Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt (Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland 
Pastor: Colin Maxwell. Email: colin.maxwell@fpcmission.org

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Read: Exodus 20:18-26 Text: v24-26  [God’s altar]

An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.  And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon. 

To the outward and uneducated eye, the COI with their various rituals and offerings only but confirm them to be another nomadic religious group
It is admitted that they have survived when many others have gone to the wall and that their present day successors may be found among the modern day Jews and (by extension) the Christian church who readily use their OT Scriptures
(The fact I am preaching from Exodus helps prove the point)
But overall the general view is that the Israelites were just one religious people among many and share with the other people, the universal use of the altar and blood sacrifices etc.,

We must contest such a view as been somewhat skewed
Yes, there are overlaps in the various religions
Reason: In the beginning, there was only one true religion – that which was espoused by Abel – all the rest are variations and perversions of this true worship over time
So it is no wonder that there are a few similarities

But in texts like ours, we can see how God is anxious to put a lot of space between His people and all the rest
It is erroneous to think that all religions lead ultimately to God
All that all that is required is sincerity in religious devotion
They that worship God or hope to be accepted by Him must come His way and not that of their own making
In spirit and  in truth is the Divine requirement
In our text, God is setting His people apart so that we might not miss out on His salvation which came through this people i.e. through Jesus Christ, the son of Abraham

This makes it a very important passage indeed: 5 points

1) THE ALTAR IN THE OLD TESTAMENT POINTS US TO THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST:

A/ OT is God’s picture book for people who are learning to read
Just as we do not give a child/Encyclopaedia Britannica to read …Neither did God immediately give us a 66 section Book to study
The Cross/Calvary was such a momentous matter (i.e. the place where Christ bear away the sin of the world) that it had to be introduced slowly if surely and gently over a long period/time
And so it was – precept upon precept and line upon line
Thousands of years had to pass before we could either read or understand the Book of Romans or Hebrews etc.,

B/ Therefore from early days, there was an emphasis on the shedding of innocent blood to atone for the sins of men
This all pointed us the great Lamb/God (Christ) who would offer His own blood as a ransom for many for their salvation
This Cross is central to the Christian religion
Paul said that he would glory in nothing else
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Galatians 6:14)
That’s central – fundamental to salvation

C/ And we have it here in this text in a very basic form
It will not be very long until the COI are starting to murmur
God will judge them by sending serpents among them
Then He will provide them with a healing remedy
He will have Moses elevate a brass serpent on a soul and those thus bitten will be instructed to look in faith upon it
And then there will be another piece along the line
But each piece points to the Cross
We have already had the Passover Lamb offered (Exodus 12)
Another powerful type: 1 Corinthians 5:7
There is no salvation without the sacrificial death/Christ
 And here it is all signified by the offerings on the altar
Every altar raised by a godly man/OT points us to Calvary
So it is here in Exodus 20

2) THE CROSS/PLANNED OF GOD – NOT INVENTED BY MEN

A/ This great truth is portrayed again in the instructions given
It may be more suggested then stated…still real nevertheless
All these types are rich in application:

Specific instruction was that the stones would remain unhewn
No one building this altar could lift a stone and take a chisel to it
As it was found in the field or wilderness etc., so it was to be
Necessarily, the stones had to be laid carefully etc., but still:
No one was to fashion any stone with a chisel etc.,

B/ The builders/altar would come along and simply find the stones and lift them as they were into place
So too in this doctrine/Cross and salvation
We must rely on a merciful providence to bring it to us
No man could have thought this doctrine up
As said earlier: Men can deviate from it and deny/add to it
But the fundamental truth itself is strictly of God
It is as revealed in the Word/God and nowhere else

C/ This truth is testified to in the clearer portions/Bible:
1 John 4:14  The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour/world
Clear and plain, is it not?
No negotiating here or an original intention to be realigned or diverted from its original course – no reshaping of ideals
He came to die upon the Cross for our sins
Steadfastly set his face as a flint to go/Jerusalem as intended

This is where we pick up the gospel – unadulterated/human hand
Note (v25) uses the actual word polluted
Sinful man can only pollute what he interferes with
Very significant that we are warned not to add to God’s word
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.  (Proverbs 30:6)
The lie cannot save, but only the truth/God’s word
So we must accept the gospel as it stands and nothing more/less

[i] This is why that Rich Young Ruler went away sorrowful
There could be no tampering
I suppose had Jesus said: OK, a just little bit of greed is allowed – be content to be a second rate Christian with problems – then the young man would have signed up immediately
[ii] This is why a whole crowd of professing disciples went back and walked no more with him (John 6:66)
It was a hard saying – its edges were jagged and they could not chip away at them and make them smooth and acceptable

Take the gospel as it is
With what thankfulness Paul could assure the Galatians:
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.  (Galatians 1:12)
Any man that keeps to this book for his gospel preaching and refuses to add anything of man’s device is on the right track

