--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God warned Israel, \"And if thou wilt make…" description: "\"God warned Israel, \"And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/max-anders-2957_altars_god-warned-israel-and-if-thou-wilt-make_1866942.jpg" --- # God warned Israel, "And if thou wilt make me an altar of… ![“God warned Israel, "And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it" (Ex. 20:25). To pollute something is to make it ordinary. God insists that any approach crafted by human ingenuity will produce a…” quote by Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/max-anders-2957_altars_god-warned-israel-and-if-thou-wilt-make_1866942.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/max-anders-2957_altars_god-warned-israel-and-if-thou-wilt-make_1866942.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/max-anders-2957_altars_god-warned-israel-and-if-thou-wilt-make_1866942.jpg) > “God warned Israel, "And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it" (Ex. 20:25). To pollute something is to make it ordinary. God insists that any approach crafted by human ingenuity will produce a worship system just like all the pagan systems in the world. In other words, it will be common or profane - just like everyone else's paganism.” [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human-made worship structures risk becoming ordinary and profane, mirroring pagan practices. **In simple terms:** Human designs can become ordinary and Key Takeaway Avoid relying on human ingenuity for sacred matters. Themes religion human nature purity tradition Mood reflective serious Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - building altars - designing rituals - religious reforms Key Concepts theology iconoclasm cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - Can sacredness be preserved in human-made objects? - What defines a profane versus holy structure? A Different Perspective Human creativity may still produce meaningful worship if guided properly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Altars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/altars/) [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Exes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exes/) [God War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-war/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ingenuity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenuity/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Pagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pagan/) [Paganism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paganism/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) ## Related quotes > [People in minority religious communities, like Paganism, often feel isolated and even marginalized by others because of the lifestyle differences associated with their spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-myers/people-in-minority-religious-communities-like-paganism-often-feel/) [Brendan Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-myers/) > [Even the wisest people learn little from their successes; God warns His people against allowing their victories (which He will grant) to lead them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/even-the-wisest-people-learn-little-from-their-successes-god-warns/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [“Sin is not a mistake. A mistake is taking the wrong exit on the highway. A sin is treason against a Holy God. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosaria-champagne-butterfield/sin-is-not-a-mistake-a-mistake-is-taking-the-wrong-exit-on-the/) [Rosaria Champagne Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosaria-champagne-butterfield/) > [God warned me. He told me to build a boat...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah/god-warned-me-he-told-me-to-build-a-boat/) [Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah/) > [“People create their own gods so that they could compete with other people's gods. It is not the humanity that fights but human gods.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aporva-kala/people-create-their-own-gods-so-that-they-could-compete-with-other/) [Aporva Kala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aporva-kala/) > [“It was so cold. In the monastery. Sometimes the wind came from the sea with ice in it... It could freeze the skin off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dunant/it-was-so-cold-in-the-monastery-sometimes-the-wind-came-from-the-sea/) [Sarah Dunant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dunant/) > [God warms his hands at man's heart when he prays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-masefield/god-warms-his-hands-at-man-s-heart-when-he-prays/) [John Masefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-masefield/) > [Throughout the Old Testament, God warns his chosen people about the perils of assimilation, shiksappeal and false gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/throughout-the-old-testament-god-warns-his-chosen-people-about-the/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [God warns before he wounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/god-warns-before-he-wounds/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [“The word of God warns us of every scheme of wickedness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-word-of-god-warns-us-of-every-scheme-of-wickedness/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Very good orators, when they are out, they will spit; and for lovers, lacking--God warn us!--matter, the cleanliest shift is to kiss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/very-good-orators-when-they-are-out-they-will-spit-and-for-lovers/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“I knew I was in danger from the moment I proposed visiting you a second time. I knew because God warned me by sending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-knox/i-knew-i-was-in-danger-from-the-moment-i-proposed-visiting-you-a/) [Elizabeth Knox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-knox/) > [Hinduism ... gave itself no name, because it set itself no sectarian limits; it claimed no universal adhesion, asserted no sole infallible dogma, set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/hinduism-gave-itself-no-name-because-it-set-itself-no-sectarian-2/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [“Thousands of years ago, after the big Titan—God war, the gods had sliced him to bits with his own scythe and scattered his remains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/thousands-of-years-ago-after-the-big-titan-god-war-the-gods-had/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The God Wars had not been a pleasant time for Craftsmen and Craftswomen around the world. One day, you’re a simple thaumaturge, idly meddling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-gladstone/the-god-wars-had-not-been-a-pleasant-time-for-craftsmen-and/) [Max Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-gladstone/) ## More by Max Anders > [Although their parents died in the wilderness for their stubbornness, Israel could profit from the older generation's failure by remembering that God had used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/although-their-parents-died-in-the-wilderness-for-their-stubbornness/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [Every demonstration of God's faithfulness to us is an opportunity for us to testify of Him to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/every-demonstration-of-god-s-faithfulness-to-us-is-an-opportunity-for/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [Spiritual leadership ought to be given to those who have proven themselves under stress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/spiritual-leadership-ought-to-be-given-to-those-who-have-proven/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [Our lives will last as long as God has something for us to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/our-lives-will-last-as-long-as-god-has-something-for-us-to-do/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [God expects believers to improve their attitude in giving as well as their giving itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/god-expects-believers-to-improve-their-attitude-in-giving-as-well-as/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [God wanted Israel, as He wants Christians, to learn to utterly abhor and detest anything that had the potential of coming between them and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/god-wanted-israel-as-he-wants-christians-to-learn-to-utterly-abhor/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [People sometimes punish to exact judgment for past actions. God disciplines in