Building the Court Exodus 38:9-219And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits: 10Their pillars were twenty, and their brazen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. 11And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 12And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 13And for the east side eastward fifty cubits. 14The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. 15And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. 16All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen. 17And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver. 18And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court. 19And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver. 20And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass. 21This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest. (Exodus 38:9‑21)
A fence circling a court, was made to be set up around the Tabernacle, and to be taken apart to carry on the journeys. It had 60 strong pillars; each capped with silver, and to he set into brass sockets. Linen curtains were made to hang between the pillars, with silver hooks and rods to hold them close. There were also cords held by brass pins.
This court formed a space 100 cubits long and 50 cubits wide (a cubit is about 11/2 feet), and it was 5 cubits high.
The entrance to the court was at the east end, and the curtains of it were worked in colors.
A large altar of wood, overlaid with brass, was made to be set inside the court, where the sacrifices to God were burned. The grates, ash-pans, hooks and basons were of brass.
A brass laver was made to hold water where the men who offered the sacrifices were to wash. The size and shape of the laver are not given, but it was made of brass looking glasses given by the women, so it must have been very smooth and shiny.
When the people would look at the white curtains they knew only what was pure should be within, and they knew none could enter there without a sacrifice for sins. And we learn from this the same lesson: all must be pure from sin to enter God’s presence.
But since that time God has given a better sacrifice for sins, the Lord Jesus, so we no more offer animals.
ML 06/27/1937