Exodus 27: Come to the Altar

Key Verse
1 “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
 
Meditation
God’s passion to dwell with and reconcile to His people is made possible through sacrifice. God is holy and just, so sin’s penalty must be paid, and sin’s stain must be cleansed. The bronze altar in the tabernacle courtyard of today’s reading is a signpost pointing to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29-32).
 
Positioned near the entrance of the tabernacle, the altar confronted every worshiper: sinful people cannot approach a holy God apart from atonement. There, sacrifices were offered, and blood was applied according to God’s command to maintain the covenant relationship (Leviticus 1:1-5). The altar was the heart of Israel’s worship. A tabernacle without an altar would be like a body without a heart because there is no access to God without sacrifice.

Every sacrifice offered on that altar pointed beyond itself. The blood of bulls and goats could never finally take away sin (Hebrews 10:14). God was preparing His people for the perfect sacrifice to come. At the cross, Jesus was both priest and sacrifice, taking our iniquities upon Himself as a final sacrifice. By His single offering, He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified (Hebrews 10:14). He who knew no sin became sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
 
The tabernacle altar points readers to Calvary, where Jesus bore our guilt, paid sin’s penalty, and accomplished our cleansing. Through His finished work, believers are forgiven and welcomed into restored fellowship with God. 
 
Today’s Reading
“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.

The Court of the Tabernacle
9 “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side.10 Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 11 And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 12 And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases. 13 The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. 14 The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 15 On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 16 For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. 17 All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. 18 The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze. 19 All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.

Oil for the Lamp
20 “You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel.
 
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you about the centrality of the altar and, by implication, the centrality of sacrifice in relationship with God?
 
-Why is it important to see the connection between the Old Testament and the New by following the same thread of sacrifice in the scriptures? 
 
-Where do you need to receive the power of Christ’s sacrifice, both paying the penalty for your sin and cleansing you from the stain of sin? Be specific.
 
Key Verse
1 “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