The Altar
God’s command for an altar, “And thou shall make an altar to
burn incense upon. Of acacia wood shall
you make it.”
The altar
of incense was a type of Christ the Intercessor through whom our prayers and
worship ascend unto God. It was the medium of the believer/priest praise and
worship. It was the fixed place within
the tabernacle to which the forgiveness-seeking one goes to confess sin, seek
forgiveness and hope for atonement.
As usual
the Lord gave specifications for the building of the altar; A cubit, (about 18 inches) was to be the
length of it, and a cubit the breath thereof, four square, and the height of it
two cubit and the horns thereof the same.
It was to
be overlaid with pure gold, the top, sides all around, including the horns and
a rim of gold all around it. Under the rim were to be tow rings of gold on the
corner on either side so that it could be borne and carried by two staves. The two staves were to be of acacia wood
overlaid with gold.
The place
for the altar was before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before
the mercy seat which is over the testimony where the Lord would dwell. And Moses each morning as he dressed the
lamps was to burn sweet incense on it.
And at evening when he lights the lamps, he was also to burn incense on
it, as a perpetual duty within the tabernacle.
There was
to be no strange incense burn on it, nor any burnt offering, nor meal offering,
nor any drink poured upon it. And Moses was to make an atonement upon the horns
of the altar once a year, with the blood
of the sin offering of atonements; for it was a holy thing unto the Lord
through all generations. But the Lord specifically prohibited any strange
incense, that is incense for other than that ordained, and no fire or other ritualistic
offerings. More
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