The Old Testament profoundly sets up the important lessons we learn in the New Testament. Jesus did not destroy the Law, but fulfilled it, giving it a new identity in himself. Because of this, I try to read the Old Testament through a different lens, searching for the guidance straight from our Father, which was later fulfilled by the Son. Exodus gives us the full story of the Law, preparing God’s people for what is to come, and here I want to break down a specific verse that stood out to me. In Chapter 20, we are given the Ten Commandments, and then specifically the Laws about Altars.
“An altar of earth you shall make for me and 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.” – Exodus 20:24
Think about this verse as we go over some background information. In chapter 19, God instructs Moses on Mount Sinai to give his people one rule: Keep my covenant, and I will treasure you. Then God comes down onto the mountain to give Moses credibility with the people. When he arrived, there was a separation of holiness; the people had to cleanse themselves and were instructed not to touch the edge of the mountain. Moses was the mediator; he entered God’s presence on behalf of Israel in order to teach them and guide them. Here he is given the law to help Israel keep God’s covenant. This entire chapter sets up our relationship with Jesus in the present day, explaining exactly who the Messiah is.
Back to Chapter 20:24, the second part of this verse is now one of my favorite sentences in the Old Testament, so let’s break it down. Here the Lord is telling his people that wherever his name is remembered in worship and sacrifice, he will bring blessings. Verse 25-26 elaborate by describing where God reveals himself. He will not reveal his name on manmade altars, only uncut stones of earth. People would create fancy carved altars to worship idols, but the Lord created the very earth they were made of. This concept is so profound when we put the pieces together and understand what it means regarding the Son of God. The name of God is his identity, who he is. Where we worship God, he will reveal his identity to his people. But in the Old Testament, this was on altars of uncut stones, something untouched by human sin. Mount Sinai was an uncut stone (a mountain); God revealed himself to Moses to send this very message. So why is this message so important?
This verse emphasizes the separation of man and God caused by our sin. Moses represents mediation, and Mount Sinai represents a place untouched by sinful hands. Here’s where it gets confusing, so stay with me. In the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream:
“You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”
All of the different types of metal represented different Kings or Kingdoms of earth. But the stone uncut by human hands represents the Kingdom of God or the one and only King, Jesus. The Son of God and his church will become a kingdom that covers the whole earth.
So we know that in the Old Testament, God’s people were instructed to make atonements using altars of uncut stone, and here in Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream from God, explaining that Jesus and his future Kingdom are the Uncut Stone. Before Jesus even came to earth, it was revealed that the sacrifice, the stone itself, would save the world and be the Kingdom to fulfill all kingdoms. Jesus is the stone because he is where sins are covered; Jesus is the sacrifice because he was sent to die on our behalf, and he is the name of God now alive in every single one of his children. Where God revealed himself only to certain people in certain places, he now reveals his name in every place where his children dwell. In John 5:43, Jesus says, “I have come in my Father’s name.” Jesus came as a human vessel of his Father’s identity.
The uncut stone is no longer an altar that we must use to receive God’s blessings; the uncut stone now lives inside of us, blessing us in every place as we walk with Jesus through life. The meeting place was once the place of sacrifice, but is now the body of Christ. Christ is the mediator, and we are his body.
Thank you for reading; everything that I post is based on my research and the Word I believe God has given me. I encourage you to read the Word on your own and see what the lord might be saying to you!