There are times when we make worship more complicated than it needs to be. We worry about the right words, the right appearance, the right atmosphere. We start thinking God is impressed by our polish or our presentation. But in this short passage at the end of Exodus 20, God pulls His people back to the basics. He shows them that true worship is not about show. It is not about performance. It is not about our ability to impress Him. True worship is about coming to Him as people who know they have been rescued. People who know their need. People who come with honesty and gratitude. And maybe that is exactly what you need to hear today.
Exodus 20:22–26 (ESV)
And the Lord said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the people of Israel, You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. An altar of earth you shall make for me and 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. If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.
God begins with a reminder. You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. In other words, God says, you do not worship a distant God. You worship a God who speaks. A God who reveals Himself. A God who draws near. Worship is never us trying to climb up to God. Worship is always God coming down to His people.
And because of that, God warns them again. Do not make gods of silver or gold. Do not try to create something to stand beside Me. The temptation for Israel is the same temptation we feel in our hearts. To create something physical. Something impressive. Something visible. Something we can control. But God will not be placed beside our idols. He knows that whatever competes with Him will eventually enslave us. True worship begins with letting God be God.
Then God gives a surprising instruction. Make an altar of earth. Not of polished stone. Not of carved blocks. Not of impressive craftsmanship. Just earth. Dirt. Something ordinary. Something humble. Something that reminds you that you come to God not because of what you can build but because of what He has done. And if you use stone, He says, do not shape it. Do not cut it. Do not decorate it. Because the moment we begin chiseling the stone, the moment we try to make the altar impressive, the focus moves from who God is, to how skillful we are. Worship becomes performance.
And then God says something even stranger. Do not build steps leading up to the altar. Why. Because climbing lifted robes would expose the worshipper. God is telling His people something simple. Come before Me with dignity. Come before Me without show. Come before Me without trying to elevate yourself. Worship is not about rising above others. Worship is about humbly standing before a holy God who loves you.
All through this passage God is stripping away the things we add to worship. He is taking away the idols. The decorations. The performance. He is removing anything that might draw our attention away from Him and back toward ourselves. And He replaces all of it with something breathtaking. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. That is the heart of worship. Not our ability to climb up to God, but God choosing to come down to us.
And of course, this reaches its fullness in Jesus. Jesus is the place where God causes His name to be remembered. Jesus is the altar where the final sacrifice was offered. Jesus is the One who removes every barrier. Jesus is the One who brings blessing from heaven to earth. Through Him, our worship is not about what we bring but about what He has already done. We come to God not with impressive stones or perfect steps but with humble hearts that rest in Christ.
So maybe your next step today is to let God simplify your worship. To stop trying to impress Him. To stop thinking your performance is what matters. Maybe it is simply to remember that worship is about God coming near to you. And that He delights to meet you when you come with honesty and gratitude. Even if all you bring is the equivalent of an altar made of dirt.
Prayer
Father, teach us to worship You with humility and honesty. Strip away our idols and our desire to perform. Help us remember that You are the God who comes near. Thank You for Jesus, the true altar and the place where Your name is remembered. Draw our hearts back to You in simple and joyful worship. In Jesus name, Amen.