CAC Living Water Daily Devotional – The Priority Of God’s Altar

CAC Living Water Daily Devotional |  Thursday, December 30, 2021 | The Priority Of God’s Altar

Topic: The Priority Of God’s Altar

Date: Thursday, December 30, 2021

Read: Ezra 3:1-6

Ezra 3:1-6 When the seventh month came and the Israelites were in the towns, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem.

Then stood up Jeshua son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and they built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings upon it, as it is written in the instructions of Moses the man of God.

And they set the altar [in its place] upon its base, for fear was upon them because of the peoples of the countries; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord morning and evening.

They kept also the Feast of Tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the ordinances, as each day’s duty required,

And after that, the continual burnt offering, the offering at the New Moon, and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord.

From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, but the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid.

MEMORISE:

And another angel came and stood over the altar. He had a golden censer, and he was given very much incense (fragrant spices and gums which exhale perfume when burned), that he might mingle it with the prayers of all the people of God (the saints) upon the golden altar before the throne. (Revelation 8:3)

EXPOSITION

For the Jews, the altar was, and is the place of meeting or fellowship with God. Without the altar, they could not worship, because it is on altar they offer their sacrifices to God (John 8v31) so the altar is the place where God is worshipped. The altar precedes worship and without it, there can be no meeting point with God. God instructed quite a number of people make an altar for Him and several others realised the mightness of God and proceeded to make an altar to God.

Our adoption as sons and daughters of God has bestowed on us, God’s grace. By this, we are not moved. God has settled us down very well, not for frivolity but for life of quality worship in His presence. If the Jews who were once in exile could quickly settle down to worship God, by building Him an altar, after the restoration, then we have no excuse for giving God quality worship. The Jews built the altar to resume their worship of Yahweh, an act they had been deprived of, during their days in exile (Psa.137v1-6)

Brethren, we must understand from the Jews experience that worship is most important duty we can perform to God (Psa.22v27). It is both an activity (Heb. 10v25)and a lifestyle. It is equally am individual and communal things. That is, you are expected to worship God as an individual and corporately. Our God desires our genuine worship above all else. In fact, we must worship God with our lives and entire being. We must worship Him in truth and Spirit (John 4v23,24).

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Lord, help me to prioritise Your worship.

2. Only You will I serve with all my entirely; help me, O Lord.

3. O Lord, assist our national and Christian leaders to erect altars for Your worship instead of building shrines for idols and other monuments.

EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Zechariah10:3 – 14:13, Revelation 21:6 – 21:26

Author: Christ Apostolic Church  [Worldwide]