SCRIPTURE:
“When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem. Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices.”
Ezra 3:1-3
OBSERVATION:
If you were returning to your hometown after being exiled in a foreign land for 70 years, what is the first thing you would build first? And more importantly, what should you build first?
After Cyrus allows the Israelites to return to the ruins of Jerusalem to rebuild their homeland, the Israelites are faced with this same question: what should we build first? And what did they rebuild first? God’s altar. Out of everything and anything they could have built first, they chose to rebuild an altar. Why?
1. TO HONOR GOD
An altar is a place of honor. At the altar, people honor God by bringing their sacrifices to Him. By giving of their offerings, people say that God is a God worthy of honor, glory, and power. By building an altar first, the Israelites demonstrated that first and foremost, they wanted to honor God. They wanted to acknowledge Him and thank Him for His goodness, His provision, and His will. By building an altar before they built anything else, they honored God.
2. TO OBEY GOD
An altar is a place of obedience. Throughout the Old Testament, God instructs His people to make sacrifices to Him at the altar. By building an altar first, the Israelites demonstrated that they desired to be in right standing with God. They wanted to obey Him and follow His commands above all else. By building an altar before they built anything else, they were obedient to God.
3. TO WORSHIP GOD
An altar is a place of worship. At the altar, people worship God above all else, placing Him at the highest place of reverence. By building an altar first, the Israelites demonstrated that they desired to worship God. Before productivity or task, they understood that worship and their relationship with God was the most important thing––for apart from God, they could do nothing. By building an altar before they built anything else, they worshipped God.
APPLICATION:
When it comes to your life, what are you choosing to build first? What are you concentrating your efforts on? Are you building up your career? Your wealth? A family? A relationship? Social status? Resumé?
There are many things you can choose to build first, but there is only one thing you should build first: an altar. Allow your life to become an altar—of honor, obedience, and worship unto God. Why? Because it’s not just what you choose to build that matters; the order in which you build matters just as much.
As Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” It’s not just what you choose to build that matters; the order in which you build matters just as much. Order matters. If you don’t choose to honor God first, nothing you build will last. Sure, you might be able to produce temporary results, but they won’t last the test of time. And more importantly, you won’t last the test of time. The only way you will build things that last in a sustainable and fulfilling way is if you build an altar first.
Today, choose to build an altar before you build anything else. Honor God––acknowledge Him and thank Him for His goodness, His provision, and His will. Obey God––be in right standing with Him. And worship God––before productivity or task, prioritize your relationship with Him. For it is only when you build an altar first that you will begin to build things that will stand the test of time.
PRAYER:
God,
You are worthy of it all. Today, I built an altar to you with my life. I choose to honor You, obey You, and worship You, for you deserve every part of me. Be magnified on the altar of my life. I love You, Lord. Thank You for loving me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
