Feb. 10, 2014
Exodus 27-Part 1
And thou shalt make an altar... Exodus 27:1
LET IT GLOW
I wonder, what I have sacrificed lately? Hum.... Let's see, I did give up my comfort of a warm house as I waited for a new heat stove. Nope, that was out of necessity as I waited for the order to
arrive in two weeks.
Oh, I know, I gave up my free time as I babysat for a month due to snow. No, that was enjoyable.
Perhaps it's the 2-3 hours I spend writing these studies. Really, Linda, that's obedience.
Maybe it was when I baked banana bread and gave to our deacons' families. I ate some, too, so
what kind of sacrifice was that?
All these were good deeds, but were they actually a sacrificial thing God asked me to give up?
Not really. Maybe I only did things for those I loved or what I wanted to do.
So I asked myself some questions:
What am I willing to sacrifice in order for someone to come to Jesus? Or for His will to be done?
Or for Him to be glorified? Am I willing to lay my life on the altar of sacrifice for whatever Jesus
wants of me? How about you? Soul searching time.
Let's see what the altar in the Tabernacle was like. Please read on sweet friend.
There were two altars in the Tabernacle? The golden altar for the burning of incense is discussed
in Exodus 30:1-10.
The other altar was made of bronze for sacrifices, found here in chapter 27.
What do we know about this altar of sacrifices?
- It was situated in the courtyard or the Holy Place of the Tabernacle.
- It was a made of acacia wood seven feet square and five feet high.
- It was covered with brass, thus called the bronze altar.
- Four horns were made into it at each corner.
- It had a grating, a bronze network, and a bronze ring at each corner, which was put under the ledge of the altar so it was halfway up the altar.
- Poles of acacia wood overlaid with bronze were placed on the two side when the altar was carried. It was hollow, out of boards.
- The utensils were made of bronze-its pots for removing the ashes, its shovels, sprinkling bowls held the blood sacrifice, meat forks or fleshhooks were for taking the priests' share of the offerings, and firepans.
This altar was the place where animals died in place of its owners so their sins could be forgiven.
This was God's standard for the Israelites, His beloved children.
LET IT GROW
The bronze altar stood just inside the entrance of the court. There was one entrance and one altar,
just as there is only one way of salvation for lost sinners (Acts 4:12).
God lit the fire on the altar when the tabernacle was dedicated. The priests kept the fire burning
(Lev. 6:9-13).
This altar speaks of the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus on the cross. He is pictured in all the sacrifices God commanded Israel to bring (Lev. 1-5; Heb. 10:1-14). He went through the fire of judgment for us and gave Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. (Wiersbe)
The Hebrew word for altar means slaughter place. (Young's Concordance)
The idea is that an altar is a "killing place." As believers, our altar, or killing place, is the cross,
where Jesus died for our sins and we follow by dying unto self and living for Jesus. (Guzik)
In Galatians 2:20 and 6:14, Paul says: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the
world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Are we willing to lay down our lives on that same altar? Will we deny our self, take up our cross,
and follow Jesus?
LET IT GO...
of sin.
of myself and let Jesus live through me.
denying myself and let others be...
of my focus on things, looking where Jesus is leading and follow Him.
*Thank you dear ones, for sacrificing your time to faithfully study God's Word with me. I am so
glad that you are with me on this journey. Feel free to share your comments with us.
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