EXODUS 27
“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. 2 And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. 3 You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. 4 You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. 5 And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar. 6 And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. 7 And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. 8 You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made. – Exodus 27:1-8
EXODUS 27 ON THE MAKING OF THE ALTAR
According to a website on bible plants, this type of wood was only mentioned in the making of the altar in the tabernacle and Noah’s ark build. Acacia wood grows very slow, and because of this, the wood is hard and dense. It is very strong and resistant to decay. When pierced, its sap can be used as both pharmaceutical and a preservative. According to inspiredscriptures.com. this symbolized Christ. In Psalm 16:10, David alludes to this non-decaying state of all those who believe in him. No wonder God specified this type of wood to be used in the making of the altar to foreshadow his Son’s strength and indestructibility.
Furthermore, the commentary says that the altar turned the sin into ash. That sin had to be disposed of because sin cannot be in God’s presence. To do this, God ordered the Jews to prepare bronze utensils to remove and dispose of the ash. This again foreshadowed Christ. His blood will not just cover your sins. His blood will take away your sins: “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”’ (John 1:29). The altar was designed to be portable. The Levites carried it using acacia / shittim poles. This signifies that Christ will bring His sacrificed blood to any place where a sinner may repent.
REFLECTION
- Why do you think God was very specific with the wood to be used in the altar?
