I love the way the New Living Translation words Exodus 20:24...
"Build altars in the places where I remind you who I am and I will come and bless you there."
The Israelites were reminded so many times about who God was while they were wandering in the desert. I sometimes picture altars set up all over along the path of their journey in all the different places where God reminded them of something else. Then I start to wonder if I should be building my own altars.
Now I've never been in the habit of building altars or even thinking about altars all that much but when I read this verse I started to ponder and study altars. I love the meaning behind an alter, it's a public display. I can't think of any examples in the Bible where an altar was built where no one could see it, please inform me if I've missed that passage! Even today altars are always built in conspicuous places where others can take note of them. Think of the testimony that could have been when the Israelites were trying to get to the promised land! You know there's many examples in the Bible where people would build an altar because God taught them something [Genesis 12:7; Genesis 33:18-20] I like to think that other people would see those later and they would know that God showed somebody something in that place.
So how can I build altars in the places where God reminds me who He is? How can I let others who will come to that place after me see that God did something there?
