Christ in all the scriptures The Brazen Altar

 Christ in all the scriptures

The Brazen altar Ex. 27v1-8; 29v38-46; 38v1-7; Lev. 6v8-13

There are 433 references to an altar in scripture, so the subject is of major importance.  The first reference is Genesis 8v20, when Noah built an altar in praise to God for deliverance from the flood.   Consistently, the concept of the altar is the worship of God.  Famously, Abraham built four altars in his lifetime, and this alone is worthy of study.   Many commentators view the brazen altar as a picture of the sinner coming to the Saviour.  However their salvation took place in Egypt at the Passover, and what we have here is the saint approaching God in worship, and it is from that standpoint we will consider the altar.  

The brazen altar is the largest of the seven vessels of the tabernacle, exactly twice the dimensions of the ark; also it is the first in view on entering the courtyard, and in light of its positional, as well as its functional role, is fundamental to the whole.  It is designated as "the altar"-many times; "the altar of burnt offering"-Ex. 30v 28; "the altar of God"-Psalm 43v4; "the altar of Jehovah"-Malachi 2v13.  It is foursquare, hollow with boards, with a central grating in the middle, and external staves for transportation; four horns protruding at the corners, and utensils of firepans and scoops for collection of ashes and blood of sacrifice.  Literally it means "the place of slaughter"-(Hebrew mizbe'ah) and prefigures Calvary, the place where Jesus died.  Without this sacrifice there could be no worship, and no approach to God by anyone.  The picture presents a detailed view of the sacred place, the very focal point of man's reconciliation to God.

Note, first of all, the significance of the altar-his horns v2; his pans, his ashes, his shovels, his basins, his flesh hooks, his firepans v3.  Seven times in two verses, there is no doubt the Spirit is focusing on a person, no less than the person of Jesus Christ. 

We note the substance of the altar-shittim wood, overlaid with brass.  This is the humanity of Jesus, impervious to the sin of the world.  He lived His life apart from sin-ridden humanity, and when the time came to offer His life, He was without sin.  Only hours before the crucifixion, He declared "The prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me"-John 14v30.  The writer to the Hebrews (9v14) penned, "Christ...offered Himself without spot to God".  Perfect humanity, a perfect sacrifice.  The wood was overlaid with brass, thought to be copper, resistant to heat, and ideal dissipation of heat to avoid burning of the wood.  This altar would require long term exposure to heat.  Brass, or copper is the symbol of Divine judgment on sin-Deuteronomy 28v23; In Numbers 21 we have the picture of the serpent (symbolic of Satan) upon a pole-prefiguring the cross.  On that cross, sin was judged in Christ, who took upon Him all that the serpent had introduced into humanity.  The picture is graphic-Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 5v21, "He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might become the righteousness of God in Him".   He knew no sin (the shittim wood), He was made sin for us (the brass overlaying the wood).  Romans 8v3 says "God sending His own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh..."

The shape of the altar- 5x5x3 cubits.  Five is the number of human responsibility, and three is the number of the Godhead.  At Calvary, all the responsibility of man, which had fallen short of the Divine standard, was fully met.  All three persons of the Godhead were involved; there is plenty of evidence of that.  The altar was foursquare, suggesting the universal nature of the sacrifice on the altar.  In the biblical narrative, north is mentioned-Lev.1v11; east-Lev. 1v16, south- Ezekiel. 47v1.  West is omitted, as there was to be no turning of backs to the throne of God.   All false religions, today, worship toward the east, with their backs to God!  This points us to the "whosoever" aspect of the work of Christ.  Also foursquare is the golden altar, and the breastplate of the high priest.  The great city of God, where all the saints shall dwell is also foursquare-Rev. 21.  What took place on the altar will have effect on every nation, and kindred and tribe and people.  What a prospect!  In the breastplate there is a heart for all; in the city there will be a home for all; in the altar there is hope for all.  Luke 13v29 "They shall come from the north, south, east, and west, and sit down in the kingdom of God"!

The strength of the altar-four horns in each corner.  No doubt the purpose of the horns was to bind the unwilling sacrifice in preparation for offering.  The main thought in the horns, however is that of strength, or power.  Psalm 118v27, "God is the Lord which hath shown us the light: bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar".  The horns of animals who have them are primarily for attack and defence.  Horns in scripture are emblematic of dignity, power, strength and authority.  Scriptures like; 1st Samuel 2v1v10; 2nd Samuel 22v3; Psalm 18v2, 89v24, 112v9; Jeremiah 48v5; Daniel chapters 7-8; Revelation 17v12 make this clear.  There is a dignity attached to the altar, a power, an authority.  What appears to be symbolic of weakness, in fact in the hand of God is ultimate strength.  Paul takes up this theme in 1st Cor. 1, where the cross of Christ is declared to be the power of God, and the wisdom of God.  Strength and dignity in the most abject event in world history.

The service of the altar-utensils, all made of brass, as the function of the altar was all-pervading in the tabernacle.  Pans to receive ashes; shovels to remove debris; basins to collect blood; flesh hooks to distribute pieces of the sacrifice; firepans to move the fire as required; a brass grating attached to the centre of the altar; rings of brass to secure the grating, and staves for transportation.  We shall learn that the first sacrifice upon the altar was kindled by the fire of God, and that the fire was never to be extinguished through all the wilderness journey.  All of these are symbolic of Christ in all that He suffered as the sacrifice for sins.  Hebrews 2 makes a distinction between His life sufferings to prepare Him for His High Priestly ministry for us, and His death sufferings, which reconciles us to God and delivers us from the realm and rule of Satan-Hebrews 2v9-10.  The brazen altar represents His sufferings in death, where He absorbed the fire of God in His human form,  It is fitting, that on this Good Friday 29th March 2024, that we consider the deep sufferings of this sinless man, who became sin for us to bring us to God.