Page 65 - Pentateuch - Student Textbook

An altar for burnt offerings was actually the first part of the
tabernacle a person would see when looking in the opening or when
entering the tabernacle. At this introductory level, the Israelites
were reminded of the need for sacrifice in approaching God. They
could not come before him on their own or in their own way. Each
person was a sinner in need of forgiveness. Each person needed a
sacrifice to pay for sins committed on a regular basis or God’s
tabernacle would be defiled. (27:1-8; 38:1-7)

Fig. 41: Bronze Altar
A bronze basin completed the furniture of the
tabernacle. The hands and feet of the priests must
be kept clean. They became dirty from normal human activities. Simply walking about
in the desert brought dirt into God’s tabernacle, not to mention blood from animals
sacrificed to God. Here is another physical picture of the spiritual need to be clean
when coming before God. (30:17-21; 38:8) We must remember for each part that they Fig. 42: Bronze Basin
are mere shadows of greater realities.

The entire arrangement of the tabernacle was important. An outer courtyard separated the nation of
Israel from God’s dwelling. (27:9-19; 38:9-10) The altar and basin were the only furniture in this part.
The holy place was separated by curtains and held the table, lamp stand, and altar of incense. (26:1-37;
36:8-38) The holy of holies again was separated by curtains. The only object here was the ark of the
testimony. These successive rooms taught the special nature of God’s dwelling place. A human could not
come to Him in just any old way.

In the middle of these instructions were others about the priest and his clothing. The description of the
garments are detailed and communicate the “dignity and honor” of a priest of YHWH (28:1). He
represented the entire nation, bringing the names of the twelve tribes before God (28:10-11, 21, 29).
The priest was the representative of the people. Wearing the names of the tribes over his heart pictured
the sympathy a priest had for the nation. The only part of his body not covered is his feet, perhaps a
reminder of God’s instructions to Moses when
he stood on holy ground (3:5).

Even a priest could not approach God on his
own merits. After he had dressed in the proper
manner, he had to make a sacrifice. A bull was
slaughtered at the front of the tent in the
presence of God. Its blood was placed on the
horns of the altar. Two rams were part of the
ceremony. The priests would lay their hands
on a ram’s head, symbolizing the transference
of their sins to the animal. One was
slaughtered and its blood sprinkled on the
altar. The blood of the second was applied to
the priests. Other sacrifices rounded out the
consecration of the priests in a seven-day
ritual. (Ch. 29) Fig. 43: Ramesseum, Thebes. 1857

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