Compare Ahaz's altar changes with Exodus 27:1-8. What differences are evident? Setting the scene King Ahaz of Judah visited Damascus, saw a pagan altar, and ordered an exact replica for the temple in Jerusalem (2 Kings 16:10-18). The new structure displaced the bronze altar God had prescribed through Moses (Exodus 27:1-8). Comparing the two reveals stark contrasts between divine command and human innovation. God’s design for the altar (Exodus 27:1-8) “‘You are to build the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar is to be square, and it must be three cubits high. Make a horn at each of the four corners … overlay it with bronze.’” (vv. 1-2) Key details: • Square: 5 × 5 cubits (about 7½ × 7½ ft.) • Height: 3 cubits (about 4½ ft.) • Material: acacia wood overlaid with bronze • Four horns of one piece with the altar • Bronze grating halfway up • Hollow construction, carried by poles inserted in bronze rings • Built exactly “as you were shown on the mountain” (v. 8) Ahaz’s new altar (2 Kings 16:10-18) “King Ahaz … saw the altar in Damascus, and King Ahaz sent the priest Uriah a model of the altar and a detailed plan of its construction. And Uriah the priest built an altar according to all the instructions King Ahaz had sent from Damascus.” (vv. 10-11) • Origin: patterned after a foreign (Syrian) altar • Built by Uriah the priest at royal command, not divine command • Described as the “great new altar” (v. 15) • Replaced the bronze altar for daily sacrifices • Original bronze altar moved aside “for my private inquiry” (v. 15) Key differences at a glance • Source of instruction – Exodus: directly from the LORD (Exodus 27:1; 25:40). – Ahaz: from a pagan king’s shrine (2 Kings 16:10). • Purpose and use – Exodus: sole altar for Israel’s burnt offerings, sin offerings, and atonement (Leviticus 1–7). – Ahaz: used for royal and public offerings, while God’s bronze altar became a tool for private divination (2 Kings 16:15). • Placement – Exodus: in the courtyard, in front of the entrance to the tabernacle (Exodus 40:6). – Ahaz: set in the temple court, pushing God’s altar to the north side (2 Kings 16:14). • Materials and construction details – Exodus: acacia wood overlaid with bronze, horns of one piece, bronze grating, poles for transport—portable yet sacred. – Ahaz: materials not specified but implied to mimic a solid pagan altar—likely stone or metal without poles; permanence reflects assimilation, not pilgrimage. • Dimensions – Exodus: precisely measured (5 × 5 × 3 cubits). – Ahaz: called “great,” suggesting larger, but no God-given measurements. • Spiritual authority – Exodus: priesthood follows God’s blueprint; obedience equals worship (Deuteronomy 12:32). – Ahaz: priest obeys the king over God; human authority overrides divine revelation (Acts 5:29 principle inverted). Spiritual implications • Substituting God’s pattern invites idolatry (Exodus 20:3-4; 1 Kings 12:28-30). • Moving the bronze altar marginalizes true worship and blurs the line between holy and profane (Ezekiel 22:26). • Private “inquiry” on the displaced altar hints at forbidden divination (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). • Compromise with foreign models leads to further desecration (2 Chronicles 28:23; “because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them”). Takeaway for today God’s instructions are not suggestions; altering them—even with sincere intentions or cultural pressure—undermines true worship. Like Ahaz, believers risk replacing God’s clear Word with attractive but unauthorized substitutes. Faithfulness means building, offering, and living exactly “as you were shown on the mountain” (Hebrews 8:5), trusting that God’s design is always best. |
    |