Abraham’s Four Altars (Mizbeah) Genesis 12:7 Have you ever thought about changing your life, turning your life completely around? Most of us have. This is what happened to Abram. God called Abram to change his life, to completely turn his life around. The Hebrew word for altar is mizbeah. It is from a verbal root word meaning “to slaughter” with a view to sacrifice. The altars were mainly built of stone and were not to be trimmed by chisels (Ex. 20:24-26). Rabbi’s explain that the altar was for forgiving and that iron was for punishing. The altar was to be natural and not to be tampered with by man. An interesting development of thought is found in the four altars erected by Abram. The first was a place of pardon, the second of prayer, the third of praise, and the fourth of provision. The path of complete surrender is never smooth. Sometimes it is difficult to appreciate the wisdom of God, for His ideas are more comprehensive than ours. Abram built four altars which represented stages of spiritual growth.
1. The Altar of Conversion … How Wonderful—
The Place of Pardon Gen. 12:1-2
2. The Altar of Communion … How Wise –
The Place of Prayer Gen. 12:8,9-10
3.The Altar of Covenant … How Worthwhile –
The Place of Praise Gen. 12:8,9-10
4.The Altar of Consecration … How Willing –
The Place of Provision Gen. 22:9
It is wonderful to meet God at the altar, but it is better to meet Him there every day.