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Teaching And Research By: M. E. Arbaugh
Overcoming
the Enemies
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THE
TABERNACLE
THE BRAZEN ALTAR
Lesson
6
The King James Bible calls this altar the brazen altar, which means made of brass. In Amplified and most recent versions it is described as bronze, in other versions copper is suggested as the outer material. Egypt and Mesopotamia were well into the Bronze Age which began about 3600 BC. The tabernacle was constructed somewhere around 1600 BC.
In the bible, the word brass or bronze, is used in symbolic ways. There are instances where brass or bronze is used as a symbol of what is firm, strong, lasting or durable. It is mentioned as gates of bronze or walls of bronze.
Jeremiah 1:18-19, NKJV. "... For behold, I have made you this day a fortified city and an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land; against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you," says the LORD, "to deliver you."
Here the word speaks of a bronze wall of divine strength which no hostile power can overcome.
Isaiah 48:4 uses the phrase " your brow is as bronze," meaning a hard headed rebel against God.
The most frequent uses of the word is in association with judgment and hard durability. In Deuteronomy 28:23 it says that "The heavens shall become as bronze over you and the earth as iron beneath you." Meaning hard, unyielding. By putting the verse in the context of the message of chapter 28, we see that this was a judgment that would come on the people because they did not hear and obey the word.
Isaiah 60:17 refers to a time when in place of judgment there will be peace and says "instead of bronze, I will bring gold."
In Judges 16:21 Samson was bound with fetters of bronze, an obvious symbol of judgment.
The bronze (brazen) altar was the basis for the entire system of worship. It was seven and one half feet square and four and one half feet high. The size of the altar testifies of it's importance. It was large enough to contain all of the other pieces of furniture at one time, with the possible exception of the laver. The altar did not have a bottom or a lid on top. On the top side, on each of the four corners there was a horn. On the outside of the altar, there were rings. Poles were placed in them so it could be moved. The altar was constructed of incorruptible wood (Acacia) then covered with bronze. All of the implements were made of bronze.
Half way between the top and the bottom there was a grate. The word says that the altar was divided in the midst. It was on this grate that the fire was built and the flesh of the sacrifice laid. The fire in the midst, symbolized the purging of sin from the life of man. Sin is not on the surface of man, it is in the midst of him. The fire burned continually . Leviticus 6:13.
On the altar, the sinners substitute was placed and the unsparing judgment of God was upon it. Many years later the cross became the altar upon which the sinners substitute, Jesus, suffered the judgment of sin. He was on the altar six hours. Those hours were divided in the middle. Three hours He suffered at the hands of man, listening to their jeers. Then darkness spread over the earth and He suffered at the hands of God the penalty of (for) sin. Not His, but ours. The holy justice of God was satisfied, the price was paid. Then He cried, "it is finished, Tetelesti." The altar and the cross speak of sin judged and it's wages paid. They also speak of sins remitted. The just wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
In the fourth chapter of Numbers there is recorded the method of how the tabernacle and it's furnishings are to be moved. The brazen altar is the only one that is given a cloth of purple to cover it. This place of sacrifice is given the color of royalty. Peter tells us that the prophets predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow, but even before the prophets, the altar and its coverings prophesied the same message, 1 Peter 1:10-11.
If we are persecuted as Christians, then we also are clothed in purple, the color of royalty. Jesus said to count it joy when men revile you and say all manner of evil against you for my sake
Matthew 5:10-12 NKJV. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Two reasons (out of many) for persecution, Godly Living and Jealousy.
Godly Living: 2 Timothy 3:12. When we have the light of God in us, it exposes the darkness in others. Sinners usually prefer the company of other sinners but not all sinners are found at the local bar and grill. Some are found in churches, some in the everyday places of life. Many are very moral and though we do nothing to deserve their wrath, they cannot stand us. We irritate them, because we convict them. When we launch out into the deep, just minding our own business, heading for the holy place, we activate religious spirits.
The relatives of Jesus said He is beside himself, they thought He had lost His mind, Mark 3:21. Church people accused Him of being demon possessed, a drinker and a glutton. Luke 11:15.
Anointed preaching of the gospel, in the pulpit or out of it, will bring harassment. Some spat on those who carried the name of Christ and threw literal stones at them. Paul's thorn in the flesh was a messenger sent from Satan to buffet him, buffet means harass.
Overcoming
the Enemies
of Health
Jealousy: If we don't have anything and we are barely getting by, no one gets jealous of what we have. But if we start putting the principles of God to work and reap abundant life, watch out. After all, preachers are supposed to be poor. If we are not poor, then we must have done something illegal or immoral or both.
There are degrees of persecution. The laws of our land protect us from literal stones, but the laws of the land do not protect us from verbal mud slinging and rock throwing. There is an old saying, sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. It is not true, sometimes, words feel like stones.
Let this be your life goal, that you may know Him and the fellowship of His sufferings. He was rejected, lonely and misunderstood. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. They spoke evil of Him who did only good. He was grieved that there were those who would not allow Him to love them.
1 Pet 4:14 NKJV. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
Peter tells us, if we suffer abuse because we bear the name of Christ, that we should rejoice, because, the spirit of glory is resting on us. When we are persecuted, we are wrapped in royal purple.
The Hebrews knew that the wages of sin was death. The guilty one knew that having forfeited his life through sin, another life (an innocent one) must be given in his place. God's answer to sin is death, but God is willing to accept the death of the innocent in place of the guilty. This is called substitutionary atonement. At the time of the tabernacle it was through the slaying of animals. At Calvary, God's full plan of redemption was revealed in Christ, our substitutionary atonement.
When the Hebrew brought a sin offering to the altar, he laid his hand on the animal and confessed his sins. In this manner he transferred his sin to the substitute. As he watched, the priest cut the jugular vein of the animal and caught it's blood (it's life) in a basin. The priest was to make certain the guilty one was aware that the animal was dying in his place. Then the priest sprinkled some of the animal's life (the blood) on the one seeking forgiveness and temporarily absolved him of his sins.
The purpose of the altar was not to kill animals, but to trade lives. "The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls." Leviticus 17:11. The purpose of the cross was not to kill Jesus. It was to trade lives. That many sons and daughters might be brought into glory. Heb. 2:9-10.
God is not mad at us, He loves us, His desire is that we will be restored to fellowship with Him. The cross is our altar, the meeting place. Those who reject the work that Jesus did at Calvary, reject the mercy of God. Sin is not the problem anymore, Jesus paid it's price in full. The question now is: what will we do with Jesus?
next Chapter Seven
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