1701. The Pure Gold and the Horns
The Pure Gold and the Horns
"And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof" (Exo_30:3).
The pure gold with which the Altar was overlaid is a type of the Deity of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ was God manifest in the flesh. He was both the Son of God, and God the Son. There is no approach to God, where His Deity is set aside. Christ said, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."
It is when we ask in His name that we have the things which we desire; it is when we abide in Him and His words abide in us, that we ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us.
In all of this, the one who worships a human Christ has no possible approach to God; for the Scriptures just quoted (see John 14) confess Christ as the Divine "I am," the Son of God.
The Deity of Christ gives Divine value to our prayers as we offer them up to the Father, through Him.
The Altar was composed of wood and gold–wood overlaid with gold. The wood typifies the human, and the gold the Divine, showing us that Jesus Christ is the God-man.
The horns speak of the power of prayer. The horns seem to say unto us, "God cannot deny those who come unto the Father in Christ's name." The horns seem to say, "What ye ask, I will do."
It would take volumes to write about the mighty results of prayer; we may mention three instances.
(1) Lot was in Sodom, and God told Abraham that He would destroy that wicked city. Then Abraham prayed, "Lord, if there be fifty righteous;" "If there be forty five righteous," and so on, until, finally, Abraham said, "Lord, if there be ten righteous, wilt Thou not spare the city?" In each case God granted Abraham's petition. Yet, because Abraham stopped praying, and also because there were not ten righteous, the city was burned. But Abraham's prayer was honored, for we read these remarkable words: "God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out." Abraham laid hold of the horns of the Altar of Incense, and although Sodom burned, Lot, who was the real burden of Abraham's prayer, was saved.
(2) Elijah took hold of the horns of the Altar of prayer. He prayed that it might not rain, and the heavens were shut for the space of three and one half years. Again he took hold of the horns of the Altar of prayer, and the windows of heaven were opened, pouring out an abundant blessing on the famine-stricken land.
(3) The early Church took hold of the horns. It was threatened with extinction by its mighty and numerous foes. The little company met and prayed, and we are told that "when they had prayed, the place was shaken" and the mighty power of God was manifested in the salvation of many souls. There is no doubt of the mighty power of prayer.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR