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.