SCRIPTURE
"He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered to the LORD burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings." (Joshua 8:31-32)
OBSERVATION
Joshua built the altar of rocks he found laying around. Not from cultured marble nor from molded or sculptured stone. Nope. New ones that were old. Ones that hadn't been touched by human hands or reshaped by a tool. Stones from the ground whose first usage by man is to make an altar. Sometimes old is new.
It was God's instructions found in Deuteronomy 27:10- "You shall build the altar of the LORD your God of uncut stones..." For some reason, God took delight in something fresh, raw, unedited, and uneven. You'd think that He'd want the sculptor's best work of art. I guess He sometimes does, but on this one, it would be different.
APPLICATION
There needs to be times where I need to include fresh adventures, fresh presentations to God that are a la naturale. He delights in them, and in a way, He created us to do the same. Our souls yearn for uncut stones, altars that are rough-hewn. It represents the fact that we don't always need the newest, fanciest, or most modern. Sometimes we need to restore the balance of our lives with uncut stones. Happiness can become increasingly elusive the further we move away from uncut stones.
A camping trip without the modern conveniences. A praise gathering without sound systems and air conditioning. A handwritten card of thanks instead of a store-bought one. A older car whose air system is rolling down the windows. Playing baseball with a wooden bat and old boards for bases. A picnic with the family ... instead of going to Chili's or California Pizza. I think God delights in altars made this way ... and I feel the yearning in my soul to build some that way.
PRAYER
Lord, please help me to build with uncut stones at times. I know that there will be a place for the magnificent palaces of Solomon's temple, but there are also times for uncut stones. We don't always have to "trump" the last time and outdo ourselves. Maybe it's time to build in this season of my life, with uncut stones.
