The Tabernacle Part 4 The Brazen Altar Series

THE BRAZEN ALTAR

Ex. 27:1-8; 38:1-7)

The word altar means "to lift up."

Immediately we are reminded of Him who said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32)

Also, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up (John 3:14).

We may expect to see much of Christ on the cross in the altar of sacrifice.

1. The materials.

• The altar was made of wood covered with brass.

• Strange to have an altar made of wood, when the fire was to burn continually upon it!

• Remember this was not Moses’ idea for he built it "accord¬ing to the pattern shown . . . on the mount."

• The wood in the altar was not consumed by the fire because air did not get to it.

• Oxygen is necessary to combus¬tion. The two materials spoke of His twofold nature.

• His body did not corrupt in the grave because there was an eliminate missing which has caused all bodies to

corrupt

Psalm 16:10

Acts 2:27

Luke 17:1-35

Heb 4:15

2. The size and shape.

• It was square Sides = 7.5’, Height = 4.5’

• It was by far the largest piece of all the tabernacle equipment.

• It was large enough to hold any other piece in the tabernacle.

• This showed the importance of the altar, and speaks to us of the fact that all blessings flow from the death of

Christ.

• Even when inside the Holiest of Holy, when faith gives way to sight, we shall sing of redemption (Rev. 5:9).

• The four sides faced the north, east, west, and south respectively. Someone has called attention to the fact that

the first letter of each of these four words spells "N-E-W-S," and that the best news on earth is the Gospel.

• The four sides may also repre¬sent the four great truths connected with His sacri¬fice; namely, propitiation,

(atonement) substitution, reconcilia¬tion and ransom.

The names.

• This altar had three distinct names.

• It is called THE ALTAR. (This spoke of its im¬portance).

• It is called the BRAZEN ALTAR. It was the place of judgment.

• It was called the ALTAR BY THE GATE. It was the first thing that met the eyes upon entering the gate.

Exodus 40:29 says, “

29 And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and

offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.

• So then, we have DECISION at the gate and ACCEPTANCE at the altar.

• Christ on Calvary, as the sacrifice for sin, is the first step toward God.!!!!!!!!!

The blood and the ashes.

• The blood was care¬fully sprinkled upon the altar (Lev. 1:11),

• Or poured out at the bottom (Lev. 4:7) (depending upon the par¬ticular offering)

• It was carefully used for "the life was in the blood."

• All spoke of Him. His life's blood was poured out on Calvary.

• The ashes were carefully preserved, and carried outside the camp to a clean spot (Lev. 6:11) where they were

used in the sprinkling of the unclean (Num. 19:9).

The fire.

• It came from before the Lord (Lev. 9:24).

• It probably leaped from the glory cloud where God dwelt.

• This fire was never allowed to go out (Lev. 6:13).

• There are many lessons connected with this:

1. Fire is a terrible element. It spoke of judgment for sin and pointed to the One who was to bear the judgment of

God's wrath in the sinner's place.

2. It was never allowed to go out. This had a twofold truth.

• It spoke of the fact that God was always ready to accept the sin¬ner's sacrifice. Man could approach God--day

or night, the fire was burning.

• Secondly, and perhaps the greater truth, that the Real Sacrifice had not yet come and that these sacrifices did

not make an end of sins, but there had to be a continual offering (Heb. 10:1-12).

The staves.

• The altar had two staves, one on either side, by which it was carried.

• Both had to be used in order that it be carried properly.

•We have a two-fold truth to carry to the lost world.

• This was the message that Paul took to Corinth; namely, "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

and that He was buried, and that He arose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Cor. 15:3, 4).

Anything less than this is not the Gospel

1 Cor. 2:2

For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.