The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 158

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 22-26.-Tlie law of the altar. I. THE OBJF:CT OF WORSHIP. The true God not gods of silver, or gods of gold (ver. 23). The God who had talked with them fro~ heaYCn had appeared in no visible form. "Ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice" (Deut. iv. 12). Let the sole object of our worship be the invisible, spiritual, infinite, yet revealed God. God's revelations of himiself lay the basis of right worship. God has spoken. How reverently should we hear ! II. THE PLACE OF WORRHIP. "In all places where I record my name" (ver. 24). God records his name by making a revelation of himself, as at Bethel, Peniel, etc. Whatever places he chose for the building of his altar, till the time came for the erection of a permanent sanctuary, there would he meet with them. Religion is now set free from places (John iv. 23). ·wherever two or three are met in Christ's name, there will he be in the midst of them (Matt. xviii. 20). III. THE ALTAR OF WORSHIP. To be built of unhewn stone-i.e., of natural mate- rials (ver. 25). It was the altar of propitiation. Man is viewed as one whose sins arc yet unexpiated. His art, in that state, would have polluted the altar. .Art came in afterwards (eh. xxv. etc.). Nothing of man's own avails for propitiation. IV. THE MATERIALS OF WORSHIP. Animal sacrifices (ver. 24). For purposes cf atonement-as symbols of personal consecration (burnt offerings)-as pledges of peace and renewed fellowship (peace offerings). Not in the first, but in the other meanings of sacrifice, we are still summoned to bring them in our worship-" spiritual sacrifices" of self-surrender (Rom. xii. 1), of the broken spirit (Ps. li. 17), of praise and thanks- giving (1 Peter i. 5). V. THE MANNER OF WORSHIP (ver. 26). Reverence and decency.-J. 0. Ver. 22-26.-I will go wnlo the altar of God. The directions given shadow forth the essentials of genuine worship. Amongst the heathen the idol is the central figure, the human symbol of the unseen God. The true God will admit no such symbol; it is a barrier against, not a step towards, the worship he desires. In true worship thero must be utter self-suppression. "Obedience is better than sacrifice ;' it is only through obedience that the sacrifice becomes acceptable. In this light consider- !. THE ALTAR. To be made of earth or unhewn stones. The simple unadorned material as provided by God himself. Anything beyond this, any touch of human handicraft, polhites it. The principle which underlies this fact :-sacrinces offered in the appointed way are acceptable; if we try to better the appointed way-to put some- thing of our own into the sacrifice as a ground for acceptance-we spoil all. Self- obtrusion, however well-intended, is pollution. The altar is the expression of God's will: try to improve it, and it becomes instead an expression of the will of the would-be improver. "I give thee this, 0 God; it is not worth much, but I give it thee in this self-chosen manner, and surely that adds to its value." Not a bit: it deprives it of all value. The altar of self is not the altar of God; sacrifices offered upon it may perhaps soothe the worshipper, they cannot propitiate the Deity. The pillar, e.g., of a St. Simeon Stylites does not add to the value of his prayers; they have a better chance of reaching heaven from the contrite heart at the foot of the pillar. (Cf. Col. ii. 22, 23.) II. THE 11..PPR0ACHES. If the offering be made with a pure motive, it must also be offered in a pure and reverent manner. The special direction, no doubt, aimed against the enthusiastic indecencies associated with idolatry. Still, it illustrates a principle: " All things," in the worship of God, should be done " decently and in order." God looks first at character, but he requires also that character be matched by conduct. The Corinthian Christians (1 Cor. xi., xiv.) infringed the principl?, if not _the precept. Many amongst modem worshippers infringe it also, e.g., by mdecenc1es of dress, behaviour, etc., in a place of worship or when engaged in prayer. . Conclusion.-Two things required of us, humility and reverence; mwanl and outwar_d sulf-suppression. Do we want a motive? "Mine altar" (ver. 26). Remember who 1t is whom we worship. What place left for self wheu the heart is fixed on God ?-G.  ] r,r, TIIE BOOK OF EXODUS. [en. XXI. 1-6.