seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 20:22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: 23 Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.
24 “‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. 25 If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it. 26 And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts may be exposed.’
24 “‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. 25 If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it. 26 And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private parts may be exposed.’
It always amazes me that humans think they need to make or do ornate things for God. God doesn't want ornate. God is God and if He wants ornate He can outdo our ornate with His eyes closed and both hands tied behind his back while balancing on a hippo on one foot.
When humans make something, they have to admire it. Then, since humans are humans, they study it and find flaws. Unlike God, everything a human makes is flawed in some way. [Remember some people think dimples are flaws.] Then all they can see when they go to the ornate object, is about the flaw and soon it becomes an ugly experience.
God doesn't want worship to be an ugly experience.
Here's the easy English commentary on the verses.
Also, they could make an altar out of stone. But they must not try to shape natural stone with a tool. A person’s hand would hold the tool. Then the work would make the stone not clean enough for God. Joshua obeyed that rule when he made a stone altar on Mount Ebal (Joshua 8:30-31). Nobody knows the whole reason for the rule. Perhaps it refers to people who did not worship the real God. Perhaps they made their altars with tools.
Often people placed their altar high up, perhaps on a hill. Then they made steps for their priests to reach the altar. This showed that the people must be humble in front of their false god. But to go up those steps would let people see the priests’ legs. People would see the priest’s naked body underneath his clothes. So God said this. ‘Do not go up steps to my altar.’ Later, Aaron and all the priests after him served God at an altar that had steps. So they wore short trousers, which they made out of cloth. They wore them underneath their clothes (Exodus 28:42-43).
Often people placed their altar high up, perhaps on a hill. Then they made steps for their priests to reach the altar. This showed that the people must be humble in front of their false god. But to go up those steps would let people see the priests’ legs. People would see the priest’s naked body underneath his clothes. So God said this. ‘Do not go up steps to my altar.’ Later, Aaron and all the priests after him served God at an altar that had steps. So they wore short trousers, which they made out of cloth. They wore them underneath their clothes (Exodus 28:42-43).
