Story: The Bronze
Altar
Passage: Exodus 27:1-8
Characters: God, Moses
Summary: God gives
Moses instructions for the bronze altar.
Notes: The altar was
to be made of acacia wood. It was not to
be overlaid with gold however. It was to
be overlaid with bronze. This was for
practical reasons as well as aesthetic reasons I believe. Bronze would not be affected by fire and thus
it was a good choice to use on the altar.
We also see that bronze was already used for the curtain rings outside
of the Holy of Holies. Bronze seems to
be the metal of choice in the Holy Place of the tabernacle. The altar was to have four horns, one at each
corner. These horns would point all
directions and symbolized what the blood of the sacrifice covered. The atoning blood would be applied to all
four horns. The utensils for the altar
were also made of bronze. There was a
bronze screen placed in the altar as well to allow the offerings to fall
through the altar. Basically, it was a
hollow box with a screen, completely covered in bronze. The Hebrew word for altar is derived from the
word used to describe the slaughtering of animals for sacrifices or
eating. It was basically a killing place. In Hebrews 13:10, we are told we have an
altar from which those in the tabernacle have no right to eat. The cross was the killing place where the
perfect Lamb was sacrificed.
Questions: Why is
bronze used outside of the Holy of Holies?
Lessons: Christ is
our sacrifice. The cross was the altar
He was sacrificed on. Just as the horns
of the altar reached out in all directions and showed how the atoning blood of
the sacrifice covers us all, the cross also covers us all with the atoning
blood of Christ!
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