Message 66
Scripture Reading: Exo. 20:22-26
The book of Genesis can be summarized by two phrases: God’s creation and man’s fall. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created....” Genesis concludes in the following way: “So Joseph...was put in a coffin in Egypt” (50:26). Thus, Genesis opens with a word about God’s creation and concludes with a word about Joseph put in a coffin in Egypt. God’s creation, of course, is very positive, but man’s fall is extremely negative. Therefore, the summary of Genesis involves the positive matter of God’s creation and the negative matter of man’s fall.
We may say that the book of Exodus has one main point: God’s redemption and salvation. Because man had fallen, God came in to redeem and save. Fallen man needs both God’s redemption and His salvation. Exodus reveals the all-inclusive salvation of God, a salvation which includes God’s redemption. According to the book of Exodus, God first redeemed His people and then saved them.
Christians may not realize that the entire book of Exodus concerns God’s salvation. According to many, the last sixteen chapters of Exodus, chapters twenty-five through forty, are not related to God’s salvation, but are concerned with the vision and the building of the tabernacle. However, the building of the tabernacle as God’s dwelling place is also part of God’s all-inclusive salvation. This means that the salvation of God revealed in the book of Exodus begins with redemption and continues through the building of God’s habitation, the tabernacle. If we have been redeemed and experience God’s salvation to a certain extent but are not in God’s building, God’s dwelling place, then we have not yet participated in God’s salvation in full. God’s complete salvation includes the building up of His redeemed people to become His habitation on earth.
Among the millions of today’s Christians, the genuinely redeemed and saved people, not many enjoy the experience of having become God’s habitation. In the experience of some, the book of Exodus seems to have only twelve or fourteen chapters. They have experienced the redemption of the Passover lamb and perhaps have been delivered from Egypt, but they do not experience the building of God’s dwelling place. Actually, many of today’s Christians are still in Egypt, the world. Although they have experienced God’s redemption, they have not crossed the Red Sea. This means that they have not been saved from the world and from enslavement to Pharaoh. Some Christians have crossed the Red Sea and have been saved from the world, but they have not progressed in their experience to the mount of God and they have not become God’s tabernacle.
In Exodus, Mount Sinai is called the mount of God. Here God’s redeemed people were brought into direct fellowship with Him. This is a great matter. It was not until twenty-five centuries after the creation of man that the children of Israel were brought into such fellowship with God. Prior to that time, there were no people on earth who had face-to-face fellowship with God. On the one hand, at Mount Sinai the people were brought into fellowship with God; on the other hand, God came down to speak with them. In Genesis 11 God came down not to have fellowship with the people, but to judge them. In Exodus God came down not to judge, but to have fellowship with His people. At Mount Sinai the children of Israel were feasting with God. This also is included in God’s all-inclusive salvation revealed in Exodus.
At Mount Sinai God did not meet with His people merely for a day. Rather, the people remained with Him there for many months (Exo. 19:1; 40:2, 17; Num. 10:11-13). God considered His redeemed people His “personal possession” (19:5, lit.), His precious treasure. Because His people were so precious to Him, He came down to visit them. According to the Old Testament, God’s meeting with His people lasted more than a thousand years. It did not end until the glory of the Lord departed from the temple (Ezek. 10:18).
With this message we come to the ordinances of the law. The law in the Old Testament not only includes the Ten Commandments, but also includes many ordinances. These ordinances are found in the remaining chapters of Exodus, in the entire book of Leviticus, and in parts of Numbers and Deuteronomy. Many Christians think that the law includes only the Ten Commandments. This was my concept when I was young. However, I was bothered by the fact that in the Bible Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are all regarded as part of the law. Furthermore, according to Psalm 119, the law includes ordinances as well as commandments. This indicates that the law has two sections: the Ten Commandments and all the ordinances. Thus, it is a mistake to consider only the Ten Commandments to be the law. No, the law includes much more than just the Ten Commandments. If we see that the law includes the ordinances as well as the commandments, we shall then find it easy to understand Psalm 119.
