Ex. 27:1-81And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. 2And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass. 3And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass. 4And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brazen rings in the four corners thereof. 5And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar. 6And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass. 7And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it. 8Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was showed thee in the mount, so shall they make it. (Exodus 27:1‑8).-And thou shalt make an altar of shittim-wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass. And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basins, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass. And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brazen rings in the four corners thereof. And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar. And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim-wood, and overlay them with brass. And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it. Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was showed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.
Ex. 38:1-51And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof. 2And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass. 3And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass. 4And he made for the altar a brazen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it. 5And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves. (Exodus 38:1‑5).-And he made the altar of burnt-offering of shittim-wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof. And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass. And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basins, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass. And he made for the altar a brazen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it. And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.
THERE are three ways in which this holy vessel is specially designated in Scripture, in order to distinguish it from the Altar of Incense. First, it is emphatically termed "the Altar." (Ex. 28:4343And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him. (Exodus 28:43) Ex. 29:12, 4412And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar. (Exodus 29:12)
44And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office. (Exodus 29:44); Ex. 3:2020And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. (Exodus 3:20) &C.) The Hebrew word for altar, מִזִבֵּחַ, has distinct reference to the thought of sacrifice, being derived from a verb signifying to slay or slaughter. Our word altar is from the Latin, signifying high; so that in the English language the true meaning of the original is not expressed. With the sacrifice, and therefore with the Altar, all priestly ministrations, and all acts of worship conducted at the Tabernacle, were inseparably connected. No sin could be atoned for, no praise or thanksgiving could ascend to God, without the intervention of this all-important vessel. The sweet savor of the morning and evening lamb, offered here, sheltered the hosts of Israel, notwithstanding their failures and weaknesses: the Sabbath, completing each week, and giving a type of a rest yet to come, was ushered in with fresh offerings presented on this Altar; each year and each month, as it rolled round, commenced with additional sacrifices consumed here; and the feasts, as they recurred, marking annual periods of humiliation or of joy, were celebrated with abundant victims, burnt at this appointed place for a memorial of acceptance before the Lord. Whether an individual Israelite or the assembled congregation approached to worship God, this holy vessel was called into requisition; and the very consecration of the priesthood itself advanced only step by step with the sanctification of this Altar. In fact, the very existence of Israel as a nation, and the life and history of each individual amongst them were in a certain sense linked on With this holy vessel; for their national deliverance out of Egypt, and their rest in the land, were to be celebrated annually in connection with the place where the burnt-offerings ascended towards God; and each faithful one amongst them had there to present the first-fruits of all his increase, and the firstlings of his flocks and herds: thus manifestly connecting his prosperity with the sacrifices at the Altar. All this points out the vast importance of this holy vessel, and teaches us the reason why it was emphatically called the Altar. And is it not also far more true respecting the Church of God, that to the sacrifice and priesthood of the Lord Jesus, faintly shadowed forth by the Altar and its victims, she owes all her cleanness, her acceptance, and her glory? God's record of the death and resurrection of His Son is the announcement to her of the end of her sins, and the commencement of her life, her purity, and joy. Salvation through the blood of the Lamb, and acceptance in all the unspeakable value of His person, form the very basis of her true and spiritual worship. Every fresh mercy received, and every renewed estimate of her blessings, are celebrated by a recurrence to the " one offering," by which she has been sanctified and perfected forever; and she enters her rest and glory hereafter with a new song of joy, a fresh shout of exultation, recording again the value of His death, who " hath loved her, and given Himself for her."
Another name by which this vessel is distinguished is " the Altar of Burnt-offering." (Ex. 30:28; 31:9; 36:16; 135:1; 40: 6, 10, 2928And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. (Exodus 30:28)
9And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot, (Exodus 31:9)
16And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. (Exodus 36:16); Lev. 4:7, 10, 187And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 4:7)
10As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering. (Leviticus 4:10)
18And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the Lord, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 4:18), &c.) Our word burnt-offering hardly expresses the meaning of the original, עֹלָה, which signifies ascending. It is a very appropriate name for this vessel, because all that was there consumed ascended towards God, "an odor of a sweet savor." The word conveys the thought of the blessed acceptance, in which all went up to the Lord, from the fire of this Altar; and not only so, but that all which was placed there was for the Lord, and for Him alone. There are two principal aspects in which Christ in His death is presented in the types, and in other parts of the Word of God. First, as bearing sin, and dying under the wrath and fearful judgment of God, inflicted upon Him in order that those on whose behalf He suffered might escape. Accordingly we read, " Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin." (Isa. 53:1010Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10).) "He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin." (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21).) " God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." (Rom. 8:33For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (Romans 8:3).) " Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree." (1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24).) "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." (Heb. 9:2828So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28).) The Passover is a leading type of this: Israel in Egypt, oppressed by cruel bondage, slew the lamb, and sprinkled the blood on their doorposts; the wrath of God was thereby averted from them, and fell only on those who were not under its shelter. The blood of the slain lamb was a witness to God, and token to Israel, that death had already passed upon another in their stead; and accordingly the sword of vengeance passed over them, and smote them not. Another aspect of the death of Christ is that intended to be conveyed by the burnt-offerings consumed on this Altar. Our thoughts are here directed not so much to Christ as suffering under wrath, as to His holy obedience in death, thus surrendering Himself and all His powers to God-His mind, His will, and His affections: all were presented, and all offered up to Him in humble and entire devotedness, "an offering of a sweet savor." God delighted in this sacrifice; He was completely glorified in it; He searched it according to all the searching judgment of His holiness, of which the fire is a type; and all was pure and spotless, all was clean and fragrant, even to the very " inwards;" and all could ascend as a sweet savor, infinitely acceptable and precious to Him. Thus the delight which God had in the offering up of His own blessed Son, and the fragrance of His obedience in death, are the truths mainly portrayed by the sacrifices presented on the Altar of Burnt offering: and as Jesus, in His death, was made sin for us, and bare away our sins forever, so also, according to all the sweet savor of His obedience in death, and according to all the delight the Father has in His Son, in whom He has been thus perfectly glorified, are we accepted of God, and rejoiced over and delighted in by Him. The value of His person, who has on the cross manifested all that was well-pleasing to God, is the infinite measure of our acceptance. The blood of the paschal lamb was the means of averting wrath, whilst the burnt-offering on the Altar testified of cleanness and perfect acceptance on the part of the offerer. The former represents the death of Christ, as the only way of escape from judgment: the latter again presents to us the same death, but as the means whereby we are made acceptable worshippers before God, and have access into His presence, being estimated according to all the value of the Lamb slain. Both truths are united in that one sacrifice, though in the types we have often particular aspects separately presented.
