Exo 38:1-31 The Making of the Altar of Burnt Offering, the Bronze Basin and the Court

[Study Aired February 20, 2023]

Exo 38:1  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.
Exo 38:2  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. 
Exo 38:3  And 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.
Exo 38:4  And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it.
Exo 38:5  And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves. 
Exo 38:6  And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass. 
Exo 38:7  And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards. 
Exo 38:8  And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Exo 38:9  And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits:
Exo 38:10  Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
Exo 38:11  And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 
Exo 38:12  And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 
Exo 38:13  And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.
Exo 38:14  The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. 
Exo 38:15  And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. 
Exo 38:16  All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen. 
Exo 38:17  And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver. 
Exo 38:18  And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.
Exo 38:19  And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver. 
Exo 38:20  And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.
Exo 38:21  This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest. 
Exo 38:22  And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 38:23  And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.
Exo 38:24  All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
Exo 38:25  And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
Exo 38:26  A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.
Exo 38:27  And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. 
Exo 38:28  And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them. 
Exo 38:29  And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels. 
Exo 38:30  And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brasen altar, and the brasen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar, 
Exo 38:31  And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.

Today’s study focuses on the making of the Altar of Burnt Offering, the Bronze Basin and the Court. It also centers on the materials needed for the building of the Lord’s tabernacle.  As we can see, the Lord starts His work of making us His temple for His habitation by focusing within us first before our outward righteousness becomes evident. The Holy of Holies and the Holy place and their items were all made first before the outer court with its items were made. This is in contrast to our life in Babylon or the churches of this world where we put emphasis on the outward at the detriment of inner cleansing. 

Mat 23:25  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 

Mat 23:26  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Exo 38:1  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. 
Exo 38:2  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. 

Placed in the outer court of the wilderness tabernacle, the brazen altar was the most prominent and imposing object in the court, and no worshiper could avoid seeing it upon entering. The fact that the altar was to be a square in shape is to let us know that from whatever angle we are looking, sin is a problem that has to be dealt with in order for us to appear before the Lord. The natural laws of various countries, the laws of various religions (Babylon) all point to one thing – that is, sin must be dealt with. That is why our Lord Jesus came to atone for our sins.

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

The fact that the altar was made of acacia wood is to indicate that even our sins and the remission of sins is all the work of the Lord. Without Him, nothing functions!!

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

The altar is to be measured. The standard of measurement is Christ. Those whose sins have reached the heavens in this life are therefore judged to conform to the standard of Christ. The fullness of the sins of humanity will later follow them to be dealt with in the lake of fire. They are those who are not measured as they belong to the Gentiles!!

1Ti 5:24  Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.

Rev 11:1  And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 
Rev 11:2  But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

The horns at the four corners of the altar symbolize the strength of the Lord to deal with the sins of the whole world. The four corners of the table represent the whole world. 

Exo 13:3  And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
Exo 13:14  And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:

Rev 7:1  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

What is insightful about verse 2 is that the altar must be coated with brass. All the instruments in the Holy place and the Holy of Holies were overlaid with gold, signifying that it is through the refining work of the Lord that we can gain access to His presence. This refining work is the judgment of our old man. The coating of the altar with brass is to signify our frail bodies of corruptible flesh and blood.  It is through this corruptible flesh and blood that our Lord Jesus made atonement for our sins and appeared before God. As He is, so are we in this life. It is through our corruptible flesh and blood that our Lord will save the world from their sins.

Exo 38:3  And 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.
Exo 38:4  And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it.

The various utensils to be used at the altar refer to various categories of humanity who are all utilized by the Lord to accomplish His purpose of making us aware of the problem of sin, the atoning work of Christ and the need for our sins to be judged.

2Ti 2:20  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

A grating of brass was to be inserted into the hollow center of the altar to hold the firewood and sacrifice as it was being burned, allowing the ash to fall below. The grating is a symbol of the judgment we must go through to deliver us from our sins so that we become a sweet savor to Christ our Lord.

Exo 38:5  And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.
Exo 38:6  And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.
Exo 38:7  And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.

The altar is portable. It was therefore carried using the poles which were required to pass through the rings so that the Levites who carried the altar did not touch the altar. The portability of the altar means that the redemptive work of Christ is still applicable to us as we journey in this life. It also means that we bear in our bodies the mark of His suffering, that is, we, too, are going through suffering in this life to complete the suffering of Christ.