The ordinances are a supplementary part of the law and add details to the Ten Commandments. It is correct to regard the Ten Commandments as the main section of the law. But this main section needs to be supplemented and spelled out in detail. In the second part of Exodus and in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy we have the supplement to the law and the details of the law. In this message, the first on the ordinances of the law, we shall consider the ordinances concerning the worship of God. In other messages we shall consider ordinances concerning the relationships between people.
In 20:22-26 God unveils to His redeemed people how they should worship Him. This had not been revealed previously, not even to Abraham, one who was called the friend of God. Only after His people had been brought into face-to-face fellowship with Him at the mountain of God did God reveal the way for them to worship Him. If we get into the depths of these verses, we shall see that they give us the main points of how we should worship God. The revelation here is in keeping with that found not only in the rest of the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament. Here we have a revelation of the cross and of Christ. Furthermore, according to these verses, we see that both man’s work and man’s way are excluded. These verses even refer to idols of gold and silver.
Exodus 20:22 says, “And Jehovah said unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven” (lit.). Here we see that God spoke to His people from heaven. Even this verse is related to the worship of God, for here we have an indication that the God whom we worship is the living and the speaking God.
Verse 23 continues, “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.” Here we have a supplement to the first two commandments and also details related to these commandments. In the first two of the commandments we are told not to have any gods other than God and also not to make idols. The phrase “with me” in verse 23 is significant. It indicates that the people were not to worship God and yet have another god with Him. This would be like a woman who had one husband, but also had another man with him. Just as a woman should have only one husband, so the children of Israel were to have only the Lord as their unique God.
Exodus 20:23 specifically mentions idols of gold and silver. Nothing is said here of idols made of wood or stone. From the book of Isaiah we know that God’s people later did have idols of gold and silver (2:20; 30:22; 31:7). The first time they made an idol of gold was when Moses was on Mount Sinai with the Lord. While Moses was on the mountaintop fellowshipping with God, the people at the foot of the mountain charged Aaron to make them a golden calf. Then they said of it, “These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt” (Exo. 32:4). By making a god of gold the people had another god with the true God. But God forbids His people to have another god with Him. In verse 23 it seems as if God is saying, “If you want to reject Me or forsake Me, you may do so. But don’t have Me on the one hand and then make with Me gods of gold and silver on the other hand. That is fornication. You must take Me as your unique Husband. Do not have any other gods with Me.”
Verse 24 is very important: “An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I make my name to be remembered I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee” (lit.). Here we read of the altar, the sacrifices, the name of God being remembered, and God coming to visit His people and bless them. According to verses 24 and 25, an altar could be made either of earth or stone. However, the people were forbidden to build an altar of hewn stone. An altar could be erected only with materials created by God. The people were not to add their work to God’s work. They could use earth or natural stone, but not hewn stone. Furthermore, we see from verse 26 that the people were not to “go up by steps” unto the Lord’s altar, lest their nakedness be exposed.
Verse 24 mentions two of the five basic offerings: the burnt offering and the peace offering. There is no mention of the meal offering, the sin offering, or the trespass offering. The reason for this is that the concept here is not redemption; it is fellowship between God and His redeemed people.
Verse 24 also speaks of God’s name being remembered. Whenever we meet to worship God, we must remember the name of the Lord. His name is the unique name we should remember in our gatherings for worship.
If we have the altar and the sacrifices, and if we remember the Lord’s name, we shall experience God’s visitation and blessing. God Himself will come to us and bless us.
We have pointed out that in verse 23 the people were commanded not to make gods of silver or gold. This verse mentions only idols of gold and silver, not idols of other materials such as wood and stone. Therefore, this verse implies that we should not worship silver or gold. According to Acts 3, a lame man asked Peter and John for alms. Peter said to him, “Silver and gold I do not possess, but what I have, this I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene — walk!” (v. 6). Peter did not have silver and gold, but he had the name of Jesus Christ.
