INTRODUCTION

Most of the notable men we read about in the Bible who were mightily used of God were men who cultivated a personal walk with God. They were men who built personal altars unto God, a point of contact, a platform where they worshipped God and where God revealed Himself to them, dealt with, trimmed and spoke forth His wisdom into their lives.

There were some other men who never built any personal altars, who had no secret dealings with God; even though they related closely with men who did and even for a season partook of the blessings from the consecration of such men. Such men either ended up insignificant in God’s programme or became stumbling blocks against God’s purpose in their age and subsequent generation. If you must be relevant in God’s purpose in your generations; if you must be a vessel of honour in God’s hand whom He can use for His highest and most notable purpose, then you must pay close attention to the matter of building a personal altar, where God can reveal Himself to you and fashion your life after His own will.

In this study, we shall seek to understand as we consider some Patriarchs, the essence of building personal altar and what implication this holds for us as New Testament believers.

May the Lord cause our eyes of understanding to be enlightened and lead us into this necessary experience in our walk with Him in Jesus name, amen.

A. “WHAT IS AN ALTAR?

1 Consider Exodus 20:22-24. 

In the light of this instruction, what would you say is an altar?
An altar is the place where God meets with and communes with a man over all that He seeks to accomplish in a man’s life. It is the place where God’s dealings, His revelation and promises to our lives are firmly established. It is a place where God can reveal Himself to a man on a personal note.

2. Discover from the several references below the significance of building an altar in our walk with God.

(i) The altar – The place of worship, communion and divine release of God’s covenant. Gen. 8:20-22; Gen. 9:12-13 and Gen. 22:5-18. On their persona altars
these men worshipped and offered their burnt offering. For Abraham, it was Isaac. From the same altar, God smelt a sweet savour and commanded a blessing, not only for them but for generations after them.

(ii) The altar – Established to mark God’s personal revelation and visitation.
Gen. 35:6-7; Gen 12:6-7
Altars are not arbitrary neither a routine. Personal altars are to be built on God’s personal appearance to us, to our spirits and to our lives in the different aspect of life. It forms the basis for further meeting points with God.

(iii) Altars are built deliberately to call upon God.
a. Gen. 12:8; Psalm 50: 14-15
Deliberate altars were built by men of old where they called upon God. By this they prepared grounds where God could encounter them.
b. Note that God reveals Himself only in response to the quest of a man’s heart,   2 Chr. 15:2; Isa. 55:6; James 4:8; Isa. 64:7
What does this say to you?

3.When altars are abandoned and broken down.
From the following scriptures, what are the consequences of abandoning one’s personal altar that you discover? Gen. 12:10-20; Gen 31:13 and I Kings 18:30-39. When men neglect or abandon their personal altars, decay in spiritual life, leakages in grace and anointing, compromises of all sorts and indices of backsliding set in. Abraham, experienced revival only as he returned to the place of his altar made at the first. You must build personal altars because the days are evil (Eph 5:16). Your altar may be the only reminders and places of resort and points of revival in case you digress off course.
Can you relate this with Peter’s experience in John 21:1-6; 15-19.

4, When altars are omitted .
What is the effect of the want of a personal altar in the lives of the examples cited below? What lessons can we learn from their error?

Lot – Gen 13:1-15, Gen 19:17-38
Joel and Abijah (Sons of Samuel) – 1Sam. 8:1-5; 1 Sam. 3:21
Job’s children – Job1:1-5; 18-19

You may have benefitted greatly from the consecration of other men who took time to build their own altars, such men may be your parents or pastors, if however you neglect building your own personal altar you can still perish. You must bend down to dig your own roots in God.

B. HOW TO BUILD PERSONALALTARS
Study carefully the Lord’s instructions in Exodus 20:22-26 and note His guidelines on how altars are to be built unto Him.

 (1) An Altar….thou shalt make unto me”

Personal altars are not ready made or automatic, they are to be built. Building is a process. There is a beginning, a foundation for every man from where they progress with God. Do you have a proper foundation? John 3:3-7; Heb 6:1.
Consider Samuel’s experience  1Sam 3:1-12, 19-21. What lessons can you
jearn from this?

(2) “An Altar of earth…” Exodus 20:24; 2 Cor 4.7, Psalm 51:6.

All God needs to relate with is your very person, without any pretence. He wants you to come, just as you are.

(3) “Not of Hewn Stone”

Hewn stones connote preconceived shapes of personal strong will or rigidity, hewn ideas. Isaiah 66: 1-2; Matt 5:3 Come just as you are not with another man’s language. Be honest to yourself and to your heart.

4) ‘Not an altar by steps… lest your nakedness be discovered”                                                Luke 12;2-3; 1 Cor 4:19-20; Prov. 28:13.

1. No artificial heights, lest your emptiness be revealed.
2. Consider Joshua’s example as he grew under Moses. Exodus 33:7-11. 

What lessons can you learn from his life in this regard?

(5) “Sacrifice thereon, thy burnt offerings; thy peace offerings…”

Jer 29:13; Gen 22:1-2, 8-9.

It must be your own burnt offerings your own life, on the altar of sacrifice, your own obedience. It must issue from your own heart. Anything not from your heart is not acceptable.

(6) “In all places I record my name..”

Phil 4:6-7,; Prov 3:5-6, Exodus 25:21-22.

God demands that we consecrate every part of us unto Him. He wants to commune with us over every details of our lives.

C. IMPLICATIONS OF THIS FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER
(1) God seeks to relate with you and reveal Himself to you personally. Jer 31:34, Heb 8:11-12 (A relationship).

(ii) He invites you in His Son Jesus unto a personal relationship with Him.                               Matt 11:28-30, John 14:6.

(iii) To all whocome He brings primarily to be with Him.                                                          Mark 3:13-15, Luke 10:38-42, Matt 13:36

(iv) See the result of their relationship with Him                                                                   John 15:26-27, Acts 4:13 & 1 John 1:1-4

CONCLUSION 

The Lord calls us to this great challenge to follow the path of our elders in the faith who built their lives by building strong personal altars, considering how they ended up (Heb. 13:7-8). God has shown us clearly from His word how men whom he approved walked with Him; men like Abraham, His friend whose secret laid in their personal knowledge of God as they built personal altars and called on His name. We shall do well to follow such example. Get on your knees now. God seeks a meeting point with you. He is willing to meet you, if you provide the platform for Him God bless you.