What is an altar?

-Rev Melissa Fain-

 Last week I debunked the myth that "Do not be afraid," was written 365 times in the bible. That is false. It's only written about 115 times. No 365 day calendar for us. Shucks. Meanwhile, something is mentioned so often if could fill a quote a day calendar and beyond. Are you prepared? Brace yourself. "Altar." 

Now before you run to the printing press and make your millions off of Christian patsies... What? You don't think Christians would be biting at the bit to get that? Why not? We ate up a simple two verses to find out how we too could be our own Jabez. We wanted to eat up the idea of a daily reminder to "not be afraid." What is different about this?

Oh, that's right, we get all antsy when it comes to sacrifice.

The word we translate as alter is a Hebrew word rooted in the word "sacrifice." In the Hebrew Bible it is mentioned over 400 times! I think that's enough to suggest it's an important part of individual and corporate worship. Over the next month or so we will discuss what we sacrifice and bring to the altar. Today I want to talk about the alter itself. 

What makes up an altar:

In the Hebrew Bible, alters were made out of one of three substances. In the New Testament a new kind of alter was introduced into corporate worship. 

• Rock: Whether it's to thank God for reaching a specific point in the journey, or to show up a bunch of false prophets, rock alters were built all over the bible. Sometimes, these alters simply use large rocks that were nearby. Sometimes, rocks were gathered to build the alter.
• Earth: There were other cultures using bricks to make their alters. It doesn't appear the Abrahamic tribe were among this group. More than likely, they used mud, and grass to build up the altar. 
• Metal: This is the most permanent version of a Hebrew Bible altar. 
• Table: The concept of alter was turned upon it's head during Jesus' time. The communion table changed everything, including what the alter was made from. 

What is sacrificed, and where:

The substance the table is made from gives a clue to where these altars are used.

• Outdoor: Rock and Earthen alters were used outdoors. These altars were used to render and burn meat. It only makes sense they couldn't exist inside a building. Also, while there were more permanent rock and earth altars, they were typically temporary.
• Indoor: Metal alters were used almost exclusively in the temple. They were used to burn incense, and were kept near the middle of the temple. 
• Anywhere: Being Christian, I connect the alter to the Communion table. When Christ became the ultimate sacrifice, with it came the knowledge that God could and was anywhere.  At Fig Tree, we still understand that we set aside special time to give our focus to God in a special place, but any of us can connect to God at any time, in any place.

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