order to teach and always in the interest of those whom he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/people-sometimes-punish-to-exact-judgment-for-past-actions-god/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [Courage is the most fundamental of all virtues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/courage-is-the-most-fundamental-of-all-virtues/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [We dare not trim stones to make God an altar, for if we do we ruin everything. We would spend time bringing people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/we-dare-not-trim-stones-to-make-god-an-altar-for-if-we-do-we-ruin/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [God is concerned that Christians live consistent with their profession even in the seemingly small and insignificant areas of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/god-is-concerned-that-christians-live-consistent-with-their/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [God is enough like us to understand our problems and enough above us to be able to solve them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/god-is-enough-like-us-to-understand-our-problems-and-enough-above-us/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [Grace is always given freely by God, but grace received should always issue in a joyous delight in Him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/grace-is-always-given-freely-by-god-but-grace-received-should-always/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [God delights in providing His people with material gain and comfort, although prosperity can pose a threat to spiritual well-being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/god-delights-in-providing-his-people-with-material-gain-and-comfort/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [Christians should be among those who speak loudest in defense of civil liberties and the protection of the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/christians-should-be-among-those-who-speak-loudest-in-defense-of/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [God chose Israel not because they were superior but because of what He could do through them for others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/god-chose-israel-not-because-they-were-superior-but-because-of-what/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) [Explore all 144 Max Anders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) ## More Altars quotes > [There are different kinds of fire; there is false fire. No one knows this better than we do, but we are not such fools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-booth/there-are-different-kinds-of-fire-there-is-false-fire-no-one-knows/) [William Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-booth/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [he cult of productivity has its place, but worshipping at its altar daily robs us of the very capacity for joy and wonder that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-popova/he-cult-of-productivity-has-its-place-but-worshipping-at-its-altar/) [Maria Popova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-popova/) > [This is the sacrifice: the endless possibility that is offered up on the altar of the form...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/this-is-the-sacrifice-the-endless-possibility-that-is-offered-up-on/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) > [When a buddha is painted, not only a clay altar or lump of earth is used, but the thirty-two marks, a blade of grass,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/when-a-buddha-is-painted-not-only-a-clay-altar-or-lump-of-earth-is/) [Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/) > [Go not to the temple to put flowers upon the feet of God, first fill your own house with the fragrance of love. Go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/go-not-to-the-temple-to-put-flowers-upon-the-feet-of-god-first-fill/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [And in any preaching you do, admonish the people concerning repentance, and that nobody can be saved except he who receives the most holy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-of-assisi/and-in-any-preaching-you-do-admonish-the-people-concerning-repentance/) [Francis of Assisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-of-assisi/) > [Yes, thou art ever present, power divine; not circumscribed by time, nor fixed by space, confined to altars, nor to temples bound. In wealth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-more/yes-thou-art-ever-present-power-divine-not-circumscribed-by-time-nor/) [Hannah More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-more/) > [The revolting details of childbirth had been hidden from me with such care that I was as surprised as I was horrified, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-curchod/the-revolting-details-of-childbirth-had-been-hidden-from-me-with-such/) [Suzanne Curchod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-curchod/) > [Heroism, self-denial, and magnanimity, in all instances where they do not spring from a principle of religion, are but splendid altars on which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/heroism-self-denial-and-magnanimity-in-all-instances-where-they-do/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [It is by far the most elegant worship, hardly excepting the Greek mythology. What with incense, pictures, statues, altars, shrines, relics, and the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/it-is-by-far-the-most-elegant-worship-hardly-excepting-the-greek/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [For me it's really tough because you have to go to that place where you really, really don't want to go to or revisit.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-chestnut/for-me-it-s-really-tough-because-you-have-to-go-to-that-place-where/) [Morris Chestnut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-chestnut/) > [For piety lies not in being often seen turning a veiled head to stones, nor in approaching every altar, nor in lying prostratebefore the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/for-piety-lies-not-in-being-often-seen-turning-a-veiled-head-to/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [It is when we are in misery that we revere the gods; the prosperous seldom approach the altar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silius-italicus/it-is-when-we-are-in-misery-that-we-revere-the-gods-the-prosperous/) [Silius Italicus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silius-italicus/) > [Pope Gelasius in his ninth letter (chap. 26) to the bishops of Lucania condemned the evil practice which had been introduced of women serving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xiv/pope-gelasius-in-his-ninth-letter-chap-26-to-the-bishops-of-lucania/) [Pope Benedict XIV](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xiv/) [Browse all 329 Altars quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/altars/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "God warned Israel, \"And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it\" (Ex. 20:25). To pollute something is to make it ordinary. God insists that any approach crafted by human ingenuity will produce a worship system just like all the pagan systems in the world. In other words, it will be common or profane - just like everyone else's paganism.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Max Anders" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/god-warned-israel-and-if-thou-wilt-make-me-an-altar-of-stone-thou/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Altars" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/god-warned-israel-and-if-thou-wilt-make-me-an-altar-of-stone-thou/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/max-anders-2957_altars_god-warned-israel-and-if-thou-wilt-make_1866942.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/max-anders-2957_altars_god-warned-israel-and-if-thou-wilt-make_1866942.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fd/max-anders-2957_altars_god-warned-israel-and-if-thou-wilt-make_1866942.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“God warned Israel, \"And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for…” — Max Anders", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Max Anders", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "God warned Israel, \"And if thou...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/god-warned-israel-and-if-thou-wilt-make-me-an-altar-of-stone-thou/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/god-warned-israel-and-if-thou-wilt-make-me-an-altar-of-stone-thou/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```