The other usual designation for this Altar is " the Altar by the door of the Tabernacle," or rather "tent of the congregation." (1) This expression, "by the door of the Tabernacle," does not necessarily imply that the Altar was close to the door, but it rather refers to the position-of this vessel, as standing with immediate reference to the entrance of the Tabernacle. In fact, the Laver stood nearer the door than the Altar, for it was placed " between the tent of the congregation and the altar." (Ex. 40:3030And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal. (Exodus 40:30)) As the Altar of Incense was directly on the way into the Holiest, so the place of the Altar of Burnt-offering was immediately fronting the entrance of the Tabernacle. Thus there could be no approach into the presence of God without first passing the place of sacrifice. Acquaintance and intercourse with Him can only be formed through a knowledge of the Lamb slain; and the way which has been opened for the sinner into the very holiest of all, through the blood of Christ, itself witnesses that there is no other mode of access, no other pathway to God. The death of Christ is at once that which testifies to an open door, at the same time that it forbids any other attempt to reach God. Thus a priest, who desired intercourse with Jehovah in the Tabernacle, must first pass the Altar of Burnt-offering at the door, and enter the holy place under the sweet savor of the lamb, ascending from the fire of the Altar.
The Materials Of The Altar Trim Altar was made of shittim-wood, and overlaid with brass. The wood, as has been before remarked respecting the Ark, Shewbread Table, and Incense Altar, was the chief material of which they were fashioned: the brass added durability and firmness, and the power to sustain the fire.
In again alluding to the person of Christ as God and Man, it is well for us to remember one of old, who, when he desired to turn aside and see the great sight why the bush was not consumed by the fire that burnt within it, was commanded not to draw nigh, but to put off the shoes from off his feet, for he was standing on holy ground. (Ex. 3) And if that sight was marvelous, and was to be regarded with holy reverence, and not scrutinized with heedless curiosity, truly " God manifest in the flesh" is a great mystery, before which we do well to bow; submitting our reason and understanding to what the Scriptures declare concerning it, without seeking to reduce it to the level of our poor finite comprehension. Two blessed objects were before the Lord when He became Man, which are beautifully connected together in Heb. 2 the one was to be the sacrifice, the other to be the priest. Accordingly we read, " Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." And again, " It behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." Whether, therefore, we contemplate Him as the Lamb of God appointed to be slain, or as the Apostle and High Priest of our profession in the glory, still the blessed truth of His being a man is that which presents itself prominently to our faith, and it one great basis on which the realities of salvation rest; just as the " incorruptible wood" is one chief component part of the holy vessels. While inseparable, though distinct, is the other great verity as to the person of Christ, namely, that He was " GOD manifest in the flesh," and that His power and excellency as God have rendered effectual and precious all that He has accomplished on earth in death, and all that He still perpetuates in resurrection of blessed service for His saints; we shall ever find that the Word of God steadily keeps the person of the blessed Lord before us, and does not treat abstractedly of His natures either as God or Man. And this is the one great means of preserving the soul from evil and unholy speculations on such a subject.
It may be well here to notice one erroneous form of expression which is prevalent, relative to the incarnation of the eternal Word; and that is that Christ assumed a human nature merely as a kind of casket, in which His divinity was enshrined. The Scripture invariably opposes its statements to this kind of thought. We read in Luke 1:3535And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35), " That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God;" and again, " The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." (John 1:1414And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14).) He became by incarnation as truly Man, as He is, and from all eternity hath been, God. Humanity was not a mere vestment, veiling for a while the glories of His Godhead. No: He was " God manifest in the flesh," not God enshrined or concealed under its guise. The eye of faith beheld in the " Man of sorrows" the "glory of the only begotten of the Father." And still He is, and ever will be, Man. It is now His very being, while from everlasting to everlasting He is God. How blessedly are these truths combined in two Psalms, quoted in Heb. 1! Psa. 102 opens with a strain of sorrowful lamentation, which is suddenly arrested by the voice of Jehovah encouraging the Son, reminding Him of His own past acts of greatness and power, when He laid the foundation of the earth, and fashioned the heavens, and the yet future display of His Godhead, when He shall change as a garment the whole face of creation. The utterances of the Man of sorrows are here stayed by assurances of His eternal power and Godhead; the groan of the dying Savior is recognized as the voice of the Almighty Creator. In the other, Psa. 45, we have a beautiful contrast with this. The Lord Jesus in resurrection is there addressed as God in the glory: " Thy throne, 0 God, is forever and ever!" and then He is immediately recognized as Man: " Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." In the former Psalm we have a dying Christ hailed as the eternal Creator, God: in the latter we have the risen Christ acknowledged as God, and then addressed as Man.
The Dimensions And Parts Of The Altar THE square form of this vessel has been alluded to elsewhere: without now attempting to interpret the typical import of the numbers five and three employed in its measurements, two things may be noticed. First, that its dimensions are such that all the other vessels of the Sanctuary could be included within it, and next, that there seems to be a manifest connection between its size and that of the Ark: for on referring to the measurements of the latter, we shall find that the height was one cubit and a half, just half the height of this Altar; and the length was two cubits and a half, exactly half its length. May not these facts be intended to foreshadow, first, that every priestly ministration is involved in or connected with the death of the Lord Jesus, as every vessel of the Tabernacle was smaller than, and could be included in, the sacrificial Altar; and, secondly, that intercourse with God is a result from the fact of sacrifice, and is closely connected with it, as the size of the Ark is dependent on the size of the Altar? One great object of God in giving His Son was to establish full and free intercourse with Himself; so that the sinner, unhindered by his sins, might draw nigh, and might find and taste all the fresh springs of mercy and of love flowing out from God abundantly through Christ.
