{"id":45013,"date":"2020-10-12T21:46:39","date_gmt":"2020-10-12T18:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=45013"},"modified":"2025-05-09T02:16:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T23:16:46","slug":"why-were-altars-made-from-uncut-stones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2020\/10\/12\/why-were-altars-made-from-uncut-stones\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Were Altars Made from Uncut Stones?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Question:<\/strong> Why did God command the Israelites to build altars from uncut stones? What spiritual message was behind this instruction?<\/span><\/p>\n

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1. The Instruction in Scripture<\/strong><\/h3>\n

God gave a specific command regarding how altars were to be built:<\/p>\n

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Exodus 20:24\u201325 (NIV):<\/strong>
\u201c\u2018Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you.
If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Deuteronomy 27:5\u20137 (NIV):<\/strong>
\u201cBuild there an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones. Do not use any iron tool on them.
Build the altar of the Lord your God with fieldstones and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God.
Sacrifice fellowship offerings there, eating them and rejoicing in the presence of the Lord your God.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joshua 8:30\u201331 (NIV):<\/strong>
\u201cThen 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\u2014an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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2. What Was God Teaching Through This?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the Old Testament, the altar represented the place of divine encounter<\/strong>\u2014a sacred meeting point between God and humanity. It was where sin was atoned for, and fellowship with God was restored through sacrifices.<\/p>\n

God’s command to use uncut, natural stones<\/strong> carries rich theological meaning:<\/p>\n

Human effort cannot make what is holy.<\/strong>
Any tool used to shape the stones would symbolize human interference<\/strong>\u2014man’s attempt to improve or contribute to what only God can declare sacred. This mirrors the theological truth of salvation by grace<\/strong>, not by human works.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFor it is by grace you have been saved, through faith\u2014and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God\u2014not by works, so that no one can boast.\u201d
(Ephesians 2:8\u20139, NIV)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The uncut stones point to Christ<\/strong> as the perfect, unaltered sacrifice\u2014untainted by human corruption or sin. He is described as the chief cornerstone<\/strong> chosen by God, rejected by men:<\/p>\n

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\u201cSee, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.\u201d
(Isaiah 28:16, NIV)<\/em>
\u201cJesus is \u2018the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.\u2019\u201d
(Acts 4:11, NIV)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Just as the altar had to be made of untouched stones, our approach to God must be through Christ alone<\/strong>\u2014not by rituals, titles, traditions, or our personal righteousness.<\/p>\n

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3. Two Ways We Build Altars Today<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A. The Corporate Altar \u2013 The Church Community<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When believers gather, we form a spiritual house<\/strong>\u2014with Christ as the foundation and each person as a living stone.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.\u201d
(1 Peter 2:5, NIV)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

But if we begin replacing spiritual gifts with human control, politics, or titles, we are reshaping the stones<\/strong>\u2014we rely on our own systems instead of the Holy Spirit. This makes the altar impure, and the presence of God is hindered.<\/p>\n

B. The Personal Altar \u2013 Individual Devotion<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When you pray alone, read the Bible, or worship personally, you build a spiritual altar within. This altar must also be centered on Christ<\/strong>\u2014not on your good works, behavior, or knowledge. Jesus is the uncut stone<\/strong>\u2014pure, flawless, and sufficient.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNo one comes to the Father except through me.\u201d
(John 14:6, NIV)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

If you try to come to God based on your own merit\u2014your kindness, church attendance, or moral record\u2014without Christ at the center, you are offering defiled worship.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAll of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…\u201d
(Isaiah 64:6, NIV)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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4. What Does This Mean For You Today?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you haven\u2019t yet built the true altar in your heart by receiving Jesus, now is the time. Jesus is the true and eternal altar<\/strong>\u2014our connection to the Father, our perfect sacrifice, and our only hope.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSalvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.\u201d
(Acts 4:12, NIV)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

You can’t build your own way to God. Without Christ, every effort falls short. But with Him, your prayers are heard, your life is transformed, and your worship is accepted.<\/p>\n

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How Can You Begin?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. Believe in Jesus.<\/strong>
2. Repent of your sins.<\/strong>
3. Be baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ.<\/strong> (Acts 2:38, Acts 8:16)<\/em>
4. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you have not yet been baptized and would like to take that step, feel free to contact us through the inbox or call:
+255 789 001 312 \/ 0693 036 618<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Lord bless you as you build the true altar in your life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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