In the Old Testament, God was very specific about where His people worshipped Him, and they were specifically forbidden from building altars anywhere else.
It will then be surprising to most Bible readers to discover that God commanded His people to build an altar on Mount Ebal, otherwise known as the mountain of cursing (Deut. 27:4-8). Ebal was known as the mountain of cursing because this was the place that the curses of the Law were publicly pronounced in a covenant ceremony in Joshua’s day (Josh. 8:30-32). Surprisingly, the Jews were forbidden from building an altar on nearby Mount Gerizim, known as the mountain of blessing, leaving an altar only in this place of the curse.
So why then build an altar in this place? Altars are places of worship, of sacrifice and of meeting God. And it would seem that God choose this place, the very place of the curse, to be the place where He wanted to meet His people.
We might think God wants to meet us on the mount of blessing, the place where we are perfectly obeying God’s law, and the light of God’s favour is shining down on us. But it is instead in the place of the curse, in the place of our failure, in the place that seems so dark and helpless. In the place where we realise the weight of our sin, and the curse it brings, that is the place God has chosen to meet with us. And there, in our weakness and shame, we discover to our surprise that we have come to the place where we can uniquely meet God through the offering of an innocent sacrifice on our behalf. And we can then leave this place of the curse with fresh joy, purpose and vision, praising God for the sacrifice that has taken our curse away.
If you feel like you are on the mountain of cursing, where everything seems to be going wrong, and where you feel the crushing weight of your sin, know that this is the very place that God has chosen as a meeting place with you, and this is the very place where your life can forever be transformed through the sacrifice of Jesus, His Son. Turn to Him today, confessing your sins, receiving His forgiveness, and allowing Him to transform your mountain of curses into a meeting place with Almighty God. For this is the place He has chosen to meet with you.
Enoch Lavender was born in Australia, raised in Norway, spent time living in China and is now based on the Gold Coast of Australia. He has been studying Hebrew and the Jewish roots of our faith for the past decade, and has a keen interest in the Middle East from a Bible prophecy perspective.
Contact Enoch and Olive Tree Ministries
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