Besides the horns, which have been noticed before, there was also connected with this vessel an integral and important part, namely, the brazen grate. It would appear that the Altar itself was a hollow square, without top or bottom; and that this grate of strong brazen net-work was fastened just half way up the interior, reaching therefore one cubit and a half from the ground, exactly the height of the Mercy seat: 2 to the corners of the grate, which must have pierced the angles of the Altar, four rings were attached, serving as places for the staves. The grate would by its strength prevent the Altar from twisting out of its form when it was moved; and the weight of the whole would be sustained on the rings to which the staves were attached. The word מִכְבָּד, grate, occurs no where else; it is derived from a root signifying to plait, or twist: the word net-work is also added in the description of the construction of the grate; and thus this portion of the Altar was formed of strong interwoven bars of brass, which could not be broken. May not this point to that truth connected with the sacrifice of Christ, that there was no escape from the judgment which He came to bear, because no other plan or way of salvation could be devised? The unsearchable wisdom of God could provide no other remedy-could discover no other way of redemption: His only-begotten Son must be delivered up to death, even the death of the cross. The blessed Lord Himself realized this truth in His own soul; for after praying, " 0 my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me-if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me," He adds, " Nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done." "The Son of Man must be lifted up;" refuge failed Him, and He was as a victim appointed to the slaughter, for whom there was no escape. The determinate counsel of God, the ruin of man, for which there was no other remedy, the devotedness of His own heart's obedience to the Father, and His deep and boundless love for the Church, acted as so many constraining powers to bind Him to the work: they were like the meshes of brazen net-work which firmly retained the sacrifice on the altar. There is a passage in the Lamentations which seems to express the thought connected with the death of Christ, of its being a net from whence there was no deliverance: " Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the dry of His fierce anger. From above hath He sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: He hath spread a net for my feet; He hath turned me back; He hath made me desolate and faint all the day. The yoke of my transgressions is bound by His hand; they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck; He hath made my strength to fall; the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up," (Lam. 1:12-1412Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. 13From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day. 14The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up. (Lamentations 1:12‑14).)
Vessels Attached To The Altar FIVE sets of attendant vessels are enumerated as connected with this Altar; and so important and needful were they, that they are described in the midst of the directions for making the Altar itself. They were pans, shovels, basins, flesh-hooks, and fire-pans.
The pans, סִֺדזת, are elsewhere translated pots and caldrons; here their use is specified to receive the ashes of the Altar, not the flesh of the sacrifices for seething. In Lev. 4:10,1110As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering. 11And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung, (Leviticus 4:10‑11) a peculiar ordinance is given respecting the removal of the ashes, when these vessels were employed: " And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt-offering on the Altar, and he shall put them beside the Altar. And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place." This was a solemn and important ceremony: a peculiar dress was needed for the occasion, and a change of garments occurs in the midst of the service. The dress, both on this occasion and on the great day of atonement (Lev. 16), was made of the same material, namely, linen; not the same as those of which the garments " for glory and for beauty" were made; for though our translation also uses the word linen as one of the component parts of those garments, yet in the Hebrew quite another term is employed. The word for " fine linen," of which the curtains, vail, hangings, and priestly garments for glory and for beauty were formed, is שׁשׁ; that for "linen," of which the holy garments for atonement and for removing the ashes were made, is "פד. It would appear from this, that there was a kind of analogy between the two ceremonies, and that the action of removing ashes from the Altar had certain characteristics connected with it similar to some of the services on the great day of atonement. In seeking to understand this type, it will be needful, first, to consider what the ashes are intended to represent. They were the record that all had been consumed on the Altar, and consequently that the offering had been fully accepted and had ascended to God as an odor of a sweet savor: they afford us a type of the Lord in death after He had uttered those most blessed words, "It is finished," and had bowed His head and yielded up the ghost. The priest when taking away the ashes would have the evidence in his hands that the penalty incurred by sin had been met, and the means of a full atonement provided; he was handling the very record of death, and such a record of it as proved that a complete satisfaction had been rendered to God. His garments were therefore analogous to those of atonement; for he would be contemplating that which was a speaking witness of complete reconciliation made. To consume the burnt sacrifice to ashes, was equivalent to a full and perfect acceptance of the offering; so we find it in Psa. 20:33Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. (Psalm 20:3), " The Lord remember all thy offerings, and accept (or, as the margin correctly renders it, turn to ashes) thy burnt-sacrifice." And when we contemplate the lifeless body of the blessed Lord on the cross, when the soldiers came and found that He was dead already, we seem to be like the priest removing the ashes from the Altar; we mark the wounded side pouring forth the blood and water,-a witness not only that Jesus was dead, but that an atoning and life-giving power was in that death; God's token also of the full and finished work of His Son. The ashes, having been taken from the Altar, were then to be deposited by its side; and we learn from Lev. 1:1616And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes: (Leviticus 1:16), that the place of ashes was " on the east part:" here for a while they remained under the eye of God, while the priest was changing his garments. Thus they were not hurriedly removed out of sight; but even after the fire had fully consumed the victim, this record of the fact still remained before the Lord. This may be intended to mark the deliberateness with which all was ordered by God respecting the death of His Son. His body remained on the cross some time after death, exposed, indeed, to the idle gaze of the unthinking multitude. But how must the eye of God have rested there? How precious to Him that marred form-how dear to us those ashes! The east, it may be, was chosen for the place of ashes, because thence the bright light of the morning sun arose. The place of death is closely connected with the glory of resurrection; the rising of the Sun of righteousness with healing in His wings only the more casts back the light of the glory upon all that was connected with His death. The priest then changed his garments, and put on others not spoken of as priestly. He ceases to exercise any direct ministration, for he had presented the ashes to God, placing them beside the Altar. The testimony as to acceptance was complete; the sacrifice had been reduced to ashes; the full record of atonement had been presented, for the ashes were the witness how entirely the work had been accomplished in death; and now they are carried forth without the camp unto a clean place. This seems a type of the burial of the Lord. He was laid in a new sepulcher, wherein man had never before been laid, and His burial-place was outside the city of Jerusalem, or, as it is in type, " outside the camp." (Compare Heb. 13:11, 1211For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 12Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (Hebrews 13:11‑12).) This clean place, where the ashes of the Altar were poured out, was also the place where the sin-offerings were burnt (Lev. 4:1212Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt. (Leviticus 4:12)); and so it was as to the Lord's burial, for the place of the tomb was a garden on the very mount where He was crucified: " Now in the place where He was crucified was a garden, and in the garden a new sepulcher." (John 19:4141Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. (John 19:41).) It is deeply interesting here again to see how the Spirit of God combines in the death of Christ the two great aspects of acceptance and judgment. There is a "place of ashes" at the Altar of acceptance, where the record of death is ever the odor of a sweet savor to God; there is a place, also, where the ashes are poured out, where the burning of the victim speaks of all-consuming wrath. The one is inseparable from the other, though very different truths are taught at each. The burial of the Lord Jesus is a fact definitely marked in prophetic Scripture, and also is one of the articles of our faith: Isa. 53:99And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. (Isaiah 53:9), "And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death;" and in r Cor. 15: 4, the Apostle, when declaring the great cardinal truths of the gospel which he preached, includes in the enumeration, "And that He was buried." The pans to receive the ashes of the Altar are therefore important vessels. The Lord Jesus Himself, as our Priest, is the one who instructs us by His Spirit in all the truths connected with salvation and glory; and in contemplating these types, we have to consider that they are not only significant of what has been already fulfilled in the one great antitype, but that they are often tokens to us of the various priestly ministrations of Christ, now that He is risen, both as towards God on our behalf; and as Himself instructing us in the blessed truths connected with His death, so that we might have fellowship with the Father and with Himself respecting all His finished work.
