The Altar and the Courtyard: Access to God.

1. The Brazen Altar, 27:1-8.

A. Its size and distinguishing features, 27:1-2.

27:1-2. The altar is the first thing a person would see when he came into the court of the Tabernacle. 7 1/2 feet square and 4 1/2 feet wide made this the largest piece of furniture associated with the Tabernacle. Made of acacia wood (durable disease and insect resistant), all of it was to be overlaid with bronze. Brass was much more durable for the purpose that the altar had to endure--the constant fire of the sacrifices. Brass was the metal of choice for durable metal, also heavier than silver or gold.

A horn at each corner was to be a part of the altar, apparently to provide a place to bind the sacrifice if it was necessary (Psalm 118:27).

Psalm 118:27 NASB95

The Lord is God, and He has given us light; Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.

It also was, in some of the sacrifices, where blood from the sacrifice was applied to the horns of the altar.

Two purposes of the altar can be perceived from Scripture. First, in Exodus 38:1 it is called the altar of burnt offering.

Exodus 38:1 NASB95

Then he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide, square, and three cubits high.

This states its basic purpose: to provide the altar upon which sacrifices would be burnt. The picture is the judgment that comes upon sin via a substitute for the people.

Second, the altar foreshadows Christ on the cross, who experienced the fires of judgment (emphasized in the fact that He said, “I thirst” (John 19:28) and offered Himself a sacrifice for sin for sinners.

B. Its implements and grating, 27:3-5.

27:3. The equipment used at the altar (its pails for ash removal, shovels to scoop up the ashes, basins to catch the blood, forks to take pieces of flesh from the sacrifice for eating, and firepans for the fire) were to be fashioned out of brass as well.

27:4-5. The grating for the altar was like a brass netting, where the sacrifices would be laid. This netting was mounted under the ledge/top of the altar about halfway up the height of the altar. This allowed the fire to come through the netting and burn the sacrifices.

On the grating itself were attached four bronze rings, one at each corner.

C. Its transportation, 27:6-8.

27:6-7. To transport the altar, poles of acacia wood overlaid with brass were to be used, the brass adding additional strength to the poles. They were to be inserted into the four rings at the corners of the brass netting so that the poles were on two sides of the altar when it is carried.

27:8. Question: How can such a large piece of furniture covered with brass be moved? Brass is quite heavy. However verse 8 informs us that its construction was not solid but hollow with planks (frames, just like the framework of the tabernacle), making it lighter. We are also not told how long the poles were; we do know that it could not be carried by two men--the altar was too wide-- so at least four men were required to carry the altar depending on the length of the poles, it could have been even more men...we just do not know.

Moses is again reminded that those who construct the altar are to make it like the altar he was shown in the mountain, the heavenly pattern shown to him.

II. The Courtyard, 27:9-19.

A. Its dimensions and details, 27:9-15.

The court of the Tabernacle was to go completely around the Tabernacle and was marked of by a unique fence. It had a measure of 150 feet on its north and south sides and 75 feet on its west and east sides.

With the tabernacle measuring 45 feet long by 15 feet wide, this would provide a good sized courtyard surrounding it.

B. Its gate, 27:16.

The only gate was a screen in the middle of the east side that was 30 feet in length. The hangings were to be made of fine twisted linen; the screen on the east side was to be made of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver of colors, reflecting the beauty of the screen entrance at the front of the tabernacle.. The height of the hangings and the screen were to be 7 1/2 feet high. This would give the courtyard of the tabernacle complete privacy. No one from the outside could see inside the courtyard. The screen distinguished where entry would be possible.

The privacy of the courtyard as well as the whiteness of the linen fence speaks of the holiness of God which bars men from God because of man’s sin. The screen/gate remind us , when one enters and is confronted with the altar of burnt offering, that it only through the sacrifice of Christ that we can have fellowship with God.

The gate to the courtyard was beautiful, one of design and beauty. The single entryway into the courtyard and Tabernacle emphasizes that there is only one way of salvation, namely, Jesus Christ (John 10:7, 9).

John 10:7 NASB95

So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

John 10:9 NASB95

“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

C. Additional details, 27:17-19.

The pillars are to hold the fence up and are overlaid with brass as well as the support sockets, blocks that could be set on the desert ground and the pillars set in them. The pillars had silver binders with silver hooks for the hanging of fine twisted linen hangings. There were 60 pillars total spaced 7 1/2 feet apart; twenty pillars each on the north and south sides, and 10 pillars each on the east and west side.

The utensils referred to in verse 19 in this context refers to to those belonging to the area just described, the outer court.

III. Provision of oil for the lamps of the lampstand,27:20-21.

In these last verses we have God commanding his people to give. The gifts of the people would support God’s work and their participation in His work is important. The light in the lampstand speaks of the work of the Lord; the people are to provide for the maintenance of the light.

Not just any oil would do. It was to be clear oil of beaten olives. There are several ways of making oil out of olives. Beating the oil in a mortar was the method that provided the purest and best oil which would produce the least smoke, important when their is no windows or other ventilating system in the Tabernacle.

In the specification for the oil, there is two important lessons for service. The first is that purity is needed for service. If we are not holy, we will not serve well. The second is that our service requires the giving of our best. If we do not give our best, we will not serve well.

The provision of this high quality oil was to be a perpetual provision. The lamps were always to be on in the Tabernacle when it was set up. Aaron, his sons and their descendants were to keep the lamp light. But for that to be possible, the people were to continue their commitment to providing the oil. In this way, they were to be committed to the maintaining of God’s work. It takes both to do the work of God.