Gal 6:17  From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Exo 38:8  And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 

A simpler rendition of verse 8 is as follows:

Exo 38:8  He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting. (ESV)

This verse clearly shows us the role of the churches of this world, which are represented here by the ministering women. They provide mirrors for the making of the basin of brass for washing before one enters the tabernacle. In other words, the function of the churches of this world is to make us see who we are as sinners, and therefore we need to be washed of our sins before we come to worship the Lord. The mirror is the word of the Lord, whether it is the letter of the word which is emphasized in Babylon or the Spirit, which is for the elect.

Jas 1:23  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
Jas 1:24  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
Jas 1:25  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Exo 38:9  And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits: 
Exo 38:10  Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver. 
Exo 38:11  And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 
Exo 38:12  And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. 
Exo 38:13  And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.

Hangings of fine twined linen marked the boundaries of this court, and its dimensions were 100 cubits on the north and south sides and 50 cubits on the west and east. The fine twined linen hangings were fixed to twenty pillars on the north and south, ten on the west, but only six on the east as this was the side where the gate was situated. Each of the pillars sat on a brass socket, and the hangings were attached to the pillars by means of silver hooks.

Spiritually, the court represents our lives in Babylon where we only see our Lord Jesus Christ come to die for our sins. It is a period of our lives where we have our own doctrines and follow our own ways thinking that we have our own will to choose what we want. 

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

The fact that the north and the south sides should be 100 cubits in measurement is significant. The number 100 (10×10) signifies the fullness of the flesh. What this means is that during our walk in the court of the tabernacle, the deeds of the flesh become evident before we are given to wash ourselves in the word of the Lord in preparation to enter the presence of the Lord.

The use of twenty pillars and the bases emphasizes the point that those whom the Lord is using to build His temple are those who are mature enough to wage war with the flesh to overcome it. During the time of the elect in the court of the tabernacle or Babylon, we are defeated seven times (completely) by the flesh as part of the preparation to learn how to war against the flesh.

Num 1:20  And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Num 1:24  Of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

The use of brass to coat the twenty pillars and bases signifies that it is through this corruptible flesh and blood of the elect that the Lord is building His house or dwelling place. This is the same as having treasure in earthen vessels.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

The fact that the west and the east sides of the tabernacle must be fifty cubits in length is to suggest to us that a prerequisite to become the dwelling place of the Lord is through the liberty we have in Christ. This liberty is freedom from the bondage of sin.

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Gal 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Exo 38:14  The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three. 
Exo 38:15  And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
Exo 38:16  All the hangings of the court roundabout were of fine twined linen.

In total there were six hangings at the east end of the tabernacle where the gate was. The number six is the number of mankind. So, this is to emphasize the point that it is through us, in our corruptible flesh and blood, that the Lord is using to admit all those predestined to come to His presence. In an age to come (the lake of fire age), the Lord will also use us to bring all humanity into His presence.

The fact that the hangings on each side of the gate were three is to let us know that becoming the conduit for humanity to enter into the presence of the Lord entails being spiritually mature, which is brought about through the Lord’s judgment of our old man.

Rev 15:8  and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

That the hangings must be of fifteen cubits (15 = 3×5) is to serve as a witness to the fact that it is grace through faith by which we become mature enough to enter the temple to worship the Lord. This grace is the chastening work of the Lord.

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching (Chastening) us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Exo 38:17  And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.

We are both the pillars and its sockets which were coated with brass. As indicated, brass signifies our frail bodies of corruptible flesh and blood.  It is through this corruptible flesh and blood the Lord is using to build His temple. It is through our corruptible flesh and blood that all humanity will be admitted into the temple of God. The silver, which was used to overlay the pillars of the court, and the chapiters represent the strong desire for the things of the spirit, which signifies the very foundation upon which the boards and pillars of the tabernacle stand.

Job 14:14  If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Job 14:15  Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire [Hebrew: kasaph – the root from which comes ‘keseph‘ – silver] to the work of thine hands.

Exo 38:18  And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.
Exo 38:19  And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.
Exo 38:20  And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.

