30/07/2026
**The Altar of God** 🙌
"Altar" in the Bible is a place of encounter, sacrifice, and covenant with God.
# # # **1. What an altar is**
An altar was a place where:
1. **Sacrifice was offered** to God
2. **Covenants were made** with God
3. **Worship and prayer happened**
4. **God met with His people**
# # # **2. Altars in the Old Testament**
- **Genesis 8:20** - *Noah*
"Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal... and offered burnt offerings on the altar."
→ An altar of thanksgiving after God saved him.
- **Genesis 12:7-8** - *Abraham*
"Then the Lord appeared to Abram... and he built an altar there to the Lord. From there he moved to the hill country... and built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord."
→ Altars marked places where God spoke and Abraham worshipped.
- **Exodus 20:24-25** - *God's instructions*
"An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings... In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you."
- **The Tabernacle/Temple Altar**
**Exodus 27:1** - The bronze altar for sacrifices
**Exodus 30:1** - The altar of incense for prayer
These pointed to Jesus — the perfect sacrifice.
# # # **3. The Altar today - Jesus and Us**
We don’t build physical altars for animal sacrifices anymore because:
- **Hebrews 10:10**
"We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
- **Romans 12:1**
"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."
**Today, "the altar of God" is:**
1. **The Cross** - Where Jesus was the final sacrifice **Hebrews 13:10**
2. **Our hearts** - A place of surrender and worship **Psalm 51:17** "a broken and contrite heart"
3. **The place of prayer** - **Revelation 8:3** "another angel... with a golden censer,