On referring to Num. 4:1313And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon: (Numbers 4:13), we shall find that the ashes were also removed from the Altar before it was covered for the march; and these vessels were then also used to hold them, as is clear from the fact that they are omitted from the list of the other vessels covered and carried on the Altar.
"And his shovels." The four remaining sets of vessels were required for priestly ministration more immediately connected with the Altar; and we therefore find they are called "his shovels," "his basins," &c.; whereas the pans before mentioned are not thus designated, but their use is specified, "to receive his ashes." The shovels seem to be intended for removing the fire from the Altar into the censers; for the original, יָשם, is derived from a root signifying to take away. In Jer. 52:1919And the basons, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups; that which was of gold in gold, and that which was of silver in silver, took the captain of the guard away. (Jeremiah 52:19) (margin), they are called "instruments for removing the ashes;" but as the pans were especially appropriated to this use, and as these vessels are called his shovels, thereby connecting them directly with the Altar, it is far more probable that they were employed to fill the censers with burning coals from off the Altar, when fire had to be carried into the holy place. If this be so, these vessels would form a link between the ministration at the two Altars, connecting the presentation of incense inseparably with the coals of fire which had fed upon the burnt-offering. A chain of holy service, commencing with the offering of the lamb at the sacrificial Altar, and closing with the cloud of fragrant perfume filling the Tabernacle, when the golden candlestick was sending forth its sevenfold luster, would thus be presented to our thoughts; and the complete acceptance of the true worshipper, and the light and fragrance in which he stands to minister in God's presence, would thus be traced up to and connected with that one leading truth, " Christ hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor." (Eph. 5:22And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor. (Ephesians 5:2).)
"And his basins." Here the word סָזְבֽק a vessel for sprinkling, at once directs us to the use of these bowls. They were employed to receive the blood of sprinkling which flowed from the various victims offered at the Altar. It might almost seem superfluous to remind believers in the Lord of the great use and efficacy of the blood; and yet there is no truth which we need more to retain in our hearts, or to testify with our lips, than the value of the precious blood of Christ. On it depends all our present peace of soul, as well as our hopes of future glory. It is our great weapon against Satan; "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony" (Rev. 12:1111And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Revelation 12:11)); it is the means of our justification with God, "being justified by His blood" (Rom. 5:99Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:9)): the Lord Jesus Himself, that great Shepherd of the sheep, has been "brought again from the dead through the blood of the everlasting covenant" (Heb. 13:2020Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, (Hebrews 13:20)); and has entered once for all into the holy places in the heavens, as our great High Priest, by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Heb. 9:1212Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12).)
There are two principal uses of the blood, specified in the Epistle to the Hebrews: first, it was sprinkled to confirm the covenant; and, secondly, it was the only means of atonement. The old covenant was ratified by the blood of calves and of goats, with which Moses sprinkled the book and all the people, saying, " This is the blood of the covenant which God has enjoined unto you." (Heb. 9:19, 2019For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. (Hebrews 9:19‑20).) The new covenant has been established in the blood of Christ, so that the promises of blessing contained therein are eternally and irrevocably sealed to the saints of God. The main term of this blessed covenant, upon which all the other promises included in it depend, is the last, "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb. 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17));- and this is the result of the shedding of Christ's blood, as the Lord Himself said, in anticipation of His death, when He took the cup, " This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matt. 26:2828For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28).) The blood of the burnt-offerings and peace-sacrifices was sprinkled round about upon the Altar seemingly with these two aspects, namely, to present on every side, towards God and towards the people, a record of the remission of sins, and also to confirm afresh all the blessings of favor and acceptance recorded in the offerings burnt as a sweet savor on the Altar. The ratification of blessing was the primary object in these instances, though atonement held necessarily a place in all sacrifices where life was taken. We find a different word used for sprinkling, when the blood of the burnt-offerings and peace-sacrifices is alluded to, from that employed when the blood of the sin-offerings is mentioned. In the former case it is זרק, in the latter גזה. A distinction also is preserved between the word used for burning the offerings presented at the brazen Altar, and that used for burning the sin-offerings outside the camp. In the former case the chief object presented was the perfect acceptance of the sacrifice; in the latter, the judgment due to sin borne by the victim.'
The chief use of the blood was for atonement. The word כָּסַּד to make atonement, is used in three different senses, namely, to express the covering over of sin, the purging or cleansing the sinner, and the appeasing the wrath of God. The primary sense is to cover over; thus this word is used in Gen. 6:1414Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. (Genesis 6:14), "And thou shalt pitch it within and without with pitch." Here the covering over the ark with a coat of pitch, is expressed by the same word as that which means to atone. How blessed is the thought, as connected with our salvation, that the all-searching eye of God is arrested by the precious blood of Christ, which has so entirely covered over and hidden our sins, that He beholds no iniquity in us! "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” 4 (Psa. 32:11<<A Psalm of David, Maschil.>> Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (Psalm 32:1).) This is indeed the effectual way in which God blots out transgressions for His own sake, and will not remember sins. (Isa. 43:2525I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Isaiah 43:25).) Again, atonement means also the purging away of sin; thus, in Lev. 16, one use of the atoning blood of the sin-offerings was to cleanse the holy places from all the uncleanness of the children of Israel (ver. 16-19). In such cases the blood was always applied to the persons or things to be purged, as, for instance, to the leper and leprous house. (Lev. 14) Though we do not read in the law that the Tabernacle and vessels of ministry were sprinkled with blood, yet we are told in Heb. 9:21, that such was the case; and it was most probably done when the Altar of Burnt-offering was cleansed (Ex. 29:36,3736And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it. 37Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy. (Exodus 29:36‑37)); or it may be that the making atonement for the Altar was looked upon as equivalent to the cleansing with blood the Tabernacle and all the other vessels of ministry, seeing that the Altar was such a leading vessel of service: we find, indeed, a similar action on the great day of atonement, when the cleansing of the Incense Altar was reckoned to be the purging of the holy places of the Tabernacle, and all that was within them. On referring to the following texts, among others, it will be found that the word atonement is translated cleansing or purging: 1 Sam. 3:1414And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. (1 Samuel 3:14); Psa. 65:33Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away. (Psalm 65:3); Psa. 79. 9; Isa. 6:77And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. (Isaiah 6:7); Isa. 22:1414And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts. (Isaiah 22:14); Isa. 27: 9, &c. In Heb. 9 there is a blessed contrast drawn between the mere outward purifying, effected under the Mosaic ritual, and the inward purging effected by the precious blood of Christ: " For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (ver. 13, 14). Here the conscience is purged; the Spirit of God applies the blood of Christ to the very seat of defilement, so that the believer has " no more conscience of sins." Not that he loses the consciousness of sin, and its evil movements within,-" If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:88If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8)),-but it is not allowed to remain defiling the soul, and hindering intercourse with God: when detected it is at once judged and answered by the blood of cleansing, so that it no longer forms a barrier preventing approach to God. The presence of "the living God" becomes the safe and happy retreat of the purged worshipper; for though he may find even there, that sin is present within him, and that the very fact of being in the light makes manifest the darkness, yet the cleansing power of the blood is known also there in its full and continuous value, and it is ever the witness that sin has been covered over, and every defilement purged away from the heart of the believer. Lastly, the word atonement means the pacifying of wrath. For instance, when Jacob heard that his brother Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him, he said, " I will appease him with the present that goeth before me." (Gen. 32:2020And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. (Genesis 32:20).) Here the word is the same in the original as atone. The blood of the Lamb has been shed as the only way of appeasing the wrath of God on account of sin; and it becomes the witness that judgment has already been executed on the victim substituted for the sinner. God is now able to " justify by the blood," because He has, in the death of His Son, already judged the sins of many, and His justice has been thereby completely vindicated. Our words propitiation and propitiatory convey the thought of the means by which wrath is appeased, and of the place where mercy has in consequence been established. On the great day of atonement, blood was sprinkled "upon the mercy-seat eastward, and before the mercy-seat." (Lev. 16:1414And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. (Leviticus 16:14).) God's anger against Israel, on account of the sins of the past year, was thereby met, reconciliation was effected, and a way of approach was made into His presence, so that the high priest could stand before the Mercy-seat to consult for the good of the people. To the believer now, the blood of Christ testifies of full and eternal reconciliation: no vengeance on account of sin can break forth against him, for it is the witness that the blessed Lord has borne all wrath and judgment: the way into the Holiest lies open, for the vail has been rent; and with a blood-sprinkled path into God's presence, a blood-sprinkled Mercy-seat there, and himself with a heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, wherefore need he fear? why should he pause? rather let him "draw near with boldness," and taste in fellowship with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ, the truth of that message, "God is light, arid in Him is no darkness at all."
The all-important truth recorded in Lev. 17:1111For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11), " It is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul," reiterated in the Epistle to the Hebrews, though with a little difference of expression, " Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:2;22For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the sanctuary. (Hebrews 9:2)), makes our hearts tremble when we think of the unconverted around us. How many trust in vague thoughts of the mercy of God, without at all connecting it with the blood of the Lamb How many are even offended at the truth respecting the Lord having died as a substitute for sinners under the wrath of God! And may we not turn to some of those who have faith in Jesus, and inquire whether they do really believe that through the shedding of the blood of Christ their sins have been altogether remitted-dismissed from God's remembrance forever? Shall we not find many a heart, even among the children of God, questioning the absolute certainty of this blessed fact as regards themselves, though they may perhaps allow it to be true doctrine in the abstract? This uncertainty and doubtfulness of soul surely arises from the preciousness of that blood not having been pondered over or realized: the example of the Jewish priests of old has not been sufficiently followed; daily they recurred to the blood of the slain victims, used it in various ways, dipped the finger into it, and sprinkled it according to the prescribed commands, and thus became acquainted with all its varied aspects of cleansing and blessing: the basins for sprinkling at the Altar were the constant witnesses to them of the uses of the blood. So should it be with the priests of God now: they should be habituated to the varied and eternal excellencies of the precious blood of Christ: there ought to be such a realizing of its value, and understanding of its application and its use, as would answer to the dipping of the finger into the basin as of old: constantly there should be a recurrence to this rich and wondrous provision of God's mercy; and the soul should be skilful in this branch of blessed priestly service: " We are come to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." (Heb. 12:2424And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:24).)
When sin had been committed by an Israelite, and had interrupted communion between himself and the Lord, the only way in which intercourse could be restored was through the blood of the sin-offering. (Lev. 4) If it were a priest that had erred, an offering of the highest value must be sacrificed: the blood had to be carried in and sprinkled before the vail; the Altar of sweet Incense was also to be touched afresh with it, while all that remained was poured out at the bottom of the Altar of Burnt-offering. This evil was of the deepest character, for it had been committed by one who should have instructed others to avoid it, instead of falling into it himself: as anointed priest, access also into the holy place was his privilege, where he could present incense on the golden altar: this intimate approach to God and this communion with Him had been effectually interrupted by sin, so that no fragrance could now ascend from his hands towards the Lord. Blood had therefore to be sprinkled on the place of access, and put on the horns of the Altar, as the only remedy for this defilement, and the only means whereby the forfeited communion could be restored; while the very foundations, as it were, of the brazen Altar had to be laid afresh in blood. In this case also, the sin-offering was all consumed outside the camp, except a small portion which was burnt upon the Altar of Burnt-offering; for the fullest appreciation of wrath borne by the victim in behalf of the sinner had to be realized, though, at the same time, the true purity and holiness of the offering itself, and its consequent acceptance by God, were beautifully preserved in the type, by the fact of the innermost portions being burnt as sweetness on the brazen Altar. Herein we have a very complete illustration of the means whereby one, who has previously known fellowship with God, and has wandered into sin, has the soul restored again, so as to be able to renew his forfeited communion. The same truths are indeed for the most part applicable to the first calling and salvation of the sinner out of the world; but in the instance before us it is rather the restoration of an erring believer that is typified than the first salvation of the sinner. In the case of such an one who has fallen into sin, the soul will have to form a high appreciation of the value of Christ as the sin-offering, in proportion to the greatness of the declension. The worst character of sin is that which may affect or mislead the souls of others. This, is probably what is meant by the expression, " If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people"-(Lev. 4:33If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the Lord for a sin offering. (Leviticus 4:3)),-a sin which might lead the people to transgress, and whereby many might be defiled. Thus errors in doctrine are more dangerous and contaminating than failures in practical walk.
