Simplicity

"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, "You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it."'" -Exodus 20.22-25

Moses serves as the people's representative. He goes before God and gives His messages to the people, teaching them God's standards and laws. He reminds them that they are not to make other gods beside Him. He alone is God, and He is a living Spirit. His form cannot be captured in an image of gold or silver, so the people aren't to try. And they are not to make idols in the image of anything else in creation and bow before them, worshiping the as God.

Instead God tells them to worship Him with simplicity. They are to build an altar of earth. It is something that is excessively abundant. Wherever they go they are able to build an altar and worship God there. He doesn't ask for the orante riches that He deserves, but says that simplicity is what they are to do.

If they decide to use stone, making something permanent and lasting, they aren't to use any tool on the stones. Instead they are to be natural, exactly as God created it. God does not demand wealth and splendor, He asks for something simple, showing His people that all are able to worship Him, and that they can worship Him wherever they are. It's a vital task, and God simplifies it for them.

Men, have you complicated the worship of God? If we look at the past few decades, really centuries, it really seems that we have. We have created religion out of relationship, and have turned the worship of God into habitual ritual. We've complicated it with rules and traditions, making idols of denominations, churches, altars, membership and even leadership.

I don't think God ever had any of this in mind. There is a lot that we could get into here, but let me just say that those things aren't necessarily bad. They are things that can help us focus more fully on God during our worship of Him, but they can also become a great hinderance. Is our focus on the thing or the practice, or on the God that it was intended for?

God wants us to worship Him. All of us, no matter where we are, are invited to worship the creator. And so He makes it simple for us to do it. An altar of earth, or uncut stone, things that are abundant and natural. We can worship God anywhere, at any time. Let us rejoice in the simplicity of it all.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor