^5. To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?

^6. They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.

^7. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.

Isaiah 46:5-7

This post intends to show a deeper understanding of altars and idols and to sacrifice thereon. As with many precepts, this is no exception to its importance in understanding the word of God.

The Precept

Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;

Jeremiah 16:11

God made it clear through Jeremiah that Israel walked after other gods, served them, worshipped them and forsook him by not keeping his laws. Whose instructions you follow is the one you serve—your god.

They forsook the laws of God, which is what it means to worship, serve and walk after other gods. God takes his instructions seriously, which we see in the following passage.

^2. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

^3. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

^4. And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.

Numbers 25:2-4

Altars & Idols

The parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-17) provides interesting insight into what altars are. As always with the scriptures, the passage below is cunningly written in literary artistry with a puzzle laid out in an array of voices.

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Matthew 13:22

Looking deeply into the meaning of the deceptively telling phase, the care, gives insight into the heart of the matter. The things that entangle and distract people away from God.

Biblical Translation, Current & Historical Definitions

The phrase “the care”, from the Greek word μέριμνα (mérimna) and pronounced mer’-im-nah means:

STRONGS Concordance Definition

merimna (mer'-im-nah) n.

1. solicitude

[from G3307 (through the idea of distraction)]

Modern Definition

care or concern for someone or something.

Etymology

Solicitude (n.)

early 15c., "diligence, industry, activity; anxiety, care, concern," from Old French solicitude (Modern French sollicitude), and directly from Latin sollicitudinem (nominative solicitudo) "anxiety, uneasiness of mind," noun of state from past-participle stem of solicitare

solicit (v.)

early 15c., soliciten, "to disturb, trouble," from Old French soliciter, solliciter (14c.), from Latin sollicitare "to disturb, rouse, trouble, harass; stimulate, provoke," from sollicitus "agitated," from sollus "whole, entire" (from PIE root *sol- "whole, well-kept") + citus "aroused," past participle of ciere "shake, excite, set in motion" (from PIE root *keie- "to set in motion"). Related: Solicited; soliciting.

The meaning "entreat, petition" is from 1520s. Meaning "to further (business affairs)" evolved mid-15c. from a French sense of "manage affairs." The sexual sense (often in reference to prostitutes) is attested from 1710, probably from a merger of the business sense and an earlier sense of "to court or beg the favor of" (a woman), attested from 1590s.

The care phrase encapsulates activities that disturb, cause trouble, create anxiety, harass, and even provoke. Cares are the altars and idols in this world which distract and dominate our time and lives. They keep us engaged in the sins of the world.

Root of all evil

The altar that powers all sin is money which everything in this world is measured against.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:10

Altars and idols established, aroused, disturbed, and occupied the people by removing their attention from God and allowing unrepentant sin to dominate their lives.

Conclusion

Altars and idols are those things which dominate your life outside of God, allowing unrepentant sin. Some common examples of these idols are:

• Social media (content)

• Films & TV (content)

• Books (content)

• Sexual immorality

• Uneven balances in business (buying and selling)

• Adultery

• Alcohol consumption

• Usury & debt slavery

• Obsession with money

• Sports & games

• Pornographic content

• Sexually explicit clothing

• LGBTQ+

The list goes on and on, but the post must finish. The world has fully embraced the fight against God without understanding its consequences.

^12. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

^13. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

Psalms 37:12-13

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Matthew 24:15

The congregation is rarely found with the necessary knowledge despite it being mandatory. The preceding verses’ warning is evidence of this. Therefore, it is crucial for anyone wanting to survive the journey to God.

The Original Sanctuary

The Tabernacle and the temple were built as the houses of God for him to have a place of rest (Ecclesiasticus 36:12-13, Isaiah 66:1, Acts 7:49). “Having a place of rest” is also a precept, but it is not explored within this post.

The structure of the temple and the working roles of the Levites and priests are outlined in many passages, including:

• The Temple: 1 Chronicles 28:10-21 KJV, 29 NIV, 1 Chronicles 9:10-34 KJV, 1 Kings 5-6, NIV, 2 Chronicles 2–7:10 KJV

• The Tabernacle: Exodus 25-31 KJV

Both the temple and the law of Moses were given by God and outlined in the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy) and throughout the scriptures. However, the practices were only a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:16-17, Hebrews 10:1).

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

Hebrews 10:1 KJV

The law is a guide, but it is used by many to disregard the heart’s compassion through the technicalities of the written word.

The Shadow, The Goal

God does not delight in sacrifices but rather in obedience and love.

^10. Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

^11. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

^12. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

^13. Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

^14. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

^15. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Isaiah 1:10-15 KJV

What is God’s ultimate goal, or what is of the most value to God? The rituals and extravagant structures are barriers to getting to the heart of the matter. This plays into the message that Jesus conveyed, where we worship God in Spirit and Truth rather than temples made by hands (John 4:21-24, John 2:19-22, Acts 7:48).

So what is the goal?

Kings And Priests

Priests are allowed in the holy place, and the high priest into the most Holy. Jesus, our new high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16), tore the veil through his sacrifice between the Holy and the Most Holy place. And with the removal of the veil, the priests now have access to the holiest place. But we are not priests, so how do we factor into this equation?

Doesn’t the Bible say that those who serve God are kings and priests? (Revelation 5:9-10, 1 Peter 2:9)

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 1:6 KJV

Jesus has made us kings and priests standing in the holy place with access to God in the holiest place through the torn veil. This position does not come without playing our part despite the sacrifice of Jesus (Leviticus 16:3-34); we must become relatives through doing the will of the Father (Mark 3:33-35) and branches on the vine (John 15:5).

To stand in the holy place, we must be clean and upright. Jesus is the good tree (Matthew 7:18, John 15), which bears only good fruits. Therefore, if anyone is unclean—a bad fruit, they cannot be a part of Jesus. You have nothing in him (Romans 8:9, John 14:29-31).

The Body, The Temple

Jesus destroyed his temple and raised it in three days. The Pharisees were confused about how he could destroy a temple that had been in the building for forty years and rebuild it in three days. They did not know he meant the temple of his body (John 2:19).

^19. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

^20. For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV

Our body is God’s temple—we must keep it clean. Sin makes our temple unclean, and there are no animal sacrifices for the atonement of sin (Colossians 2:14, Ephesians 2:15). Our high priest, Jesus, died so we could have unfettered access to God, and those who obey will keep their temple clean.

They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.

Hosea 9:4 KJV

A Clean Temple

The clean precept in the scriptures is summed up wonderfully by Samuel.

^16. Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”

^17. And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel.

^18. And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’

^19. Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?”

^20. And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction.

^21. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

^22. And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

^23. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”

1 Samuel 15:16-23 ESV

The law of God is caught up in a skirmish and declared by many as null and void due to Jesus’s sacrifice. Nevertheless, Jesus often declared that he came in the name of his Father and spoke the words of the Father. If this is the case, why would he destroy the law of God, which is to destroy the voice of God?

Samuel’s clear exposition shows that God takes his instructions very seriously. Those instructions form the basis for the steps of those who serve him. God’s removal of Saul’s lineage as king shows that the ones who disobey are not counted as part of his kingdom—they are unclean.

Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.

1 John 3:4 NLT

To be sinful is to be unrighteous and unclean (1 Thessalonians 4:7, Romans 6:19).

The Holy Place

The holy place is the temple, the sanctuary of God. There is no physical temple since we do not worship in hand-made temples. Instead, we worship in spirit and truth through obedience—obedience to God.

Would you present to earthly royalty a derelict palace? Would you present your boss with a rotten apple? God dwells in the temple, the holiest place, and would you keep that place filthy?

The temple is your body; why present God with an unclean place? Do you think God dwells in temples that are not swept?

The holy place is when you make your high place the sanctuary of God. Upon entering the holy place with a clean body, the Most High comes to you. You will understand upon making that choice to walk in the instructions of the Highest and not man.

^16. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

^17. Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

Psalms 73:16-17 KJV

Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

Daniel 10:12 KJV

Conclusion

The holy place is the temple, which is our body. The veil between us as priests and God has been torn by Jesus, our high priest, giving us unrestrained access to God through him, no longer needing any earthly intercessor.

God dwells in clean temples; therefore, to stand in the holy place, the sanctuary of our body is to stand with God. Thus, we must keep our temples clean by obeying God, which is the opposite of sin.

The goal of God is our salvation from this sinful world, harmonising us with him. Remember, Jesus told us these things:

^27. Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

^28. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Luke 12:27-28 KJV

^27. And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

^28. Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Mark 2:27-28 KJV

These are no small words that show us that God loves us and highly values those who love him. Therefore, if you love him, keep his commandments (Exodus 20:6, John 14:15) and be as the gold tried in the fire.

The Priesthood

The Levitical priesthood sat above all else in the kingdom. This point is often missed when considering that kings ruled over Israel since the days of Samuel. Despite these earthly kings, the priests were placed by God in his stead on earth to lead by example and teach the people. The priests were the anointed leaders of the earthly nation governed by the heavenly kingdom of God.

The following two references from The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs highlight the understanding of the position of the Levites and their commander, God.

As the heaven is higher than the earth, so is the priesthood of God higher than the earthly kingdom, unless it falls away through sin from the Lord and is dominated by the earthly kingdom.

The Testament of Judah 21:4-5 (See also: The Testament of Levi 8:11-19)

The Temple

The Tabernacle (temple) is a place of service for God, where the priests taught the people and instructed them in the ways of God. They could be found when needed by the people in this place. They executed their duties here, such as judgment, sacrifices, declaring clean or unclean (leprosy), addressing suspicions of adultery, etc.

The priest performed the daily sacrifices (1 Chronicles 16:39-40) and sacrificed on behalf of the people when atoning for their sins or even offering a peace sacrifice. In their duties, the Levites and the priests, the descendants of Aaron (a Levite), were distributed throughout all the tribes of Israel. This necessity is likened to today’s services, which are placed in available places to serve the population.

^1. And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

^2. Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.

^3. And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

^4. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

1 Kings 3:1-4

Satan’s High Places

Although Jesus has trampled on the devil (Colossians 2:15, Luke 10:18-19) and destroyed his kingdom, his reign is realised in the future (Revelation 22:12, Daniel 2:34-35 + 44-45). This means that satan currently exercises considerable control on earth (Matthew 4:8-11, 1 Peter 5:8) and has deceived the entire world (Revelation 12:9).

^8. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

^9. And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

^10. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

^11. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Matthew 4:8-11

The passage indicates that Satan had control of the world (Ephesians 2:2, John 14:30) by the fact that he offered it to Jesus. Considering that Satan is a liar, we can look around us today to see the world engulfed in sin. The following further indicates that dark forces control those who run the world.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:12

If we are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places, then we wrestle against the one who exercises power over the world’s rulers. This wickedness sits in “high places”, those places of power on the earth. The evidence can be seen from the constant degradation and depravation in the world.

High Places

The previous information shows that a high place is a place of power—rulership, influence, and control. As seen in 1 Kings 3:1-4, there are great high places, thus implying there are ones smaller.

As with many biblical precepts, this term can be used on several levels, including physical, personal and spiritual.

Your High Places

Your body is the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We do not worship God in temples made with hands but in Spirit and truth (Acts 7:48, Acts 17:24, John 4:21-24). We worship by having the testimony of Jesus and keeping the commandments of God.

When anything becomes of more value and occupies a place of power, influence and rulership in our lives, it occupies our temple—our high place reserved for God. This becomes our idol and sacrificial altar—the thing we bow down to and rules our lives.

A High Place On Every Street

^21. That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?

^22. And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.

^23. And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD;)

^24. That thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street.

^25. Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.

^26. Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.

Ezekiel 16:21-26

Israel departed from the ways of God and established idols of greed, debauchery, deceit, dishonesty, religion and material possessions (Ezekiel 6:13). They established another value system and chased after (Hosea 2:1-12) the way of the other nations. They forgot who was behind their successes and began to value their success over the one who gave it to them.

There is no success without God, and all material possessions are vanity. Everything is vanity (Ecclesiastes 12:8). Even the idolised King James Version of the protestant Bible is vanity and has become an idol to many.

Conclusion

Solomon, as did Israel, turned away from God (1 Kings 11:7) in favour of the powers and principalities of the other nations. They forgot that God made them the head, not the tail (Deuteronomy 28:13), and all good things come from God (James 1:17).

The Prince of Persia (Daniel 10:12-13), the spiritual wickedness that rules in high places in this world, creates a world of abominations.

• The perpetual chasing of money and material possessions.

• Open hedonism without shame, but rather glorified.

• Cheating and false balances at every turn. Normal practices of deceit both in low and high places.

• Adultery and fornication in every crevice with the destruction of the marriage union created by God.

• The poisoning of foods and monetisation of health.

• The rampant destruction of war for profit.

Everyone has their idols and polluted their bodily temples with high places on every corner. Those of sports, money, drunkenness, gossip, religion, wars, greed, deceit and many abominations infesting the earth. All these abominations sink the world further into destruction.

Find more information on worship and the mark of the beast here.

Under the microscope

Anyone who peruses this website will know providing scriptural evidence is a primary focus. We offer no opinion with subjective bias on the word of God. This article will be no different and put the following passage under the microscope.

^21. I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

^22. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

^23. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.

^24. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

^25. Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?

^26. But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

^27. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts.

Amos 5:21-27 KJV

But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.

The world is currently consumed with money and the quest for the destruction of God. Therefore, judgement and deciding matters impartially are of low priority. Although they make a show of fairness, military, economic and political conflicts are, without fail, powered by greed, inequality and opposition to God.

In addition, Christianity is filled with sinners who take offence when highlighting their sins. Only God can judge me; the retort is the epitome of denial and wanting to remain in sin. A ridiculous attempt at rebutting and shaming the voice of judgement, despite that voice showing them God.

Judgement & Righteousness

Fair judgment involves considering a matter and deciding the outcome without bias on the standards of God—an equitable balance of judgement irrespective of riches, race, relationship, status, etc.

God rejected their feast days (holydays/holidays), offerings, songs, and music. The misconception that worship is assembling, singing, and mouthing "praise God" is a myth. He does not delight in the fat of rams (offerings) but in righteousness (1 Samuel 15:22, Isaiah 1:11).

We must live righteously and judge matters with compassion and fairness.

To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

Isaiah 1:11 KJV

The Most High does not delight in you asking for forgiveness but instead obedience. There is no need for forgiveness if his instructions are kept. Neither does God rejoice in your celebrations, songs and offerings to him if you do not obey his voice—living righteously and judging fairly.

Those who go to church and call it "worship" or "praising God" are sadly mistaken. God is interested in how you live your life according to his word. He puts little weight on your celebrations and words praising him without that.

Amos 5:6-15 shows that turning to God, who made the seven stars and Orion, who created the night and day cycle, is to love the ones who speak uprightly, help the poor, not take bribes, not afflict the righteous and live uprightly.

So often, we see the world hating the ones who speak the truth while celebrating sin as if it were righteousness. This behaviour is directly in contrast to God and consequently leads to death.

Worship

To worship and to love are the same things. To love God is to keep His commandments (2 John 1:6, 1 John 5:3). How we live our lives is worship and demonstrates who we ultimately serve.

I feel emotional over the beauty of this passage, and it delights my heart to see God showing clearly what he is most interested in from us. Unless we worship him in the way he has commanded through the way we live our lives, he will reject everything else.

^9. Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:

^10. And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

Zechariah 7:9-10 KJV

Conclusion

The evidence shows complete certainty that worship is not simply raising your hands in the air or singing "worship" songs. Summing up, it is obvious, and without question, there is complete certainty that worship is keeping the commands of God.

There will inevitably be many people who will still choose the other paths. This, of course, will be to their detriment, but so many insist on maintaining their lives instead of turning to God. Finally, you must build your treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21) and abandon carnal, secular, earthly quests.