The hanging for the gate of the court was of fine linen and colored blue, purple and scarlet. We, the elect, are the hanging through which humanity must pass to enter the Lord’s temple. The colors blue, purple and scarlet mean that we are those who are being changed from our Adamic nature to that of Christ. As indicated earlier, we are both the sockets and the pillars. The fact that there were four pillars and four sockets means that the pillars and the sockets represent the whole of the elect of every generation. The pins used for the tabernacle and the court being made of brass means that it is through our corruptible flesh and blood that the Lord is using to build His temple.

Exo 38:22  And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses. 
Exo 38:23  And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.

As indicated in previous studies, Bezaleel represents our Lord Jesus Christ who is building our earthly tent. Building our earthly tent means the Lord is the one who is cleansing our hearts and mind to make it His dwelling place. Aholiab means ‘tent of his father.’ Our bodies are the earthly tent of our Father, Jesus. Aholiab, therefore, represents the body of Christ, or the Lord’s elect, as we are given to work with the Lord, who is represented here as Bezaleel in the building of the New Jerusalem for our Lord to dwell. The wise-hearted are also the elect.

2Co 5:1  Our bodies are like tents that we live in here on earth. But when these tents are destroyed, we know that God will give each of us a place to live. These homes will not be buildings that someone has made, but they are in heaven and will last forever. (CEV)

We are therefore co-workers with the Lord as we work together as a unit to achieve what God desires. That is, by building the church of God which is the Lord’s body.

1Co 3:9  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
1Co 3:10  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

Exo 38:24  All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
Exo 38:25  And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:

The rest of the chapter deals with the inputs needed for the building of the tabernacle.  Verses 24 and 25 mentions gold and silver as key ingredients needed for the building of the Lord’s church.

2Ch 5:1  Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

The gold and the silver refer to the truth of the word of the Lord that fits our every circumstance.

Pro 25:11  A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

Exo 38:26  A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.

Another key input needed for the building of the Lord’s tabernacle is men who are twenty years old and above. As we have studied in previous lessons, the number twenty refers to those who are mature and are able to wage war against the flesh.

Num 1:20  And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Num 1:22  Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

According to verse 26, the men who were numbered as mature enough to war was 603,550. The number six refers to mankind. The number three means the process of spiritual maturity through judgment, and the number five signifies grace through faith. What we are therefore being told as referring to the sum of mature men ready to battle the flesh is that it is through the process of judgment that we mature spiritually enough to wage a war against the flesh. It is our faith or belief in this process of judgment, which is the grace that we have received from the Lord, that enables us to become spiritually mature as we deny ungodliness and worldly lust to become righteous in this present world.

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching (Chastening) us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Exo 38:27  And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.
Exo 38:28  And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them.

The hundred talents of silver needed for the casting of the sockets of the sanctuary is to make us aware that we never offer anything to God for which we have made no payment or atonement. Jesus paid the price for our redemption.

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1Co 7:23  Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

What this means is that the foundation upon which Christ comes to live within our temple has already been laid by the price Jesus paid for our sins.

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 
1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

The 1,775 shekels is the measure of the silver according to the standard of shekels of the sanctuary. This is what is needed for the making of the hooks of the pillars, which signifies that it is by grace through faith we become complete in Christ and therefore become worthy of being part of the pillars of the temple of the Lord.

Gal 2:9  And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

Exo 38:29  And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.
Exo 38:30  And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brasen altar, and the brasen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar,
Exo 38:31  And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.

According to these verses, we need seventy talents of brass, which measure about 2,400 shekels according to the standard of shekels of the sanctuary, to make sockets for the door of the tabernacle and also the court gate. As indicated in our studies, brass represents our frail bodies of corruptible flesh and blood.  It is through this corruptible flesh and blood that our Lord Jesus made atonement for our sins and appeared before God. As He is, so are we in this life. It is through our corruptible flesh and blood that our Lord will save the world from their sins. It should be noted that when the Lord appeared to Apostle John to unveil Himself to him, His feet were like fine brass. This is to show us that Christ does everything through His saints who are still in these bodies of corruptible flesh and blood.

Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Rev 2:18  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

Being sockets of brass at the door of the tabernacle and at the court gate is to let us know that it is through us the Lord will save the world, as all humanity will have to pass through us as the door of the tabernacle in order to worship the Lord. We are therefore the saviors of the world!!

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

May the Lord continue to prepare us to become a habitation for the Lord to dwell. Amen!!