Scripture: Genesis 13:18
“Then Abram moved his tent and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to the LORD.”
Reflection.
Throughout the Old Testament, people-built altars for several reasons. Some were to remember God’s goodness, to worship Him, or to offer a sacrifice. Every altar was an expression of relationship with God. Abraham, our father of faith, demonstrated this so well. It says of him that everywhere he went; he would build an altar and pitch a tent. Here is just one example in Genesis 13:18.
Building speaks of something permanent, but pitching a tent is temporary. Anytime you go camping and set up a tent, it’s for a short time. A tent is a temporary residence, not a permanent dwelling place. We build houses but set up tents. That’s how normal people live. Abraham wasn’t normal. He built altars for God, but he treated his own dwelling as something temporary. Someone may argue that everyone lived in tents in those days. That’s true. The author of Hebrews tells us that Abraham dwelled in tents, waiting for the city whose builder is God (Hebrews 11:9-10). Though he was rich in wealth, he had his priorities in order: building an altar and then pitching a tent. The only thing that was permanent in his life was the altar; everything else was temporary. He was building his altar—his fire—his relationship with God. His house, wealth, and riches were simply tents—temporary dwellings. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul also referred to our body as a tent that will be destroyed (2 Corinthians 5:1).
When you’re building an altar, you are not attaching yourself too closely to any place, people, or possessions. Some people are addicted to a stage but allergic to an altar. They love positions in church more than prayer. They love titles more than they love Jesus. They love connections more than communion with the Holy Spirit. They love possessions more than the presence of God. They love their own life more than they love the Lord. Jesus warns us that those who love their life will lose it (John 12:25). To gain this life is to lose it (Matthew 10:38). We shouldn’t have an affair with the temporary things of this world at the expense of putting God in second place. Life and everything connected to it is as fleeting as the wind (Job 7:7), as temporal as grass (1 Peter 1:24), as lasting as a flower (Job 14:2), as passing as a shadow (Ecclesiastes 6:12), and vanishes as a vapor (James 4:14). Death is as water spilled (2 Samuel 14:14). Life on earth is temporary, and it should be treated as such. God is eternal; He should have the supremacy.
One of the reasons many people don’t have time for God is because they occupy that time with something else. If the Lord doesn’t occupy the place of prominence, things will. The place of priority is never vacant. Someone always takes first place. The throne of our heart never stays empty. We should always examine our hearts to see what we are building and what we are pitching so that we don’t end up pitching our altars and building our tents.
When People Leave
When you build a relationship with the Lord, it helps you to navigate constant transitions in life. Your relationship with Him must be first, no matter where you are or who is with you. Those who don’t build altars to the Lord will become too dependent on people. The fear of man will start to rule people who lack the fear of God. Let me emphasize again, Abraham built an altar and pitched a tent. So, when his nephew Lot left him, Abraham didn’t panic; he lifted his eyes and saw God’s promise. Lot, whose name means “veil” or “covering,” didn’t have an altar in his life. In fact, it seems like Lot didn’t pursue God the way Abraham did. He pursued his own ambition. He lifted his eyes when he planned to separate from Abraham and saw the land of Sodom and Gomorrah like the garden of the Lord (Genesis 13:10). Gomorrah, a garden of the Lord? Really, Lot? He wasn’t connected to God; he was connected to his uncle. Abraham was building his life around God; Lot was building his life around Abraham. Lot had flocks, but Abraham had an altar. Yes, Abraham had flocks, too, but flocks didn’t have him. Abraham’s possessions didn’t possess him. God was his goal. Lot had herds, but no fire. Sadly, he lost everything in the fire of God’s judgment. Remember, tents don’t last; altars do.
When you have an altar, you’re not desperately trying to hold on to people who leave you; you let them go. It’s not that you don’t care about people; you love them when they come and love them when they go. Yet, your future is not connected to those who leave you, but to God, who stays with you. If you don’t have an altar, you might hold on to the wrong people who will end up holding you back from God’s purpose. When you don’t have an altar in your life, you will be chasing people God is trying to remove from your life. Lot was a veil in Abraham’s life. It was after Lot left that Abraham could see the Promised Land God had told him about.
Let me also say that we should not burn bridges with people who walk away. Moses left Jethro, but Jethro was helpful later. Lot left Abraham, but Abraham was helpful to Lot in the future.
Prayer.
Help us oh Lord, to build altars that last rather pitching tents that doesn’t last.
Blessings!
Ref: PASTOR VLADIMIR SAVCHUK
