Study
Series
Lesson Sixteen – The Brazen Altar
Exodus 27:1-8 - And thou shall make an altar
of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall
be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. [2] And thou shall
make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof:
his horns shall be of the same: and thou shall
overlay it with brass. [3] And thou shall make his pans to receive
his ashes, and his shovels, and his basins, and his flesh hooks, and his fire
pans: all the vessels thereof thou shall make of brass. [4] And thou shall make
for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shall thou make four brazen
rings in the four corners thereof. [5] And thou shall put it under the compass
of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar. [6]
And thou shall make staves for the altar,
staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass. [7] And the staves
shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the
altar, to bear it. [8] Hollow with boards shall thou make it: as it was showed
thee in the mount, so shall they make it.
The Tabernacle stood in all its glory with the 12 tribes camped around it. How inspiring it must have seemed to the Israelites as they gazed upon its colorful gates and beautifully sculptured furnishings of gold, silver, and brass glistening in the sunlight. From their tents they could see the visible presence of God's glory hovering over it in the form of a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, assuring them of His guiding presence. This lesson will detail the ministry of the altar that sat outside the inner court known as the Brazen Altar. Upon it was where all the sacrifices were placed and offered up to God. It speaks to us of Calvary and the price Jesus paid for our redemption.
Many ancient peoples used altars. Although they were sometimes used for expiation of sin, most frequently their use deviated from this original purpose. Thus, idolatry and immorality are often associated with heathen altar. For Israel, the sight of fire, smoke, blood and the smell of burning flesh at the Brazen Altar impressed on them their guilt before God. It was not a pretty sight. Judgment on sin never is. From the beginning of man's rebellion against God this concept was established. In time, this idea was lost except to those who were truly trying and seeking to please God. When God revealed the pattern of the Tabernacle, He used the ALTAR as a means of approach to Him. He gave specific instructions for its use. It was the only place national Israel could worship Him. He made it clear He did not want its service to degenerate to the level of the heathen nations about them.
The most important instruction was that there was to be only one altar. (Ex. 27:1-8; 38:1-7) and it was to be located only in the court of the tabernacle (Lev. 17:1-9 and Deut. 12:5-14). This eliminated the spirit of divided worship that so characterized the common heathen worship on high places, which tended to encourage the concept of many gods. ISRAEL HAD ONE GOD! Therefore, all high places in the nation of Israel were to be destroyed. Sacrificing to an idol under God's Covenant Law meant death to the offender. (I wonder what would happen to many of us today if all who sacrificed to idols were stoned????). One place of sacrifice guarded against the influence of heathen worship. But it spoke to Israel AND TO US today that there is only ONE SACRIFICE for sin - THE LAMB!
Exodus 27:1-8 - And thou shall make an altar
of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall
be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. [2] And thou shall
make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof:
his horns shall be of the same: and thou shall
overlay it with brass. [3] And thou shall make his pans to receive
his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his flesh hooks, and his fire
pans: all the vessels thereof thou shall make of brass. [4] And thou shall make
for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shall thou make four brazen
rings in the four corners thereof. [5] And thou shall put it under the compass
of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar. [6]
And thou shall make staves for the altar,
staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass. [7] And the staves
shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the
altar, to bear it. [8] Hollow with boards shall thou make it: as it was showed
thee in the mount, so shall they make it.
Exodus 38:1-7 - And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood:
five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was
foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof. [2] 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. [3] And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots,
and the shovels, and the basons, and the flesh hooks, and the fire pans: all the
vessels thereof made he of brass. [4] And he made for the altar a brazen grate
of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it. [5] And he
cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the
staves. [6] And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with
brass. [7] And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to
bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.
Leviticus 17:1-9 - And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, [2] Speak unto
Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto
them; This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, saying, [3] What man
there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the
camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, [4] And brings it not unto the door of
the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the Lord before
the tabernacle of the Lord; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed
blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people: [5] To the end that
the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open
field, even that they may bring
them unto the Lord, unto the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace
offerings unto the Lord. [6] And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the
altar of the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn
the fat for a sweet savor unto the Lord.
[7] And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they
have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their
generations.
[8] And thou shall say unto them, Whatsoever
man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among
you, that offered a burnt offering of sacrifice, [9] And bringeth it not unto
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the Lord; even
that man shall be cut off from among his people.
