The Brazen Altar.

Having entered the Court by its one and only door, we now approach the Brazen Altar, fully described in the first eight verses of chap. 27.; emphatically “the Altar,” called “the table of the Lord” (Mal. 1:1212But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible. (Malachi 1:12)). What was laid thereon was fed upon by Jehovah, and is termed “the bread of their God.” There were Altars from earliest times, the first mentioned being that built by Noah. But neither shape nor size of those Altars are specified. Altars might be made of earth or stone. If the latter, the stones were to be rough and unhewn; no human tool employed in shaping or beautifying, and, further, no steps were to be made. The Altars were to be level with the ground (Exod. 20:24-2624An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. 25And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. 26Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon. (Exodus 20:24‑26)). The Altar of Judaism typifies the Cross of Christianity. The Cross of shame is our glory. It needs no human art to add to its beauty. The Cross in itself, and by itself stands alone.
“In the Cross of Christ I glory,
Tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.”
The heathen embellished their Altars with gold and precious stones.1
The Altar of earth would be a contemptible sight, in contrast to the Altar of the heathen adorned and beautified, but the worshippers as they gathered round the Altar of earth or one of unhewn and rough stone, could count upon the presence and blessing of Jehovah. “In all places where I record My Name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee.” Not the Altar of gold inside, but the Altar of brass outside, was the basis of the Levitical system. What the Cross is to Christianity, that the Brazen Altar was to Judaism. All sacrifice was offered on this Altar, the sacrificial animals being killed by the offerer on the north side (Lev. 1:1111And 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)). On it the various prescribed parts of the victims were laid, and consumed by fire as a sweet savor to Jehovah.
In the case of the burnt offering (Lev. 1.), and peace or communion offering (3.), the officiating priest sprinkled the blood round about upon the Altar, but in that of the sin offerings (4.), a deeper, more intense, and fuller action of the blood was called for. In these latter the blood was sprinkled before the veil, then put on the four horns of the Golden, or Incense Altar, or on those of the
The Altar was four-square: a world-wide aspect and application surely, as the Cross undoubtedly is, and as the numeral four signifies. It was five cubits, or 7 1/2 feet in length and the same in breadth. Its height was three cubits, or 4 1/2, feet, the Mercy-seat just half that. The size of the Ark in length and height was exactly half the size of the Altar in these two respects. It was made of shittim-wood, the only wood used in the construction of the Tabernacle, and covered over with brass or native copper. It was made hollow, and exactly half-way down there was inserted a network of brass, on which were placed the sacrifices. Its four horns were also of brass, to which the animals were bound by cords (Ps. 118:27). The blood upon the horns of the Altar spoke of absolute security. The moral strength and power of the Altar constitute a grand refuge and protection to those who cling to it. A horn implies strength. The four blood-sprinkled horns tell of Divine security from the righteous judgment of God.
The Cross, like the Altar, may be distinguished into two parts―Christ as the martyr suffering for righteousness (Ps. 69.), and Christ as the victim agonizing for sin (Ps. 22.). The crucifixion of the Lord was commenced ai the third hour (9 a.m., English time), and finished about the ninth hour (3 p.m., English time), thus fulfilling the type of the morning and evening sacrifice. Those six hours, like the Altar with its two parts, may be distinguished. The first three hours were mainly characterized by man’s infliction of suffering; the second three hours of darkness, were specially marked by the endurance of Divine wrath on account of sin.
“O love of God, O sin of man,
In this dread act your strength is tried,
And victory remains with love;
For He our Love, is Crucified.”
The five cubits of righteousness held up to view between the pillars round the Court, prove in type what is doctrinally stated in Rom. 3, “There is none righteous; no not one,” but our failed responsibility to be righteous, is answered in the five cubits of judgment, borne by another for us. Righteousness in life expressed in the five cubits of linen. Righteousness in judgment shown in the five cubits in the Altar. Judgment borne according to human responsibility. The Brazen Altar is God dealing in righteousness―judicial righteousness.
The Altar was made of shittim-wood, termed in the Septuagint or 70, “incorruptible wood,” thus, pointing, to the incorruptible humanity of our Lord, but the wood was overlaid with brass, the only metal which could stand fire so in this we witness the Divine ability of Christ to endure the fierce and unrelenting fire of judgment. Here then we have the infinite basis on which all sacrifice rests. That “Holy Thing” which was born of the virgin was incorruptible. As absolutely perfect in the womb of the virgin, as in the bosom of the Father, He had thus in Himself an infinite capacity to endure the expressed judgment of God. Christ was both Altar and Sacrifice.
The network of brass inserted half-way down in the hollow of-the Altar―inside―one-and-a-half cubits down, reminds us of the internal sorrows of the Lord which are unspeakable. “His soul was made an offering for sin. “The network was attached to four brass rings. On this net the sacrificial victims were laid and bound to the four projecting horns of the altar. “Bind the sacrifice with cords even to the horns of the altar. “The appointed victim was held for death. Blood, the witness of death, was put on the horns of the Brazen Altar (Lev. 4:2525And 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)), for the sin of a ruler or one of the common people, also on those of the Golden Altar in the case of a priest or the congregation sinning (verses 7, 18). Thus blood meets the offerer in the Court, and the worshipper in the Tabernacle.
