Biddulph Bible Class Thursday, pm 31ST July 2008.
Place: Biddulph AOG. Date: Thursday, pm 31ST July 2008.
Text: John 1:17. Theme: The Tabernacle, Part 3.
Introduction: Reading: John 1:17
“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
The Burnt Offering Altar (Exodus 27:1-8)
It was impossible to enter the Tabernacle without passing the altar of burnt-offering. That altar of sacrifice was God’s way in. Again we read: Jesus said “I am the Door; if any man enters through Me he shall be saved” John 10:9 and “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to (God) the Father except through Me” John 14:6.
The altar was FOUR-square. The FOUR sides were of equal length. It was FIVE cubits towards the east, FIVE cubits towards the west, FIVE cubits towards the north and FIVE cubits towards the south. The height was THREE cubits. So the numbers 5, 4, and 3 are in the altar.
FOUR must speak of the FOUR gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John that tells us the life and ministry of Jesus.
FIVE speaks to me of our FIVE senses, sight, hearing, smelling, touching and taste. In all of these areas I know the Lord Jesus.
THREE speak of the Trinity of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
The FOUR sides and FOUR horns pointing in every direction of the compass seem to suggest that this is available to all. Men come to Christ from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
Acacia (aca’cia) wood is a strong, high quality wood, representing the best humanity, that of Jesus. One type of tree in this group yields gum, used as a medicine for healing; another tree yields gum, used as a tonic. “I am the Lord that heals you.” “I have come to heal the sick and the broken hearted.” This wood cries out “Christ Jesus the Lord!”
Bronze in the Bible speaks of God's judgement, particularly His judgement over our rebellious thinking and speaking against Him (as in Numbers 16:29-40). Since the wood is overlaid with the bronze, the Burnt Offering Altar reminds us of man under God's judgement for our rebellion against Him. Since the wood is acacia (aca’cia) wood, this speaks of Jesus bearing the judgement of God for us on the cross.
At the Burnt Offering Altar the priests sacrificed various Offerings to God; some offerings were for their own sins and for the sins of the people. The point of the burnt offering was that, by it, a person might become accepted before God and forgiven.
Leviticus 1:4 “Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.” The offering had to be without blemish, the very healthiest and best available. This foreshadows the Lord Jesus, Who was examined by Pontius Pilate, who declared “I find no fault in Him at all” John 18:38.
The blood of the offering was poured out round the base of the altar, foreshadowing the Lord Jesus, whose precious blood flowed out when His side was pierced on the cross by a Roman spear (John 19:34; I Peter 1:19).
“The penalty of sin is death” Romans 6:23. According to the righteous requirement of the law, we should die for our sin.
However, there is a provision: “the life of the flesh (of a burnt offering or sacrifice) is in the blood, and I have given it you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” Leviticus 17:11, 8.
So, either you must die, or the offering can die in your place, a life for a life. If the offering dies, then (through its life-blood) there is atonement for your soul, at-one-ment, restoration to the God to whom you belong Leviticus 1:4 “Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.” This is God's way, His provision.
This is acted on in faith: believing in God's provision, when we can do nothing for ourselves. As Abraham told Isaac in faith “God Himself will provide a lamb for the burnt offering” Genesis 22:8, and He did: a male lamb hanging on a tree (Genesis 22:13) within view of Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:2,14), which is where the Temple Mount still is today, in Jerusalem.
In fulfilment of all of these indications, God did not withhold His only Son: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
After its blood was poured out, the burnt offering was entirely consumed by burning, the only products being ashes and aroma. The ashes were removed from the camp to a “clean place” Leviticus 6:8-13. The burning offering was a pleasing, sweet aroma to God (Leviticus 1:9, 13, 17) to make the person accepted before God and forgiven (Leviticus1:3-4).
In Ephesians 5:2, Paul shows us clearly that the burnt offering was an exact picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, who “loved us and gave Himself up for us” on the cross, “an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
Jesus tells us “I am the Good Shepherd” John 10:11, to help us to enter through the Door. Furthermore: “The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” John 10:11, so Jesus is the offering at the Burnt Offering Altar as soon as we get through the Door.
Rightfully we belong to God: we are His people and the sheep of His pasture, the flock in His care, hearing His voice (Psalm 95:7). The normal destiny of any sheep entering into the Tabernacle was certain death. However, Jesus has laid down His life in our place, for us His sheep.
In Jesus' own words “I am the Good Shepherd; and I know My sheep, I lay down My life for the sheep” John 10:14-15. By believing in His death, “carrying up our sins in His body onto the tree” I Peter 2:24, we can be made acceptable to God, restored to the Shepherd and to His flock (I Peter 2:25).
A lamb was burnt at the Burnt Offering Altar every morning and every evening (Exodus 29:38-42). Learn to come to this altar every day to confess your sins to God and to remember (by offering thanks and praise, Hebrews 13:15) that the Lord Jesus died in your place to forgive you and to cleanse you from all sin by His blood:
At Calvary all saw a forsaken man dying the shameful death of crucifixion, but one dying thief saw “The Lord of glory.” Calvary was a cloudy and a dark day, but even then the strength of the altar of burnt offering was seen by eyes that could see. “Truly, this man was the Son of God” Mark 15:39.
“God is the Lord, and He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar” Psalms 118:27. This is what the four horns of the altar were for when the sacrifice was slain. It was more then the nails that held Christ on the cross, the cords that held Jesus where love, obedience, zeal for God, and joy.