God's Promised Presence Essential to Constitute a Church
T. Guthrie, D. D. Exodus 20:24 An altar of earth you shall make to me, and shall sacrifice thereon your burnt offerings, and your peace offerings, your sheep… I. THE EXTENT OF THE PROMISE. What and where are the places where we are to receive this blessing? Before God gave the promise, He gave instructions to the children of Israel about sacrifices — what kind of offerings to bring, what animals to offer, what kind of altars to build; and having given these instructions, He follows them by the promise that "in all places where I record My name, I will come unto thee and bless thee." We must easily see that the places where God recorded His name were places where altars were built to Him — where lambs bled in sacrifice, and where the ordinances and commands of God were observed by the people. II. THE BLESSING PROMISED. 1. "I will come to thee." God's gracious presence. 2. "I will bless thee." Remind Him of His promise. 3. Make this a house of prayer. (T. Guthrie, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. WEB: You shall make an altar of earth for me, and shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I record my name I will come to you and I will bless you.