The sin of Judah was “graven on the horns of their Altars”2 (Jer. 17:11The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; (Jeremiah 17:1)). Either our sin or His blood which blots it out, is on God’s Altar: which is it? The breadth of the Mercy-seat corresponded exactly to the height of the part of the Altar whereon the victim was laid. The blood was shed at the Altar, some of it being also sprinkled on the Mercy-seat. God’s appreciation of the sacrifice is the measure of reception at the Mercy-seat. The sacrifice of Christ is towards the human race, hence the size of the Altar as exceeding other Tabernacle vessels―Ark, Table, etc. The pans, shovels, basins, flesh-hooks, and fire-pans were all made of the same fire-enduring metal; they were accessories to the Altar of judgment, and intimate in their uses and offices, how awful, inconceivably awful was the agony endured by God’s appointed Lamb.3How thorough! how unsparing the judgment endured by Christ, else these vessels would not have been employed.
The staves of the Altar — of shittim-wood and brass—would signify the journeying character of the Altar. Carry it far and near, from pole to pole. Tell it out, tell it out to the nations, that Christ is God’s sacrifice for a ruined world.
“Sound His praises, tell the story―
Of Him who was slain,
Sound His praises, tell with gladness―
He cometh again.”
The Altar in Solomon’s Temple―built wholly of brass — was much larger than the Tabernacle Altar, being thirty feet in length and breadth, and fifteen feet in height (2 Chron, 4:1). The Altar was approached by an ascent as steps were forbidden (Exod. 20:2626Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon. (Exodus 20:26)). Solomon’s Altar had no staves: they were not needed, its journeys being over, Rest was enjoyed and glory too.
“We rear no Altar―Thou hast died:
We deck no priestly shrine;
What need have we of creature aid?
The power to save is Thine.”
The vital connection between the presence of God (the Tabernacle) and sacrifice, the ground of approach (the Altar), is indicated in the position of the Brazen Altar.
“Thou shalt set the Altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation” (Exod. 40:66And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. (Exodus 40:6)). The effort of Satan in the down-grade movement, is to remove the Altar (the Cross) from its rightful place in the Court as the ground of approach to God, to deny that great and vital truth of God’s Word taught to Israel in type and to us in repeated statements, that God cannot be approached, heaven cannot be entered, save on the ground of atonement, but which in His love and righteousness He has provided. To deny this, is really to tread in the way of Cain, who was the first to attempt the impossible, namely, to reach God by brushing aside the atonement. We reiterate the statement, emphasize the declaration that “WITHOUT SHEDDING OE BLOOD IS NO REMISSION.” Sacrifice, even the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, is a necessity of Divine righteousness, if God is to be glorified and sinners saved. The basis―grand and solid―on which alone God can meet and save a guilty sinner is THE CROSS. It is, thank God, an imperishable ground of safety, but it is the only one.
Standing beside the Altar, the individual Israelite would learn the blessed truth that, sinner as he was, God could righteously accept him, because of the value of the sacrifice which was wholly consumed on the Altar (Lev. 1.) ―not accepted in it, for “it shall be accepted for him” (verse 4). There is no such thought in Scripture as “I died in my substitute,” or “I died in Him”. Such language sets aside the true idea of substitution, which is not one in another, but one for another.
“The fire shall ever be burning upon the Altar; it shall never go out” (Lev. 6:1313The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out. (Leviticus 6:13)), tells us that the remembrance of Calvary is eternal. The place called Calvary, where love strove in agony and achieved its mightiest victory, is too grand to perish from memory. The thrilling story of the Cross shall continue to bow the heart and knee of millions in glory. Then the sin-sacrifices, (unlike those contained in chaps. 1-3. of Leviticus) compulsory, were also laid on the Altar of burnt-offering. “And the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him” (chap. 4.). In the burnt offering, which presents the highest character of sacrifice, God’s glory in respect to sin was fully secured. Christ in death accomplishing the will and glory of God where sin abounded and seemed to triumph, is the New Testament truth of the burnt-offering. By it the acceptance of the person was secured. By the sin-offering forgiveness of sins was guaranteed.
But a further blessing was enjoyed by those congregated beside, or at the Brazen Altar. Jehovah at the door of the Tabernacle met with and spoke to His people (Exod. 29:4242This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. (Exodus 29:42)), fitting place for them to hear the words of Jehovah. In the consideration of the Altar three distinguishing truths appear: The Lord Himself is our Altar; Christ Himself our Sacrifice; Christ Himself our Great High Priest.
 
1. A SILVER ALTAR (July 23,’08). ― “The Queen yesterday visited the premises of Messrs Barkentin and Krall, goldsmiths, of Regent Street, to inspect the great silver altar made for the Lady Chapel of St. Mark’s, Philadelphia., The Altar, which is 7ft. long, 2ft. deep, and 3ft. 3ins. high, was designed and carried out at their works which are close to their showrooms. It was in hand for nearly four years.” The thing is of silver. What about that which it is supposed to represent? Christ and Him crucified is our glory and boast. Our object is Christ, not an Altar of silver, nor the Cross as ornament.
2. The Brazen Altar in the Court, and the Alter of Gold in the Tabernacle.
3. Pans for the ashes. Shovels to remove the ashes. Basins to receive ale blood. Flesh-hooks to turn or remove the sacrifices. All these were made of brass―the great fire-enduring metal.