The Altar at Home
“And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord.” 1 Samuel 7:15-17
In the life of Samuel, we see a remarkable portrait of faithful leadership. As Israel’s judge, prophet, and intercessor, Samuel didn’t confine his ministry to a single location. Year after year, he embarked on a circuit—traveling to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah—to teach, guide, and judge the people. His public ministry was tireless and far-reaching, marked by fervent prayers for Israel’s repentance and devotion to God. He interceded not just for their physical needs but for their hearts to turn fully to the Lord, pleading against their idolatry and calling them back to covenant faithfulness.
Yet what stands out profoundly is Samuel’s return home to Ramah. There, in the quiet of his own dwelling, he built an altar to the Lord. This wasn’t a grand temple or a public monument; it was personal, intimate.
As commentator David Guzik observes, “An altar was a place of sacrifice and worship, and Samuel had a consistent relationship with the LORD in sacrifice and worship.” It was the sacred space where he offered sacrifices, poured out his soul in worship, and deepened his communion with God. It symbolized his total surrender—offering not just animals, but his very life in devotion. This private altar fueled his public circuit; his outward faithfulness flowed from inward intimacy.
Samuel’s example challenges us: True spiritual leadership isn’t sustained by busyness or public acclaim alone. It springs from a hidden life of devotion, where we meet God in sacrifice and adoration.
As New Testament believers, we stand on even firmer ground than Samuel. The writer of Hebrews reminds us of “a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands” (Hebrews 9:11) and declares that “Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands” (Hebrews 9:24). Through the blood of Jesus, we have direct access to an eternal altar—not built of stone, but established in the heavens. This is where we offer “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5), including our prayers, worship, and even our bodies as living sacrifices. (Romans 12:1-2) “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
Jesus Himself affirmed our privileged position when He said, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). Samuel and John were giants of faith under the Old Covenant, but we in the New have the finished work of Christ—the cross that atoned once for all. We possess the indwelling Holy Spirit, poured out at Pentecost (Acts 2), empowering us from within. We hold the complete canon of Scripture, revealing God’s full plan. As Paul describes, we carry “this treasure in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7), with “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” shining in our hearts" (2 Corinthians 4:6). The love of Christ compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14) to give our all.
For all believers, but especially pastors and Christian leaders, this means our public ministries—preaching, teaching, interceding—must overflow from deep private devotion. Like Samuel’s altar at home, our “altar time” isn’t merely checking off a prayer list for others’ ailments (valuable as that is). It’s surrendering ourselves wholly to God—confessing sin, adoring His holiness, aligning our wills with His, and interceding for the church’s devotion to Christ above all. If Samuel’s circuit was powered by his Ramah altar, how much more should our lives reflect the glory of our greater privileges?
Examine your private devotion. Is it a rushed routine or a sacred surrender? Commit to building your “altar at home”—a consistent time and place for offering yourself to God. Let it fuel your public faithfulness, knowing that in Christ, you have access Samuel could only foreshadow.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we praise you for our privileged position and spiritual inheritance in Christ. Nothing can compare to this. Thank You for the example of Samuel, whose life teaches us the power of private devotion. Help us, as New Testament believers, to embrace our greater altar through Jesus’ blood. May our hidden lives of sacrifice and worship overflow into fruitful ministry. Compel us by Your love to give our all, for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
In the life of Samuel, we see a remarkable portrait of faithful leadership. As Israel’s judge, prophet, and intercessor, Samuel didn’t confine his ministry to a single location. Year after year, he embarked on a circuit—traveling to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah—to teach, guide, and judge the people. His public ministry was tireless and far-reaching, marked by fervent prayers for Israel’s repentance and devotion to God. He interceded not just for their physical needs but for their hearts to turn fully to the Lord, pleading against their idolatry and calling them back to covenant faithfulness.
Yet what stands out profoundly is Samuel’s return home to Ramah. There, in the quiet of his own dwelling, he built an altar to the Lord. This wasn’t a grand temple or a public monument; it was personal, intimate.
As commentator David Guzik observes, “An altar was a place of sacrifice and worship, and Samuel had a consistent relationship with the LORD in sacrifice and worship.” It was the sacred space where he offered sacrifices, poured out his soul in worship, and deepened his communion with God. It symbolized his total surrender—offering not just animals, but his very life in devotion. This private altar fueled his public circuit; his outward faithfulness flowed from inward intimacy.
Samuel’s example challenges us: True spiritual leadership isn’t sustained by busyness or public acclaim alone. It springs from a hidden life of devotion, where we meet God in sacrifice and adoration.
As New Testament believers, we stand on even firmer ground than Samuel. The writer of Hebrews reminds us of “a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands” (Hebrews 9:11) and declares that “Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands” (Hebrews 9:24). Through the blood of Jesus, we have direct access to an eternal altar—not built of stone, but established in the heavens. This is where we offer “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5), including our prayers, worship, and even our bodies as living sacrifices. (Romans 12:1-2) “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
Jesus Himself affirmed our privileged position when He said, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). Samuel and John were giants of faith under the Old Covenant, but we in the New have the finished work of Christ—the cross that atoned once for all. We possess the indwelling Holy Spirit, poured out at Pentecost (Acts 2), empowering us from within. We hold the complete canon of Scripture, revealing God’s full plan. As Paul describes, we carry “this treasure in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7), with “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” shining in our hearts" (2 Corinthians 4:6). The love of Christ compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14) to give our all.
For all believers, but especially pastors and Christian leaders, this means our public ministries—preaching, teaching, interceding—must overflow from deep private devotion. Like Samuel’s altar at home, our “altar time” isn’t merely checking off a prayer list for others’ ailments (valuable as that is). It’s surrendering ourselves wholly to God—confessing sin, adoring His holiness, aligning our wills with His, and interceding for the church’s devotion to Christ above all. If Samuel’s circuit was powered by his Ramah altar, how much more should our lives reflect the glory of our greater privileges?
Examine your private devotion. Is it a rushed routine or a sacred surrender? Commit to building your “altar at home”—a consistent time and place for offering yourself to God. Let it fuel your public faithfulness, knowing that in Christ, you have access Samuel could only foreshadow.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we praise you for our privileged position and spiritual inheritance in Christ. Nothing can compare to this. Thank You for the example of Samuel, whose life teaches us the power of private devotion. Help us, as New Testament believers, to embrace our greater altar through Jesus’ blood. May our hidden lives of sacrifice and worship overflow into fruitful ministry. Compel us by Your love to give our all, for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.