It is remarkable how little we form our estimates of sin according to this standard. Some gross outrage against morality calls forth strong expressions of reproof; whereas, a subtle error as to the truth, which may be secretly sapping the very foundations of faith, is too often treated with a morbid charity, which is not really love, but is rather the result of a feeble appreciation of what God most hates. If we compare the First Epistle to the Corinthians with the Epistles to the Galatians and Hebrews, we shall find what a very different estimate of evil the Spirit of God formed, when He severally addressed in the former, persons who were sinning in their moral walk, and in the latter, those who were declining from the truth in doctrine. In the first chapter of the one, Paul speaking by the Spirit says, that God "shall confirm them unto the end blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (ver. 8): in the Galatians he says, " he stands in doubt of them;" and we know what fearful warnings against irremediable apostasy are given in the sixth and tenth chapters of the Hebrews. The higher the walk of a believer has been with God, and the more influence he has over others, the more deep will his estimate of sin and declension be, if he has failed in his path and looks to the Lord for restoration; and the more will he love Him who was made sin for us, and value His precious blood as that which cleanseth from all sin, and restores to the soul its full and unhindered power of access even into the Holiest: and not only so, but also enables the soul to present to God that which is of a sweet savor before Him through Jesus Christ. True indeed, the believer is sprinkled with the blood; no declension or failure can put him back into the state of the unconverted sinner; he has been once for all sanctified by the will of God through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, and by that one offering Christ has perfected him forever; but he will have to recur again and again to the remembrance of that sacrifice, in order to maintain his soul in fellowship with the Father; and should his conscience be defiled by some known transgression, his only resource will be to retrace again the value of that wondrous offering for sin, and to weigh the enormity of his own guilt by means of the consuming wrath which has fallen on the head of Jesus in his stead; he will have to prove more than ever the value of that precious blood which not only has cleansed, but, according to its continued efficacy, "cleanseth us from all sin."
It is instructive to observe the three ways alluded to above in which the blood of the sin-offering was used. First, it was sprinkled " seven times before the Lord, before the vail of the sanctuary." Thus a way of access, which sin had before obstructed, is again made for the priest to draw as near as possible to God: " But now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ." (Eph. 2:1313But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13).) Next, some of it was put "upon the horns of the Altar of sweet Incense before the Lord." Not only was the place of approach made, but the power to present fragrance of praise and worship was restored. And lastly, "all the blood was poured out at the bottom of the Altar of the Burnt-offering." The basis of acceptance was, as it were, again laid, and the entire remission of sin, and averting of wrath, declared in the pouring out of the blood. 5
"And his flesh-hooks." These instruments were probably used for placing the pieces of the burnt-offering in order on the wood, and for collecting them together as the fire gradually increased, so that they might be perfectly consumed. We find in 1 Sam. 2:13,1413And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; 14And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. (1 Samuel 2:13‑14), a sad misuse of these holy vessels by the sons of Eli. Instead of employing the flesh-hook in the service of the Altar, in order that the sacrifice might be burnt as a sweet savor unto the Lord, they adapted it to their own evil purposes, for ministering to their appetites, turning the holy ordinances of God into a source of gratification of their own lusts. Such the Apostle warns against in Phil. 3:18,1918(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) (Philippians 3:18‑19): " For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things." This " turning of the grace of God into lasciviousness" was clearly one of the grievous sins manifested in the house of Eli, and has its parallel at the present day in the merchandize made of the things of God: the profession of the name of Christ is found to be a source of profit in this world, and the holy truths of God are thus turned into a means of gain, instead of that "godliness with contentment " which is really " great gain." (1 Tim. 6:66But godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6).)
"And his fire-pans." These were censers, as the original word proves, and were attached to the brazen Altar to be used in the court of the Tabernacle; as those kept at the candlestick, and which were made of gold, were employed in the ministry of the priests inside the Tabernacle. The purpose for which they were made was to contain burning coals taken from off the Altar of Burnt-offering, when incense had to be presented to God; and probably the fire was transferred into the golden censer from those of brass, when incense was burnt within the holy or most holy place. The fire that consumed the burnt-offering on the final day of the priest's consecration came from God: "And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the Altar the Burnt-offering and the fat." (Lev. 9:2424And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. (Leviticus 9:24).) God had His own test for that which was presented to Him in sacrifice; His holiness must be satisfied, and all that was offered to Him must be tried by and yield a sweet savor in full accordance with that holiness, if accepted by Him. The searching fire from His presence came forth, and the sweet savor of the victim consumed on the brazen Altar ascended in perfect fragrance towards heaven. No sooner, however, had this blessed token of acceptance been given, than Nadab and Abihu, elated apparently by their high calling as God's priests, "took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord which He commanded them not." Again the consuming fire came out from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Their sin was, that they had not filled their censers with live coals from off the Altar. They disregarded the holiness of God as manifested in the only way in which it could be known, namely, in the fire consuming the victim on the Altar; and they thought to render fragrance acceptable to Him independently of the sacrificial fire. Theirs was a kind of Socinian worship-not a direct denial of God, nor setting aside the incense as if that were not fragrant before the Lord; but they failed to connect worship with atonement, and thought they could offer a sweet perfume without an immediate link with the Lamb slain. So it is even now; men may utter the name of Jesus; they may profess faith in His name, and depict the beauty and sweetness of His character, and admire the truth and holiness of His precepts; but if the cross is not the ground of all their faith and hope, if the death of the Lord is not the basis of all their worship,-they present strange fire before the Lord. The sacrifice of Christ tells loudly to the soul of God's judgment. It was by the pre-determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God that Christ was delivered into the hands of sinners to be slain; He had before showed by the mouth of all His holy prophets that Christ should suffer; and the cross is the place where the believer witnesses the judicial hand of God in righteousness, executing vengeance upon sin, at the same time that His holiness has been there fully met and satisfied, and a sweet and blessed savor of acceptance has gone up thence, in which He can rest and delight. And if the fire of the Altar is rejected-if God as the judge is not known in the cross of Christ-the fire of His holiness will descend in devouring vengeance on such hereafter, who thus prove that "they know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ;" as Nadab and Abihu, who, since they respected not the burning coals of the Altar, had themselves to taste the consuming fire of God's judgment.