In the worship of God we should give no place to riches, no place to gold and silver. The Lord Jesus tells us that we cannot serve God and mammon (Matt. 6:24). We cannot at the same time serve God and gold and silver. In order to exist, we need money, but we must not allow money to occupy us. To be occupied with the desire for riches is to make idols of gold and silver. First Timothy 6:17 says, “Charge those who are rich in the present age not to be high-minded, nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who affords us all things richly for our enjoyment.” Those who have gold and silver in this age should not hold on to the uncertainty of wealth. Instead, they should hold on to the living God.
It is easy for a Christian to say that he does not have any idols. However, it is not so easy for Christians to testify that they do not hold on to riches. It is not wrong to have wealth, but to hold on to wealth instead of holding on to the living God is to worship idols. If we would worship in a pure way, all idols must go, including the idolatry of laying hold on riches. From experience we know that if we hold on to riches, our worship to God will be nullified. As long as we still hold on to riches, we cannot offer God genuine and pure worship. Thus, the commandment not to make gods of gold and silver implies that in our worship of God we should not give any place to riches.
The situation among many Christians today is degraded because of the place given to money and fund-raising. To a large extent, Christianity has become a religion characterized by the worship of the golden calf. It is common for those who make large donations to be singled out and given public honor. This is to make gods of gold and silver, and it is also the worship of the golden calf.
Hebrews 13:10 says, “We have an altar.” The altar denotes the cross. The altar in the Old Testament was a shadow, the reality of which is the cross in the New Testament. Fallen man cannot worship God directly without an altar. The altar points to a process of death and resurrection. In such a process we have redemption and also the termination of all negative things. Thus, the word altar is rich in its implications. Related to the altar, we have death, burning, and resurrection. This involves redemption, the termination of negative things, and the resurrection of positive things. Apart from the altar, the cross, it is not possible for such a process to take place. Therefore, without an altar, fallen people have no way to worship God directly.
As we have seen, the altar was to be erected with material created by God, either earth or stone. This indicates that the cross has been prepared entirely by the work of God. The fact that hewn stone, material worked on by man, was not to be used in making the altar indicates that the cross was not prepared by man’s work. God, not man, prepared the cross. If God had not worked to prepare the cross for us, there would not be anything we could do.
In these verses erecting an altar means receiving what God has prepared. God has prepared the cross for us to worship Him, and we should simply receive it, saying “Amen” with thanksgiving to God for His work of preparation. We should say, “God, thank You for preparing the cross that I may worship You. There is no need for me to work. I simply receive the cross You have prepared.”
The fact that the children of Israel could erect an altar either of earth or stone indicates that the cross is readily available. If God had commanded His people to build an altar only of stone, the children of Israel might have had difficulty finding the materials. But the earth was always available. Hence, an altar made of earth points to the availability of the cross.
Our receiving of the cross may be rather weak, like earth, or strong, like stone. In their receiving of the cross, many believers are weak. Others, however, are quite strong. How we receive the cross, in a strong way or in a weak way, depends on us. The principle here is similar to the use of animals of different sizes in the burnt offering. One person could offer an ox or a lamb, whereas another could offer doves. It was permissible to build an altar of earth or of stone, to receive the cross either in a strong way or in a weak way. In either case, the cross is still the cross, prepared by God in His work. We have no part in the preparation of the material. We simply receive what God has prepared.
In the receiving of the cross there is no place for man’s work. A great heresy in Catholicism is that there is room for man’s work to be added; man’s working is given place in receiving the cross of Christ. But according to the Bible, the earth or the stones made by God were to be used to make an altar. If someone had regarded such an altar as too crude and wanted to hew the stones to make them more beautiful, that would have caused pollution. To add man’s work to God’s work of preparation is to bring in pollution.
