How do the particular rules found in the Law of Moses flesh out the universal, eternal principles found in the Ten Commandments? To begin answering that question, today’s passage takes a look at part of the ceremonial law, which spells out the way that God’s Old Testament people were called to worship Him. Because they were looking forward to the cross of Christ, to the sacrifice He had not yet offered up for their sins, they were called to make daily sacrifices of animals (v. 24), shedding their blood as a sign of the need for the greater, more permanent sacrifice to come.

But God said that their altars should be made of earth or of naturally shaped, undressed stones (vv. 24-25). It was thus the sacrifice that was to be the focus of their attention – not the beauty of the altar on which it was offered. In the same way, Christ alone must be the center of all New Testament worship. If the technology or the songs or the architecture ever overpower the simple gospel message, we have missed the point.

In the same way, and in repeating and expanding the Second Commandment, God warns all of us of the danger of incorporating materialism into our worship. God’s Old Testament people were not to worship images of precious metals (v. 23), and we are not to place our trust in the things we consider to be similarly valuable: our bank accounts or retirement plans or Social Security checks. In fact, keeping our focus on the sacrifice of Christ should remind us of the relative unimportance of worldly wealth – after all, Jesus was so poor at the time of His death that He had to be laid in another man’s tomb. And yet by His death He won the greatest victory in all of human history – victory over sin and death itself.

But verse 26 warns us against another, perhaps even more attractive idol – the worship of sex. Many ancient religions, for example, taught that having sexual relations with a temple prostitute would encourage the gods to make the earth fertile, sending the appropriate amounts of sun and rain. And while we harbor no such superstitions, many modern folk are no less drawn to the worship of sex itself, believing it to be the key to human happiness and health.

In stark contrast, and to forestall even the appearance of impropriety during His worship, God told His ancient priests not to build high altars with steps that might allow even an inadvertent glimpse under their robes (v. 26). In a similar way, shouldn’t we also seek to avoid similar distractions, being modest in our own dress and pure in our own intentions as we come to corporate worship? As much as we might look forward to seeing our sweethearts at church, that isn’t really the point, is it?

No, the point of the ceremonial law is the same as the point of all of the Christian life – devotion to Christ alone and thanksgiving for the sacrifice He has made for us. May He alone be the focus of all our lives today.

Exodus 20:22-26 (NASB)

22 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.
23 ‘You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves.
24 ‘You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.
25 ‘And if you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it.
26 ‘And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’