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Exodus 27:1-5

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

1. And thou shalt make an altar [of] shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof [shall be] three cubits. 2. And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass. 3. And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make [of] brass. 4. And thou shalt make for it a grate of network [of] brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof. 5. And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar.

Exodus 27:1-5 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Exodus 27:1

Theological / Devotional

An altar. Hebrew, “the altar.” It was about 7 ft. 4 in. (2.22 m.) square by 4 ft. 5 in. (1.33 m.) high. Ancient temples were usually surrounded by open areas where sacrifices were offered and where the smoke might readily escape. As in the account of the tabernacle itself the furniture was first described, so the altar is now described before the court. It was more an altar frame than an altar (verse 8). Ancient altars were generally either square, as here (see 2 Chronicles 4:1), or round.

The altar of burnt offering, with its shed blood, represents the great gospel truth of atonement for sin through the vicarious sacrifice of Christ (Isaiah 53:4-7, 10; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:5-7; Hebrews 13:10-12; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; Revelation 5:9). The very position of this altar, near the door of the court, indicates that the sinner’s first need is to have his sins washed away by the blood of Christ (see Hebrews 9:13, 14; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 7:14), and that until this is done he must not presume to worship God or even enter into His presence (Hebrews 9:22). The altar witnessed to man’s guilt and his need of atonement and reconciliation, and then assured him that these had been made (John 1:29; Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19; Colossians 1:20).

By SdaBc