"You shall utterly destroy all the places where the nations which you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
destroy their altars, and
break their sacred pillars, and
burn their wooden images, and
cut down the carved images of their gods, and
destroy their names from that place." Deuteronomy 12.2-3
God will never accept to share His Altar with pagan altars. Because of this, before finding a chosen place by God, the people of Israel had to get rid of everything that was not good.
It's like a marriage. Those who get married, do it for love and want to be exclusive with their loved one. There is no way that they will bring past lovers into their new home.
The Lord Jesus does not accept to share someone’s life or heart with someone else. It's all or nothing.
Before He enters into a partnership with someone, first they must put into second place their first love, such as: children, parents, husband, wife, family;
They have to put their personal ideals in second place, such as reputation, career, money, properties, everything that has occupied first place in their life.
Israel’s second mission in the Promised Land was:
Look for a place chosen by God...
What Place was Chosen by God?
The Altar.
For what?
"to put His name for His dwelling..." Deuteronomy 12.5
What is the purpose of the Altar?
"There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks." Deuteronomy 12.6
Why are tithes and offerings placed on the Altar, if God is Spirit?
Tithes and offerings represent the life of the tithe giver and offering giver on the Altar.
Jesus teaches that the altar sanctifies the gift, this is, the Altar separates or consecrates the tithe giver and offering giver to God. Matthew 23.19
If the Altar did not represent God on earth, certainly it would not have the power to consecrate tithes and offerings.
Because He is strictly a Spiritual Being (He is Spirit), God does not get involved with material things. Only with spiritual and eternal things. In other words, because He is represented by the Altar, the souls of men are represented by tithes and offerings.
*Extracted from Bishop Macedo's blog
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