The Courtyard (Exodus 38)

The courtyard of the tabernacle contained the altar of sacrifice. Did this picture the ultimate sacrifice of God’s Son? It also contained the laver or wash basin. Did this picture baptism and the cleansing of the church by Jesus? Does the detail teach us not to be sloppy in our approach to worshiping God? Let’s look at Exodus 38.

What were the dimensions of the altar of burnt offering? Who was our supreme sacrifice?

He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. It was square. Its length was five cubits, its width was five cubits, and its height was three cubits. He made its horns on its four corners. Its horns were of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. He made all the vessels of the altar: the pots, the shovels, the basins, the forks, and the fire pans. He made all its vessels of bronze. (Exodus 38:1-3 WEB)

How were the sacrifices supported while fire was put underneath? How does a total sacrifice picture Jesus?

He made a grate for the altar of copper mesh underneath its bottom edge and extending halfway up to the middle of the altar. He made four rings for each of the four corners of the copper grate to house the poles. He made the poles out of acacia wood, and he covered them with copper. He put the poles through the rings so that the poles were on the two sides of the altar when it was carried. He made the altar with planks but hollow inside. (Exodus 38:4-7 CEB)

What was the large bowl for? Does a wash basin picture Christians being baptized and washed from our sins? Does it picture Jesus cleansing His Bride, the church?

Bezalel made a large bowl [laver, washbasin] and a stand out of bronze from the mirrors of the women who helped at the entrance to the sacred tent. (Exodus 38:8 CEV)

How did the court look? Were the building materials quality or cheap?

And he made the court. For the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, a hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. And for the north side there were hangings of a hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty bases were of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their ten pillars, and their ten bases; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. (Exodus 38:9-12 ESV)

Was it a very large courtyard? How many gates were there into the court of the tabernacle?

The hangings on the east toward the sunrise were also 75 feet in length. The hangings on one side of the gate were 22½ feet, including their three posts and three bases. It was the same for the other side. The hangings were 22½ feet, including their three posts and three bases on both sides of the courtyard gate. All the hangings around the courtyard were of finely spun linen. The bases for the posts were bronze; the hooks and bands of the posts were silver; and the plating for the tops of the posts was silver. All the posts of the courtyard were banded with silver. (Exodus 38:13-17 HCSB)

There was only one way into the court of the tabernacle. Could this picture only one gate to salvation? What did Jesus say?

I’m the gate. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved. He’ll come in and go out and find pasture. (John 10:9 ISV)

Were the same three colors used for the gate of the court of the tabernacle?

And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court. And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver. And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass. This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest. (Exodus 38:18-21 KJV)

Again, who were the main two skilled craftsmen involved in building the tabernacle?

Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that Yahweh had commanded Moses. With him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, a craftsman and a skillful designer and a weaver in blue and in purple and in scarlet material and fine linen. (Exodus 38:22-23 LSB)