The altar on its site

Friday February 4, 2022

The altar on its site

Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealthiel and his brothers arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law. of Moses, man of God. And they set up the altar in its place. Ezra 3:2,3

When Cyrus, King of Persia, issues a law allowing the Jews to return to their land, only a small number return to Jerusalem. Rid of idolatry, they cleave to the Eternal. They understand that to appear before God, it is essential to offer sacrifices and have an altar. As a priority, they therefore build one, not in a temporary location, but on the site it occupied before the destruction of the Temple.

The altar speaks to Christians about the cross of Jesus Christ. The fact that the altar is built on its former location shows us its uniqueness. We must always rediscover, individually and together, the profound meaning of the cross of Christ. God wants us to come back to it again and again, otherwise Christianity becomes empty of its substance. For the believer, the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross presents several aspects :

He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). His sacrifice erases the outrage done to God when sin entered the world.

He is a good odor (Ephesians 5:2) for God and thus makes God favorable to men, Jews or non-Jews.

Jesus offered only one sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:12). He washed us from our sins in his blood (Revelation 1:5), the blood that flowed from his pierced side.

The sacrifice of Christ gives us access to heaven, access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18).

Christ dying on the cross demonstrates the infinite dimension of God's love, justice and holiness.

The death of Christ breaks down the wall that separated Jews and non-Jews : I have other sheep... I must bring them, too... there will be one flock (John 10:16). At the same time, he frees believers from the bondage of the law, for he has borne its curse (Galatians 3:13).

His death gives him the dignity to be at the center of the new heavens and the new earth yet to come (Revelation 21:3).

We can only be confused with admiration and adoration when we contemplate Jesus giving his life on the cross.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)