We have another scene in Israel's history where the brazen censers are mentioned; and again where judgment is connected with them. In Num. 16 there is the account of the rebellion of Korah and his company: he endeavored to usurp a place in the priesthood, though he was not of the family which God had separated off from the tribe of Levi to that office. Two feelings of the flesh seem to have been at work: jealousy respecting the priestly power of Aaron actuated Korah and the Levites who followed him; in the case of those who joined in the conspiracy from the tribe of Reuben, there seems to have been disaffection on account of the kingly power of Moses. The Levites were ambitious of the priestly office-the princes of the congregation disliked the supreme authority of the ruler. Both combined together to assert what in these days would probably be called "their right," in opposition to the appointed order of God. They are accordingly on the morrow tested by the fire of God, and the very attempt to present incense before the Lord calls forth a solemn judgment against them; for they were handling holy things without having been first chosen of God to that service. Korah and his company with the censers had to experience that "God is a consuming fire," because they attempted to draw nigh to Him without having been consecrated for His holy service as priests; while the earth opened and swallowed up those who, though not themselves desiring to intrude into the priest's office, yet made common cause in an act of deep insubjection to God and disobedience of His word. In the case of Nadab and Abihu we have a type of those who, professing to belong to God, disregard the real doctrines of the cross of Christ: in the case of Korah and his company we have a foreshadowing of those who overlook the true qualifications for priesthood. In both cases the judgment of God falls with unabated fury on the adversaries. What solemn warnings may we not gather from hence for our guidance at the present day! We have to watch not only that the true doctrines of the cross are maintained, but also that none be owned as God's priests save those who are born of the priestly family, children of God, and made kings and priests through the blood of the Lamb and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We have steadily to maintain the sovereignty of Christ as lord in His own house. The flesh is as unsubject to the lordship of Christ in the Church as it is to the rule of God in the world. Korah coveted the place of Aaron; Dathan and Abiram disliked the rule of Moses. They united in rebelling against God's order. The whole redeemed Church of God is now the only true priestly family, and alone has title to approach and worship before Him. All the blessed characteristics of the priesthood attach to it; chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, and called of God to serve Him, the blood of the Lamb has washed away from it every stain of defilement, and Christ Himself has been made unto it righteousness and true holiness; while the unction and presence of the Holy Ghost is its anointing and living power for service; and soon the day will come when all false worship and assumptions of men will be judged by the Lord Himself, who "will be revealed from heaven, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thess. 1:7,87And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑8).)
We find the altar derives an additional source of strength from this judgment of God upon Korah; for the direction given is that " The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the Altar: To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the Lord; that he be not as Korah, and as his company." (Num. 16:38,4038The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them broad plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before the Lord, therefore they are hallowed: and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel. (Numbers 16:38)
40To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the Lord; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the Lord said to him by the hand of Moses. (Numbers 16:40).) Thus the Altar witnessed from this time forth another additional truth, namely, that there was a distinct priestly family connected with its service, to whom alone belonged the privilege of offering sweet fragrance to God. The broad plates of brass were a solemn memorial of God's judgment against all attempts to gainsay or set aside the order of priesthood He had appointed; and the very place of sacrifice and acceptance was that also where truths were learned respecting the family separated off to be the ministers in the sanctuary, and to present sweet incense before Him. Every failure in Israel only the more developed the rich resources of the wisdom and grace of God. The sin of Nadab and Abihu was the occasion for the institution of the great day of atonement (see Lev. 16); the rebellion of Korah was the means of bringing out truth connected with the separated family of God's priests. And thus the more we become conscious of the failings, weaknesses, and sins which daily beset us, and which are widely manifested in the Church of God around, the more should we discover the rich and abundant resources of grace stored up for the saints of God in the Lord Jesus, and the wondrous and varied adaptation of His sacrifice and priesthood to meet our every need, and to cover our every failure. As the altar, with its additional covering of brass, was a constant witness to Israel respecting the title alone of the house of Aaron to come near and offer incense before the Lord, so the sacrifice of Christ, learned under the teaching of our great High Priest Himself, instructs us as to the family of God which is separated off from the world, " to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ," and "to show forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light."
This sixteenth chapter of Numbers introduces again at the close the censer with its holy fire. The plague had broken out among the people, for their murmuring hearts had caught the infection of Korah's sin: " And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them; for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed." (ver. 46.48.) The censer was now in the hands of no " stranger," but of him who had just title to use it; the fire was also no "strange fire," but was from the altar where it had fed upon the slain lamb; and a cloud of sweet perfume ascended towards God, Covering over the ill-savor of the murmurings and rebellions of Israel, and forming a line of safety separating off the living from the dead. No plague, no destroying vengeance, could pass that fragrant barrier; for the testimony it gave forth was of holiness met and satisfied in the death of the sacrifice: on the one side lay the thousands slain in judgment; on the other stood the saved hosts of the Lord. What a beautiful type does this give us of the safety of those who are sheltered under the sweet savor of the Lamb slain, recorded on their behalf before God by the living High Priest! Children of wrath by nature, even as others, they are saved solely through the atoning virtue of that death, ministered by the living power of the Priest who is able "to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by Him." While death and judgment steadily pursue their course on the one hand, life and salvation is the eternal portion of those who are under the blessed shelter of the Lord. No destructive wrath can intrude among those thus protected; but outside that favored band vengeance and death triumph with unrestrained fury.
There is a memorable precept respecting this Altar recorded in Lev. 6:9,12,139Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it. (Leviticus 6:9)
12And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. 13The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out. (Leviticus 6:12‑13), which is designated "the law of the burnt-offering: it is the burnt-offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the tire of the altar shall be burning in it.. The fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt-offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace-offerings. The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar: it shall never go out." Thus a constant memorial of sacrifice was to be kept before the Lord, and also a vessel ever ready for the worship of Israel. During the night until the morning, especially, the odor of a sweet savor was to ascend to the Lord from the burnt-offering; for the night was the time of Israel's most entire helplessness, and when the powers of darkness might be most abroad to molest them; but the word of the Lord had provided the fragrance of the ascending sacrifice, which would effectually retain the presence and power of God in the midst of them for their defense and protection. Whether buried in the unconsciousness of sleep, or busied with the many needful activities of life, still the memorial of His mercy in the death of the lamb was ever before Him: though they might forget awhile what holy God tabernacle among them, He hail provided a remembrance of them in the lamb slain, which should be ever fragrant. Truly may we say, the sweet savor of the death of Christ, perpetuated through the ceaseless ministry of our High Priest, is ever our memorial of acceptance with God: sheltered under that, no ill-savor of ours can awaken wrath-no accusation of the enemy can prevail. Again and again did the adversary seek to bring down a curse upon Israel, when Balaam was hired to do the evil work. But, encamped in beautiful order, " like trees of lign∙aloes which the Lord had planted" around the Tabernacle of God, where the ceaseless sweet savor of the burnt-offering covered over every defilement, what accusations could avail? what enemy could triumph? God looked out upon His hosts from off the Mercy-seat, and He beheld them under the shelter of the cloud of incense and the sweet savor of the lamb slain, when Satan sought to accuse them and have them cursed. All their murmurings and rebellions were forgotten; all their sins and iniquities were remembered no more; He had blessed, and none could reverse it; " He had not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither had he seen perverseness in Israel." The forty years of provocation were forgotten, for the odor of the sacrifice filled the heart and thoughts of Jehovah.
