Focus: Horns Of The Altar!

Text: 1Kgs.1:50

"And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on THE HORNS OF THE ALTAR."

At God's bidding Moses set up the tabernacle in the wilderness. Part of that tabernacle is an altar. God instructed Moses to raise up four horns on the altar at the four points of it, and to overlay them with brass. 

In Ezekiel we read, "So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be FOUR HORNS" (Ezk.43:15). The horns were overlaid with brass, and interestingly, brass in the Old Testament speaks of divine judgment. Moses says, "And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be Brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron" (Dt.28:23). A brassy heaven would be God's judgment on Israel for acts of disobedience to Him. Moses says concerning the horns of the altar, "And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with BRASS" (Ex.38:2). 

These horns were animal horns - animals used for sacrifice. The priests were instructed to sprinkle the blood of sacrifice on the four horns, which showed that judgment had already taken place. What is also interesting is that in Revelation we read that the horns of the altar were described as "the golden horns." John says, "And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the GOLDEN altar which is before God" (Rev.9:13). It has moved from brass to gold, and gold signified the glory of God. 

God is ever glorified whenever and wherever sin is judged and righteousness restored.

The psalmist says, "God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar" (Ps.118:27).

Now our text says that Adonijah, to avoid being killed by Solomon, ran to the altar of God and held unto its horns. The horns themselves point to the fact that blood had been shed and judgment executed. So holding to the horns of the altar meant that one had run to God for protection on account of the judgment previously made. Solomon then said that Adonijah should not be touched or killed, having taken hold of the horns of the altar. We read also of Joab, "And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar" (1Kgs.2:28). So the horns of the altar serve as a place of refuge.

How can we, in today's world, lay hold of the horns of the altar for our own salvation and safety? Jacob has a word for us: "O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which SAIDST unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee" (Gen.32:9). In verse 12, he says, "And thou SAIDST, I will surely do thee good" (Gen.32:12). Jacob was pleading with God on the basis of His own word of promise. 

You are laying hold on the horns of the altar when you plead with God to do His own word and fulfill His own promise.

Jeremiah says, "Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou SAIDST, Fear not" (Lam.3:57). Lord, you told me not to be afraid; don't let fear be my greatest undoing. David held unto the horns of the altar when he said to God in prayer, "And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said" (2Sam.7:25). He says to God, "Do as you have said." 

You will find the horns of the altar in the place of prayer and in the place where you say to yourself what God has said to you.

Tell God to do as He has said, and also, tell yourself what God has said to you. The psalmist says, "When thou SAIDST, Seek ye my face; my heart SAID unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek" (Ps.27:8).

It is your turn to lay hold on the horns of the altar by taking God's word to the prayer room. Plead with God on the ground of His word. Lay hold on the horns of the altar for your own security and tranquility.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter