Genesis 12:7 And the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, To your seed will I give this land: and there built he an altar to the LORD… 1. The first thing Abraham does on his arrival is to acknowledge God. He recognizes Him as the One who has protected him. 2. We see in this erection of the altar an acknowledgment of God in time of prosperity. 3. That altar signified a grateful heart. 4. The altar was a token of Abram's faith. 5. This altar was not the product of a spasmodic exertion, or something to meet a sudden emergency. It was the result of a fixed purpose, a fixed state of mind, a character. 6. Again, this altar suggests to us that "local worship" is important. God is not always to be thought of as the broad blaze of light, but rather like the pointed rays. It is when the rays are brought to a focus that the heat and fire are manifested. God is everywhere, but is in this place and that in a special sense. We need to localize God. There are spots specially holy. The closet, the family altar, the church — how sacred! 7. Finding this spirit in Abraham, we are not surprised that God manifested Himself to him. As we advance in holiness, we advance toward God, and communion is more easy. (I. Simmons, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
    |