One other thought may be suggested respecting this Altar, and which indeed is true in principle respecting all the worship at the Tabernacle, namely, that all ministrations connected with it had reference to the whole nation, even if they more immediately concerned some private individuals of that nation. The Altar had ever a corporate aspect: no person was allowed to have a private altar of his own; but if he would draw nigh to God, it must be where the worship of the whole people was conducted. Thus the Tabernacle, with its holy vessels, served as a bond of union, drawing the people together, and linking them closely one with another. Sprung from one source, and belonging to one God, Israel had ever in its worship the memorial of that unity. The Church of God now has not only a unity but a union; not only are those who compose it sprung from one heavenly source, but there is an indissoluble union of life subsisting, as between the body and its members, and that life is in the Son. Every exercise therefore of that life, even in each individual, affects the whole body, though in a remote degree, and often unappreciated by us. If Israel of old were gathered round the Tabernacle, and learned again and again there to estimate its unity as one people, serving one and the same God, much more have the saints of God now to remember, in all their worship and service, that they are united to Christ, and consequently are members one of another. There cannot be such a thing as an isolated Christian. The very presence of the Holy Ghost forbids it; "for by one Spirit have we been all baptized into one body;" and the cross itself is the witness that Christ "loved the Church, and gave Himself for it." The Apostle in the Epistle to the Ephesians, while earnestly praying that those to whom he wrote might be able to comprehend "what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge," yet inserts the words, "with all saints;" so impossible would it be to comprehend even the love of the Lord Himself, unless the soul were conscious of the union that subsists between all the redeemed family of God.
We may here close for awhile our meditations on this wide field of blessed truth. It has in reality but just been entered upon; for it is a boundless subject, seeing it treats of the wisdom and grace of God in the gift of His Son, and of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. Enough, however, may have been written to interest the souls of some of the Lord's people, and induce them to search more deeply into the mine of blessed instruction which the types present.
Notes To The Altar Of Burnt-Offering Our translation seldom makes any distinction between the words Tabernacle and Tent, though in the original they are never confounded. The word Tabernacle, or dwelling, is the name appropriated to the holy building and its precincts, when it is regarded especially as the residence of God. It was His dwelling-place-His Tabernacle. On the other hand, the word tent is always used when reference is made to the congregation; so that it is never called the Tabernacle of the congregation, but always the tent of the congregation. God's dwelling-place was the tent where they assembled: they did not dwell there, but there they congregated and met God. In the following texts both terms are used, the Tabernacle, and the tent of the congregation. (Ex. 39:32,4032Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they. (Exodus 39:32)
40The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation, (Exodus 39:40) Ex. 40: 2, 29, 34, 35.)
3. There is a difficulty, acknowledged by all, in understanding the phrase translated: "And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath." The word "compass" כַּרְכּׄכ found no where else in the Bible, is supposed by Gesenius to mean, " a circuit or border which went round the middle of the Altar, over the brazen grating; perhaps in order to catch whatever might fall from the Altar." It is difficult to know what he means by this. The Septuagint evidently mistakes the passage altogether in Ex. 27; and in Ex. 38 this word seems to be translated by παράθϵμα, an appendage, and there the grate is confounded with this appendage. Whatever may be the true meaning, it seems plain from all the context, that the grate was placed inside the Altar, half-way up; and it is remarkable that it would thus reach just to the same height as the top of the Ark. The Mercy-seat and the sacrificial victim would be presented before God on the same level.
3. The following is a summary of the various ways in which the blood of the principal sacrifices was used:-The blood of the burnt-offerings, peace-sacrifices, ram of consecration, and trespass-offerings, was sprinkled, זרק, on the Altar of Burnt-offering round about. (Lev. 1:5, 115And he shall kill the bullock before the Lord: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 1:5)
11And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the Lord: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar. (Leviticus 1:11) Lev. 3: 2, 8, 13 Lev. 17:66And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savor unto the Lord. (Leviticus 17:6) Lev. 9:1818He slew also the bullock and the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people: and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about, (Leviticus 9:18) Lev. 7:1414And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for an heave offering unto the Lord, and it shall be the priest's that sprinkleth the blood of the peace offerings. (Leviticus 7:14) Lev. 8: 24 Lev. 7:22In the place where they kill the burnt offering shall they kill the trespass offering: and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about upon the altar. (Leviticus 7:2).)
The blood of the sin-offerings was never sprinkled round about upon the Altar.
It was sprinkled, זרק, before the vail (Lev. 4:6,176And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the Lord, before the vail of the sanctuary. (Leviticus 4:6)
17And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, even before the vail. (Leviticus 4:17)); upon the Mercy-seat eastward, and before the Mercy-seat (Lev. 16:14,1514And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. 15Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: (Leviticus 16:14‑15)); on the Ir. cense Altar (Lev. 16:1919And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. (Leviticus 16:19)); on Aaron and his sons, and their garments. (Lev. 8:3030And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him. (Leviticus 8:30).) In all these cases of sprinkling the blood of the sin-offerings, the finger was used.
The blood of sin-offerings was also put with the finger on the horns of the Incense Altar (Lev. 4:7,187And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 4:7)
18And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the Lord, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 4:18)); or on the horns of the Altar of Burnt-offering. (Lev. 4: 25, 30, 34; Lev. 8:1515And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it. (Leviticus 8:15); Lev. 9: 9.)
The blood of sin-offerings only was toured out at the bottom of the Brazen Altar. (Lev. 4:7, 18, 25, 30, 347And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 4:7)
18And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the Lord, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 4:18)
25And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering. (Leviticus 4:25)
30And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar. (Leviticus 4:30)
34And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar: (Leviticus 4:34); Lev. 8:1515And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it. (Leviticus 8:15); Lev. 9: 9.)
4. This aspect of the blood of atonement was thoroughly realized, and touchingly expressed by the "happy mute," who was instructed by Charlotte Elizabeth. lie said "that Jesus Christ had passed His red hand over the page of sin, in the book of God's remembrance, and had left nothing visible there but the blood which had flowed from His palm, when pierced by the nails on Calvary.'
5. Blood was toured out as a token of sin remitted, and of judgment averted. "Without shedding of blood is no remission." ( Heb. 9:2222And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22).) And "Moses kept the passover, and the pouring forth of blood, lest he that destroyed the first-horn should touch them." (Heb. 11:2828Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. (Hebrews 11:28); here the word is πρόσχυσιζ.)
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