Deut. 12:5-14 - But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out
of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye
seek, and thither thou shall come: [6] And thither ye shall bring your burnt
offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your
hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your
herds and of your flocks: [7] And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God,
and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households,
wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee. [8] Ye shall not do after all the
things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.
[9] For ye are not as yet come to the rest and
to the inheritance, which the Lord your God gives you. [10] But when ye
go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God gives you to
inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that
ye dwell in safety; [11] Then there shall be a place which the Lord your God
shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I
command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the
heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the
Lord: [12] And ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God, ye, and your sons, and
your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that
is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.
[13] Take heed to thyself that thou offer not
thy burnt offerings in every place that thou see: [14] But in the place which
the Lord shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shall offer thy burnt
offerings, and there thou shall do all that I command thee.
As we are writing these lessons our country is 18 months removed from our worst ever-national tragedy. The spirit behind what happened on September 11th was driven by the demonic religion of Islam. Islam does not recognize Jesus as the sacrifice for man's sin. But there is no way around the fact that the only way to God is through Yeshuah. Some 3,500 years ago, God painted that picture for all of Israel (AND THE ENTIRE WORLD) to see through this altar and that picture has not changed!!!! The altar of the Lord was to have no engraving on it or steps to it as a precaution against the altar becoming an object of worship and the priests were to wear undergarments because God wanted NO FLESH exposed at His altar as was common at heathen altars where nakedness and immorality abounded.
On the day the Tabernacle was set up, the brazen altar was set in the outer court (Ex. 40:29), and all the tabernacle furnishings were anointed with holy anointing oil (Ex. 30:26-28; 40:9; Lev. 8:10; Neh. 7:1). A special anointing of the brazen altar continued for seven days, as did the priests' consecration (Ex. 29:35-37 and Lev. 8:11). The anointing was the ceremonial means of consecrating the altar and priests to their equally important work concerning atonement. Everything surrounding this altar pointed us to Christ and the New Covenant believer to His work of redemption on Calvary. He bore our judgment so that we might go free. Praise God!
The Structure Of The Altar And Its Significance
As the Israelites approached the Tabernacle they would enter the court to offer and present their sacrifices. Upon entering the court, they stood in awe, gazing at the bloodstained, or brazen altar as the smoke from previous sacrifices curled into the sky. The altar was a very simple hollow box made of shittim wood (acacia wood), overlaid with BRASS, seven and a half feet square, stood four and half feet high, and had four horns pointing outward at each corner. A brass gate extended through its middle in which brass rings were fastened at each corner; wooden staves covered with brass were put through the rings for carrying the altar. The altar was not Moses' creation; God had given him the plan in the mount. It stood just inside the court gate (Ex. 40:6), facing the Tabernacle.
It was the largest piece of furniture used in worship and was always open to guilty Israelites so they could come and atone for their sin. Sacrifices made under the Old Covenant always had a deeper meaning for they all pointed to a COMING REDEEMER all of Israel was looking for. Sacrifices we make under the New Covenant are no longer sacrifices of animals, but the sacrifice of our entire lives to THE LAMB who has already been sacrificed. They looked forward under the Old; we look back under the New. Praise the name of the Lord forever for His sacrifice. Neighbor without this altar in reality through Jesus – we’d all be lost and on our way to hell at this moment. Thank God for his mercy.
The Shittim Wood Overlaid With Brass - Christ Bearing Our Judgment
Shittim wood is a hard, incorruptible, indestructible wood that grows in the Sinai Desert. It speaks to us of the HUMANITY of CHRIST who came from a "root out of dry ground." (Isa. 53:2) and was sinless in His human nature (Heb. 4:15; 7:26). The indestructibility of the wood speaks of Christ in His humanity, which withstood the fire of crucifixion and death and the decaying effect of the grave, and HIS BODY, which was gloriously resurrected. (Matthew 28:5-6)
Isaiah 53:2 - For he
shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground:
he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty
that we should desire him.
Hebrews 4:15 - For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin.
Hebrews 7:26 - For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
Matthew 28:5-6 - And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye:
for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. [6] He is not here: for he
is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
The brass covering the shittim wood typified divine righteousness and judgment of Christ, the righteous one (1 John 3:5), who took the divine judgment of God upon Himself and bore our judgment on the cross by becoming a sin offering for us. (2 Cor. 5:21). Some who teach that Jesus literally became a sinner on the cross and went to hell to suffer for us there so we would not have to go there has distorted this principle. That is a LIE! Had Jesus become a sinner on that cross, neighbor you and I would be lost! No, He became a SIN OFFERING and assuaged the judgment of God that should have fallen on ALL humanity. But because of His great mercy and love for us – we can go free now from that judgment!
As the Israelites were saved from death when they looked at the brass serpent that Moses help up in the wilderness, so all who trust in Jesus Christ, who was lifted upon on a tree as a sacrifice for sin, will be saved from damnation (John 3:14-15). Christ's appearance to John on the Isle of Patmos with "feet like fine bronze, as if they burned in a furnace" spoke of His judicial character in judging His enemies at the Second Coming.
1
John 3:5 - And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him
is no sin.
2 Cor. 5:21 - For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him.
John 3:14-15 - And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so
must the Son of man be lifted up: [15] That whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have eternal life.
The four horns on the corners of the altar spoke of power (1 Sam. 2:1-10; 2 Sam 22:3) and were used in binding the sacrifice to the altar. (Psalms 118:27). They were also sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice (Ex. 29:12). The sacrifice tied to the horns pointed to Christ's unfaltering commitment to carry out the Father's will (Hebrews 10:5-7) when He allowed Himself to be nailed to the cross for our blood atonement (Matthew 26:39, 42). His shed blood on the cross expiates the sins of all those who are willing to put their faith in His sacrificial death (Romans 3:25-26). The blood-stained horns pointed upward and outward to the four corners of the world, reminding us of the saving power of Christ's blood that will be witnessed throughout the world (Acts 1:8)
1
Samuel 2:1-10 - And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoices in the Lord,
mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies;
because I rejoice in thy salvation. [10] The adversaries of the Lord shall be
broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge
the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the
horn of his anointed.
2 Samuel 22:3 - The
God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my
salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my Saviour; thou savest me from
violence.
Psalm 118:27 - God is the Lord, which hath showed us light: bind the sacrifice
with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
Exodus 29:12 - And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon
the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom
of the altar.
Hebrews 10:5-7 - Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and
offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: [6] In burnt
offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. [7] Then said I, Lo,
I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Matthew 26:39-42 - And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and
prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:
nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. [40] And he cometh unto the
disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not
watch with me one hour? [41] Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:
the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. [42] He went away again the
second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from
me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
Romans 3:25-26 -
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the
forbearance of God; [26] To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that
he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Acts 1:8 - But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The Sacrifice At The Altar
The brazen altar was provided for sacrifice. Without sacrifice, there could and will be NO ATONEMENT for sin (Lev. 17:11 and Hebrews 9:22). Soberly, the Israelites brought the prescribed offerings without spot or blemish to the priests, who stood at the Tabernacle's gate to receive them. The offerers laid their hands on the heads of the offerings, symbolic of their identification with their substitution death on their behalf - their sins were transferred to the sacrifices, and the life of the sacrifices was transferred to them. The offerers then killed the animals, while the priests caught the sacrificial blood in a basin to be offered as atonement.
The priests, functioning as mediators, sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices on the altar and poured the remaining blood in the basin at the altar's base. Then the priests cut the sacrifices into pieces, washed the inner parts, and burned various pieces on the altar as a sweet savor to the Lord. Some 2,000 years ago, our sins were placed upon the head of Christ. He identified Himself with us so our SIN could be transferred to Him and HIS LIFE could be transferred to us. His blood was then sprinkled on both the altar in heaven satisfying God's justice and then poured into the base - the CHURCH. We are a blood-washed, blood-bought CHURCH - beautiful in the eyes of God because He sees us through the eyes of His glorious SON! Praise God.
Leviticus 17:11 - For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given
it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the
blood that makes an atonement for the soul.
Hebrews 9:22 - And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and
without shedding of blood is no remission.
