to things, as he did with Lot.
- His altars spoke throughout his generations.
- He built both a personal altar and a family altar. Abraham is a good example of having altars in your life.
- He built both a personal altar and a family altar.
Abraham is a good example of having altars in your life.
We saw that God’s presence was with him on his journeys, and we saw how these altars helped him fulfill God’s plan and purpose for his life and the destinies of his descendants.
My friend, God gives us promises and prophetic releases, but we need to have righteous prayer altars to birth and accomplish all that God has said to us.
Be Blessed
Also View: The Altar of God – 5 Keys to Keep the Fire of God Burning in Your Life
The Significance of Building an Altar to God
The Importance of a Family Prayer Altar in Your Home