3) EVEN THOUGH THESE THINGS ARE SO, YET IT WAS STILL MAN WHO RAISED THE CROSS AND CRUCIFIED CHRIST UPON IT:

The type is very clear here  that man has his part to play
An altar of earth shalt thou make unto me (v24)

A/ Some people find this a little hard to grasp
Their difficulty lies in trying to reconcile two things that do not need to be reconciled i.e. God’s sovereignty/man’s responsibility

B/ We have already observed the sovereignty/God end:
Christ came to die for sinners who would perish/hell otherwise
He went…as it was written of Him (Matthew 26:24)
Everything fell into place in accordance/the Divine rescue plan
So sure that the OT prophecies of it are written/past tense
They pierced (past tense) my hands and my feet (Psalm 22:16)
He was wounded for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5)
This is why we give God all the glory for our salvation

God the Father planned it so
God the Son purchased it with His own blood
God the Holy Spirit applies it to the heart of the elect sinner

C/ Let us remember and play up man’s responsibility here
Although the event and its outcome was ordained of God, yet man participated freely in its execution
He did so from entirely different motives than God
God ordered the event of the Cross because He loved men
Men ordered the event of the Cross because they hated God
Same event – but two entirely different approaches
One brings God eternal praises
The other buries unrepentant man in eternal shame
Same verse that says that Christ would go as written also says:
But woe unto that man by whom the Son/Man is betrayed

So much in the gospel narrative that denotes that even the main players against Christ were prepared to take their blame

Judas: I have betrayed the Innocent Blood
Pilate: Washed his hands – denoting guilt –
Jews: His blood be on us and our children
Later on when confronted: Pricked in their hearts

Even Peter (a lesser player) wept bitterly

D/ Man’s raises up the Cross out of his own hatred
What about us as sinners?

It was our sins that nailed Christ to the Tree
Had the sheep not have strayed, the good shepherd would not have gone looking for it
Much less: Laid down His life for the same sheep
But we did – horribly so – and therefore we must be ever aware of our part in His great sufferings for us

We were as guilty as those who cried “Crucify Him!”
Both Jews and Gentiles are guilty of this great crime:
For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.  (Acts 4:27-28)
This is no generic term either – we are all equally guilty

4) THE ATTENTION IS ON THE CRUCIFIED:- NOT THE CROSS ITSELF:

This is another piece in God’s jig saw puzzle: John 3:14-15
Why do we say this?

A/ To make a very valid difference between mere religion with its various artefacts etc., and the Person of Jesus Christ
The reason why God insisted on a bare altar, void of art and man’s device is because man takes over what he touches
Already observed God’s use of the word pollute
We applied it to the message that man would promote

B/ Let’s take it another way here:
Men can pollute things not merely by desecrating them in displays of hated and contempt, but also by garnishing them
I’m afraid Rome and her satellite groupings are guilty here
While I’m thankful that we are not meeting in a dark cave, yet I do not think that a highly ornate cathedral is desirable either 
The worship of God is necessarily simple
Lavish appeals to the eyes, ears (music) or other senses detract from the simplicity of pure gospel worship

C/ OK…Paul spoke of glorying in the Cross/Christ (Galatians 6:14)
But he did not see the stock/tree here with wooden beams etc.,
It is the work of the Cross – not the wood/Cross
Paul was not a relic picker!
Furthermore…it is not the work in itself that saves
I suppose any one could have put themselves forward (in their madness) and offered to bear the sins/world
The worth of the sacrifice lay in the One who performed it
The offering sanctifies the altar on which it is offered
In this case…it is the Offering/God’s own Son that successfully takes away the sins of the world,
Hence we should behold the Lamb/God…not the Cross as such

It was the brazen serpent – not the pole
Brazen serpent represented Christ and so: John 3:15
Whosoever believed on Him should not perish etc.,

5) THE CROSS IS THE PLACE OF PURITY AND BLESSING:
Difficult/know of which to speak first i.e. purity or blessing
The one leads to the other

A/ There cannot be lasting blessing where sin abounds
Of course, God blesses even the most uninterested
But it is with temporal things which cannot even begin to compare with the riches that they could have in Jesus Christ
But a man that loves his sins cannot enjoy spiritual blessing
Rather is he cursed/God for failure to keep/law (Galatians 3:10) and he will hear words to that effect: Matthew 25:41

B/ But if he is pure in the sight of God (1 John 1:7) then there is no end to the spiritual blessings that will come his way:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)
So the one leads to the other in a very effective way

C/ It also works in reverse:
Where there is blessing, then there will be purity
God’s salvation brings us many great blessings
Usually major on the blessing of sins forgiven (justification)
But we should also major on the blessing of sins restrained
Sanctification – our desire to live holy lives unto God
Best motivation for that: Cross of Jesus Christ
It is as we appreciate/apply the Cross that we are enabled to live practical holy lives to the glory of God
May we be found at the Cross for our spiritual needs (Appeal)


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