At the altar, an innocent lamb bore the judgment of the guilty. Christ, the believers' lamb (John 1:29; Rev. 13:8) died on the altar of the cross to bear the judgment of God's wrath on sin on our behalf (Isaiah 53:3-6; Romans 4:25). The sacrifice being burnt on the altar as a sweet savor to God (Lev. 1:9) typified Christ, who was offered up as a "sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor."(Eph. 5:2) The word altar means high place. The sacrifice had to be lifted up on the elevated altar (Lev. 9:22). Christ's being lifted up on the cross as our sacrifice speaks of this procedure: "And, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." (John 3:14). The fire that burned continually on the altar had a twofold meaning:
John 1:29 - The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold the
Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.
Rev. 13:8 - And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names
are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the
world.
Romans 4:25 - Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification;
Isaiah 53:3-6 - He
is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:
and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him
not. [4] Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did
esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. [5] But he was wounded for
our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. [6] All we like sheep
have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath
laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Leviticus 9:22 - And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed
them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering,
and peace offerings.
Leviticus 1:9 - But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the
priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by
fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord.
Ephs. 5:22 - Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
The Serving Utensils At The Altar
The utensils used to serve the altar were types of Christ. Pans and shovels were used to remove the precious ashes of the sacrifices and carry them outside the camp to be disposed of in a clean place. The ashes spoke of the finished work of Christ. (John 19:30), who was put into a clean place (a new sepulcher) at His burial (John 19:41). The blood from the sacrifices was drained into a basin and poured out at the base of the altar, typifying Christ, who poured out His blood on our behalf (Hebrews 9:12-15). The flesh hooks represented the cruel hands of the men who nailed Christ to the cross (Luke 23:33). The fire pans (censers), which carried the fire from the brazen altar to the altar of incense, represented Christ's intercessory ministry of prayer at the Father's throne (Hebrews 7:25) as our advocate (1 John 2:1).
John 19:41 - Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in
the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid.
Hebrews 9:12-15 - Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own
blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us. [13] For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh: [14] How much
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself
without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living
God? [15] And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by
means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the
first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal
inheritance.
Luke 23:33 - And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary,
there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the
other on the left.
Hebrews 7:25 - Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
1 John 2:1 - My
little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man
sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
Salvation Under The New Covenant And The Altar
The brazen altar and the cross of Christ both speak of justification. Justification does not mean MADE righteous but DECLARED righteous - put into a right relationship with God (Romans 4:24-25). Thus, justification is a judicial act of God whereby He declares us righteous when we trust in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross on our behalf. In the days of the Tabernacle, the Jewish people were restored to a right relationship with God by offering blood atonement on the altar. Today, appropriating the atoning blood of Christ to take away sins restores Jews AND Gentiles.
Romans 4:24-25 - But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on
him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; [25] Who was delivered for our
offences, and was raised again for our
justification.
Justification is not obtained by any work that we do but is bestowed freely through the grace of God (Romans 4:24), resulting in the removal of the guilt and punishment of sin, the righteousness of Christ being imputed to our lives, and our restoration and favor and fellowship with God. (Romans 4:25) The position of the altar spoke of access and fellowship with God. It stood inside the court facing the door of the Tabernacle. Before the priest could pass to the Tabernacle, he had to offer a blood sacrifice on the brazen altar. Today, access and fellowship with God can come only through the sacrificial death of Christ (1 Tim. 2:5; Hebrews 9:15)
1
Tim. 2:5 - For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus;
Hebrews 9:15 - And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that
by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the
first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal
inheritance.
Approaching the Tabernacle of God without offering a proper sacrifice on the altar meant certain death. If we reject the meritorious sacrifice of Christ's work on the cross, we will be separated from God and face eternal death (John 3:36; 1 John 5:12).
John 3:36 - He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that
believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.
1 John 5:12 - He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of
God hath not life.
God requires another sacrifice from believers. They are to present themselves as a LIVING SACRIFICE to God (Romans 12:1). The words of Paul sum up our consecration in Galatians 2:20:
Galatians 2:20 - I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
The brazen altar spoke of the FIRST WORK of salvation - the blood of Jesus. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission. All priests who approached the inner court had to bring the sacrifice to the brazen altar FIRST then proceed into the inner court and eventually the Holy of Holies. It all started with the altar of sacrifice. And it all starts with CALVARY.
Part One: Fill In The Blank
Part Two: Matching