Exodus chapter 27
The Altar. The Courtyard. The Lamp.
THE ALTAR
VERSE 1. “You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide. The altar shall be square. Its height shall be three cubits.
five cubits long. This is about 7½ feet.
five cubits wide. This is about 7½ feet.
Its height shall be three cubits. That is about 4½ feet.
VERSE 2. You shall make its horns on its four corners. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with bronze.
horns on its four corners. In the ancient world, horns were a symbol of gods.
The Canaanite god Baal was depicted with horns on his helmet.
VERSE 3. You shall make its pots to take away its ashes; and its shovels, its basins, its meat hooks, and its fire pans. You shall make all its vessels of bronze.
its ashes. This altar is for animal sacrifices.
VERSE 4. You shall make a grating for it of network of bronze. On the net you shall make four bronze rings in its four corners.
a grating for it. On this the animal’s body was probably cooked.
VERSE 5. You shall put it under the ledge around the altar beneath, that the net may reach halfway up the altar.
VERSE 6. You shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.
VERSE 7. Its poles shall be put into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when carrying it.
VERSE 8. You shall make it hollow with planks. They shall make it as it has been shown you on the mountain.
THE COURTYARD
VERSE 9. “You shall make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen one hundred cubits long for one side.
the court of the tabernacle. This altar was the first object seen in the courtyard of the tabernacle. On it, sacrifices for sin were made.
one hundred cubits long. The south side of the tabernacle courtyard was 150 feet long.
VERSE 10. Its pillars shall be twenty, and their sockets twenty, of bronze. The hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
VERSE 11. Likewise for the length of the north side, there shall be hangings one hundred cubits long, and its pillars twenty, and their sockets twenty, of bronze; the hooks of the pillars, and their fillets, of silver.
one hundred cubits long. The north side of the tabernacle courtyard was 150 feet long.
VERSE 12. For the width of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits; their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.
fifty cubits. The west side of the tabernacle courtyard was 75 feet long.
VERSE 13. The width of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.
fifty cubits. The east side of the tabernacle courtyard was 75 feet long.
eastward. The court was pointed eastward. This caused it to be filled with sunlight in the morning.
Many Christian church buildings were built so they pointed eastward. Christians explain that their church building is pointed toward Jerusalem.
However, that rationalization is naive. It fails for the half of the planet which is located in the eastern hemisphere.
A far better explanation for an eastward orientation of a church building is that like the ancient tabernacle, it faces the sunrise.
VERSE 14. The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
VERSE 15. For the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
VERSE 16. For the gate of the court shall be a screen of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer; their pillars four, and their sockets four.
VERSE 17. All the pillars of the court around shall be filleted with silver; their hooks of silver, and their sockets of bronze.
VERSE 18. The length of the court shall be one hundred cubits, and the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits, of fine twined linen, and their sockets of bronze.
The tabernacle courtyard was rectangular in shape (75’ x 150’) with an outer wall made of linen curtains.
VERSE 19. All the instruments of the tabernacle in all its service, and all its pins, and all the pins of the court, shall be of bronze.
THE LAMP
VERSE 20. “You shall command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.
cause a lamp to burn continually. The lamp is a sign of the lasting ordinance between the LORD God and Israel.
VERSE 21. In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil which is before the covenant, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute forever throughout their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.
EXODUS
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, Pharaoh’s Heart, Moses’ fast
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