Throughout the centuries of church history, many have tried to beautify God’s work of preparation by man’s work. Their attitude has been that God’s work lacks beauty and needs man to add something to make it more beautiful. Even today certain preachers do not like to speak simple words. To them, this is foolishness. Nevertheless, in 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 Paul says, “We preach Christ crucified, to Jews an offense, and to the nations foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, God’s power and God’s wisdom.” In Paul’s preaching of the cross there was no beauty, but there was the power of God and the wisdom of God. However, in the sugar-coated sermons preached today there is beauty, but no power or wisdom. When man’s beautifying work is added to God’s work of preparation, the result is pollution. Oh, how much today’s Christianity has polluted God’s work! This pollution has come primarily through the work of man. Many Christians prefer hewn and polished stones to the natural stones created by God. Thus, they change the work of God and pollute it.
Furthermore, according to 20:26, the people were not to go up by steps unto the Lord’s altar. They were not permitted to make steps for the altar. Steps refer to the man-made way. Every denomination has its own kind of steps. These steps cause man’s nakedness to be exposed. The altar prepared by God is not elevated. On the contrary, it is close to the ground. This eliminates the need for steps and makes it possible for anyone to approach the altar. Praise the Lord that the cross is on our level, so available! There are no levels of man’s attainments for his boasting and glorifying. Steps give place for man’s attainment. Consider how many steps there are in a system with bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and a pope. But the cross of Christ has no steps; it is on our level. There is no place for human attainment or achievement, no place for man’s way. We must reject every man-made way to the cross.
We have pointed out that of the five major sacrifices, only two — the burnt offering and the peace offering — are mentioned here in Exodus 20. The burnt offering is for God’s satisfaction, and the peace offering is for the people’s enjoyment with God mutually. To present a burnt offering means that we offer Christ to God for God’s enjoyment and satisfaction. To present the peace offering means that we offer Christ to God for our enjoyment and satisfaction mutually with God. The proper worship of God must include the burnt offering and the peace offering, something of Christ offered to God for His enjoyment and satisfaction and something of Christ which we enjoy with God. This kind of worship cannot be found in Judaism, Islam, or degraded Christianity.
John 4:24 is a development of the word in 20:22-26. According to the Lord Jesus, we must worship the Father in spirit and in reality. This reality includes Christ as the burnt offering and the peace offering. Once again we see that, with the mention of the sacrifices, the basic principles of genuine and proper worship are revealed in 20:22-26.
Exodus 20:22-26 refers to the worship of God before the children of Israel entered the good land. As they were on the way to the good land, they had to worship God according to the principles in these verses. But after they came into the land, they were to worship Him in a designated place, the place chosen by God for His habitation and the place where He would cause His name to dwell. But the principle remains the same. Whenever we meet to worship God, God’s name, not any other name, must be remembered. However, with many Christians today, names such as Lutheran or Wesleyan are used in addition to the name of the Lord. The use of such names is an abomination to the Lord. On the one hand, in the proper worship of God there should not be any idols; on the other hand, there should not be any name other than the name of the Lord. When we come together to worship God, we must drop every other name and exalt the Lord’s name (Deut. 12:11; Matt. 18:20). Only His name should be remembered in our worship of God.
If we worship God in the proper way according to these verses, He will come to bless us. This means that if our worship is genuine, it will be an invitation to God to visit us and bless us. In order for God to do this, He must be the living and speaking God. A God who does not speak cannot bless. Remember, in verse 22 the Lord says that He spoke to the people from the heavens. Hence, He is the living and speaking God. Our worship must be of such a kind that it invites the living God to come to us and bless us. If in a certain meeting there is the proper worship of God, we must have the assurance that God has been invited to visit and bless those in that gathering. This is always the result of the proper worship of God. Praise God for His visitation and His blessing! This is proof that the God whom we worship is the living and speaking God.
