Why is building an altar significant in Genesis 35:7 for worship practices today? Genesis 35:7 in Context Jacob “built an altar, and he called the place El-bethel, because it was there that God had revealed Himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.” Why Jacob’s Altar Mattered Then • Obedience: Jacob responded to God’s direct command to “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar” (Genesis 35:1). • Memorial: The altar fixed in stone what God had done—protecting Jacob, reaffirming the covenant (Genesis 28:13-15; 35:9-12). • Public Declaration: Naming the site “El-bethel” (“God of the House of God”) testified openly that the God who met him was the only true God. • Substitutionary Symbol: Sacrifices on the altar pointed forward to the coming, final sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:1-10). What an Altar Represents • Meeting Place—where God graciously initiates fellowship with people (Exodus 29:42-43). • Surrender Site—sin is confessed, life is yielded, blood is shed (Leviticus 17:11). • Worship Center—praise and thanksgiving rise in response to tangible acts of God (Psalm 116:17). • Covenant Marker—God’s promises and man’s vows are sealed (Genesis 8:20-22; 12:7-8). Lessons for Today’s Worship • God Still Initiates: Just as He summoned Jacob, God calls us to Himself through Christ (John 6:44). We answer by gathering, remembering, and proclaiming. • Tangible Reminders Help: Physical “altars” today might be Scripture plaques at home, Communion tables, baptismal waters—concrete prompts that God has acted. • Worship Must Be God-Focused: Jacob named the site for God, not for himself. Modern services keep Scripture, prayer, and Christ’s work central, resisting man-centered showmanship. • Gratitude Follows Deliverance: Jacob’s altar rose after divine rescue. Every believer rescued from sin finds worship the natural overflow (1 Peter 2:9). • Holiness Matters: Jacob’s household first put away foreign gods (Genesis 35:2-4). Authentic worship still requires repentance and moral separation (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18). • Community Witness: The altar invited future generations to recall God’s faithfulness. Corporate worship and visible acts like the Lord’s Supper proclaim “the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Practical Applications – Set visible reminders of God’s past faithfulness in your home or church foyer. – Begin gatherings by recounting answered prayers, echoing Jacob’s memorializing. – Include confession and consecration in services; repentance precedes worship. – Keep Christ’s sacrifice central—every sermon, song, and ordinance flows from the cross. – Teach children the stories behind your church’s “altars,” anchoring them in God’s history. Supporting Scriptures • Exodus 20:24 – “You shall make for Me an altar of earth and sacrifice on it...” • Joshua 4:6-7 – Stones of Jordan serve “as a sign among you.” • Psalm 22:3 – God is “enthroned on the praises of Israel.” • Hebrews 13:10 – “We have an altar from which those who serve at the tabernacle have no right to eat.” • 1 Peter 2:5 – Believers are “being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” |
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