S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

In speaking of judgment, God says, "The horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground" (Amos 3:14). What were these horns of the altar? Why were they important?The "horns" were horn-li...

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July 01 2013 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Kenneth Heck Supporter

In Ezek 1:10, the four living creatures each had four faces: one of a man (representing rational intelligence), One of a lion (representing courage and royalty), one of an ox (representing power to act), and one of a eagle (representing the all-seeing eye of God). Each of these is an aspect of 
God's sovereignty in human affairs.

The horns on the altar indicated that the sacrifices performed there gave to God the justification to intervene as forcibly as an ox into the lives of the Israelites. Grasping the horns meant appealing to God through the power and authority of the sacrifices. Asylum was granted because otherwise it might imply that the sacrifices were not meaningful. The one exception to the rule was Joab (1 Kings 2:28-34) who caught hold of the horns, but was executed anyway because he had shed innocent blood.

Cutting off the horns meant that the sacrifices would be in vain because God would refuse to intervene.

January 14 2015 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tony Fosu Supporter

Taking hold of the Horn on the Altar meant appealing through the sacrifice. The horn is symbolic of the death of the object of sacrifice; the ram that had the horn. This was of the Old Covenant. 

In the New Covenant the Ultimate Sacrifice is made; The Lamb of God. Laying hold of the Horn (Old Covenant) is tantamount to laying plea by the Blood of Atonement (the Blood of the Lamb) where the New Testament believer gets refuge and pardon.

The Power of the Blood of the Lamb of God!

August 09 2018 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

What was the significance of the horns of the altar?

Amos 3:14, ESV: 14 "That on the day I punish Israel for his transgressions, I will punish the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground."

Jehovah said that the sins of Judah were engraved "on the horns of their altars” (Jer 17:1), making the altars unclean and their sacrifices unacceptable. In Amos 3:14, Jehovah states his purpose to desecrate the altars for calf worship at Bethel by cutting off their horns.

Hypocrisy has no place among Jehovah's servants. Yet, what had happened to the Israelites? Why, ‘their heart had become hypocritical.' Although they had once entered a covenant with Jehovah as a people dedicated to him, he found them guilty of hypocrisy. - Ho 10:2

The following scriptures also help to appreciate why the "horn" of the altar was cut off:

Ho 4:9: "And it shall be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings."

Ho 13:2: "And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, even idols according to their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, 'Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.'"

Ho 10:2: "Their heart is hypocritical; Now they will be found guilty.
There is one who will break their altars and destroy their pillars."

Amos 3: 1-2 ESV: "Hear this word that Jehovah hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 'You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will visit upon you all your iniquities.'"

God was not going to ignore the disgraceful conduct of the Israelites. He made his position clear when he said: “I shall hold an accounting against you for all your errors.” (Amos 3:2) Those words should make us reflect on our own deliverance from slavery to modern-day Egypt, this present wicked system of things. Jehovah has not set us free spiritually so that we can pursue selfish goals. Instead, he has done this so we can give him heartfelt praise as free people engaged in clean worship.

Sadly, the powerful message delivered by Amos went unheeded by most of Israel's inhabitants. The prophet exposed their spiritually diseased heart condition in these words recorded at Amos 4:4, 5.

They had not safeguarded their hearts. As a result, most of them had come to love what was bad and to hate what was good. Those obstinate calf worshipers did not change. Jehovah would hold an accounting, and they would have to die in their sins!

And that is why the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground."

5 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report