Gloria Phifer
Last week we studied the final piece of the linen curtains
surrounding the Tabernacle Courtyard. It was the Only Entrance. Which is a
picture of Jesus Christ. He is The Only Way to God. He is The Only Way of
salvation. He is the Only Way to Heaven and eternal life. John 14:6 “I AM The
Way, The Truth, and The Life: no man comes unto The Father but by Me.” John
10:7-9. The Door of the sheep.
Jesus Christ is The Only Entrance. The colors of the curtain were blue (Heaven)
purple (royalty) scarlet (the blood of The Lamb of God.)
As we enter through the Curtain, into the courtyard we come
to the Altar of burnt offering. Exodus 38:1-7. The altar was made of Acacia
wood. (Hebrew for, pierced, flogged, scourged) and it was covered with “Brass.”
Brass or bronze is a picture of Judgement. This is where the sacrifice was made.
LB “The Burnt-Offering Altar was also constructed of acacia
wood; it was 7 ½ feet square at the top, and 4 ½ ft. high. There were 4 horns
at the 4 corners, all of one piece with the rest. This altar was overlaid with
bronze (brass). Then he made (Bezalel was the workman) the bronze utensils to
be used with the altar. The pots, shovels, basins, meat hooks and fire ans.
Next he made a bronze grating that rested upon a ledge about halfway up (in the
fire box). 4 rings were cast for each side of the grating to insert the
carrying poles. The carrying poles themselves were made of acacia wood,
overlaid with bronze. The carrying poles were inserted into the rings at the
side of the altar. The altar was hollow, with plank siding.
This is where the sacrifice for sin was made.'
Rose Guide:” a proper sacrifice was offering what was
valuable and perfect, not unwanted or flawed. Sin was serious. Only shed blood,
which stands for life, could pay for sin. By laying their hands on it, the
Israelites identified with the animal to be sacrificed.”
Rose: “Once the priest approved the sacrifice, the worshiper
would lift it onto the huge 7 ½ by 71/2 ft. bronze-covered altar and bind it to
the horns at the altar’s corners solemnly, he laid his hands on the animal’s
head. The priest caught its blood in a basin below.”
There was a fire under the altar. When the Tabernacle was
dedicated and the sacrifice was on the altar, fire came down from Heaven and
burnt it up. Leviticus 9:24.
Leviticus 10:1-2. Nadab and abihu, the sons of Aaron offered
strange fire. Only the fire from The Burnt Altar could be used. The blood of
the sacrifice fell down through the grating onto the fire. The two sons of
Aaron brought their fire from another source.
This Burnt Altar is a picture of the cross. In order to
approach God, we must come to The Cross of Jesus Christ…the sacrifice for our
sins. John 1:29 The Lamb of God, Which takes away the sin of the world. John
1:36. Jesus took our judgement upon that cross. Isaiah 53: 4-12. “For the transgression of My people was He
stricken.”
God gave His Most Valued. He gave His Son for us. He took all
of our judgement. When He was on that cross, all of our sins were placed upon
Him…The pure, Holy Lamb of God. His blood cleanses us from all sin. Our sins
were placed upon Christ and were paid for…by His Blood.
The Burnt Altar had 4 horns where the sacrifice was bound.
The cross had 4 corners, the top and bottom of the beam reaching up to Heaven
and the corners of the wood where Jesus arms were stretched…stretching out for
mankind.
Let’s look at Psalm 118. It begins with the House of
Aaron…who were the Priests of The Lord. In vs. 6 man is against this person.
There are those who hate Him. He puts His confidence in The Lord. All nations
are surrounding him…nation in Hebrew is “gowy”. “In the sense of massing. A
foreign nation; hence a Gentile. A troop of Gentiles, heathen, nation, people.
Usually non-Hebrew people”. Who
surrounded Jesus at the cross? Gentiles.
In Psalm 22 9-18.
The Jewish
people called the Romans “Dogs.”
Vs. 20 The Gate of The Lord into which the righteous enter. Who is The Gate? How do we enter? How do
we become righteous? Through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Vs. 21-22 “The Stone
which the builders refused is become the Head Stone (Capstone) of the corner.”
The very Stone that was needed was rejected.
Matt. 21:42-46.
Vs. 23-26. Matt. 21:1-11, Matt. 23:39. On Palm Sunday Jesus
came riding upon a donkey…and the crowd was saying “Hosanna to the Son of
David: blessed is He that comes in the Name of The Lord; Hosanna in the
Highest.”
Ps. 118: 27 “God is The Lord, which has showed us Light: bind
the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.”
On Friday, Jesus was nailed to the cross…the altar of
sacrifice…He shed His Blood for us… He took our sin and our judgement upon
Himself. His blood poured out at the foot of the cross. Colossians 2:9-15.
He
took all our sins and nailed it to the cross…His Blood blotted out our sins. He
also spoiled satan and triumphed over him at the cross.
