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94_The brazen altar of sacrifice

Exodus 27:1-8 “You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. 2 And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. 3 You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. 4 You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. 5 And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar. 6 And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. 7 And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. 8 You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made.

When anyone entered the court of the tabernacle in ancient Israel, the first thing he saw was the brazen altar. This altar, made of acacia wood overlaid with brass, stood near the entrance, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high. It was the largest of all the tabernacle’s furnishings. For the layman, this was the only tabernacle furnishing that he could see, all the rest being within the structure itself, prohibited to him. No one could approach God without first encountering this altar, where sacrifices were offered to atone for sin.

The altar was made of acacia wood covered with a brass, or bronze, layer. Bronze is often a symbol of divine judgment in Scripture. In Numbers 21, the Israelites sinned against God by grumbling about their food, the manna he miraculously provided day by day. Fiery serpents appeared among them in judgment. Many people were bitten and died. This caused immediate repentance, and the people cried out to Moses to pray for them. God heard their prayer, but he did not simply remove the serpents. Instead, He commanded Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift it up on a pole. Anyone who was bitten could look upon it, and he would live. Centuries later, the Lord referred to this event, saying, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so shall the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15). The bronze serpent represented the punishment itself, but now it brought life, not death. Christ was lifted up on the cross as he bore our sin in his body. Those who look to him find eternal life instead of death, for atonement has been made, and their sins forgiven.

The altar had four horns, one at each corner, forming a single piece with it. These horns were the points to which the sacrifice was secured as it burned. Psalm 118:27 says, “Bind the sacrifice with cords to the altar.” The horns were smeared with the blood of the sacrifices. The horns of the altar also provided refuge to the manslayer who had involuntarily killed a man without enmity or hatred towards him. This protection was denied to murderers, however. God’s grace is not a license to sin but a provision for those who truly repent.

The brazen altar points unmistakably to Jesus Christ. It is at the cross, the true altar, that righteousness and truth met each other. Isaiah prophesied, “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him.” (Isaiah 53:10). Christ suffered and died because of our sin. Just as the sacrifice was completely consumed by fire, Christ offered up himself, in life and in death, as a sweet smelling offering of love, to God. (Ephesians 5:2).

The altar had rings and poles made of acacia wood covered with brass, allowing it to be carried by the priests wherever they went. God wanted to ensure that his people would always have access to his presence through sacrifice and always be able to make offerings of worship to him. The blood on the altar was an ever-present reminder that once blood was shed as atonement for the soul, his people could come to him in faith.

The brazen altar was also called the “altar of burnt offering” (Exodus 30:28) and “the altar of God.” (Psalm 43:4). Once it was consecrated, anything that touched it became holy (Exodus 29:37). Day after day, sacrifices were offered upon it, and fire from the presence of the Lord consumed the offering (Leviticus 9:24). That fire was never to go out (Leviticus 6:13), a continual reminder of the cost of sin and the need for atonement.

Yet the blood of bulls and goats could never truly take away sin (Hebrews 10:4). It was merely a shadow of the true sacrifice to come. Jesus is our altar and our sacrifice. He said, “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6). The Israelites could not bypass the brazen altar to enter God’s presence. Neither could we come to God except through Christ’s atoning work.

The brazen altar signifies the eternal truth that God is both just and the justifier of those who believe in Jesus (Romans 3:26). At the cross, God showed himself to be righteous in passing over the sins of the past, while forgiving and receiving those who came to him by faith. Moreover, we can say with Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20). We too must take up our cross daily, knowing that we are dead to self and living for Him.

Let us live out this truth. Romans 12:1 gives us the answer: “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” The altar of burnt offering calls us not only to accept Christ’s sacrifice for us but also to surrender ourselves to Him. It is not enough to acknowledge His work. Let us, who are redeemed by his blood, freely and joyfully celebrate our redemption by serving him with diligent submission and fervent faith.

The fire on the altar was never to go out. Let our hearts take flame from the fire of Christ’s love. Let us unhesitatingly share his suffering that we may live renewed lives, free from the plague of sin. Sin is serious. Grace is abundant, but costly. Let us, who have received such grace, not come empty-handed to worship him. Let us not hold anything back from the death of the cross. Like Abraham, let us bring everything to him who deserves our utmost trust. God bless.