(Exodus) Exodus 38:1-8

Now, will you notice, first of all, the altar of burnt offering is brought to our attention. I begin reading now at verse 1. And he made the altar of burnt offering of chitim wood. Five cubits was the length thereof, five cubits the breadth thereof.

It was four square and three cubits the height thereof. Now, the height of it equaled, of course, the ark or the mercy seat on the inside. Here was where the victim was offered, and that was the judgment of the sin of the individual that came.

Or, in many cases, it was the nation that was in view. And when it was the nation, it was the morning and evening sacrifice, and was a burnt offering. But on here was all of the offerings that were made in Israel.

When this altar was constructed, no other altar could be made. It would be absolutely blasphemy to build any other altar anywhere else. This is the approach to God, only by the cross you see.

Now, it's five cubits by five cubits. It's the largest article of furniture, as you can see. Actually, seven-and-a-half feet long, seven-and-a-half feet wide, and three cubits, which would mean four-and-a-half feet high.

All the other articles could have been apparently put on the inside of it. And it was the prominent place, because here is where the sin question must be settled. There'd be no such thing as worship, and no such thing as blessing until they came by this altar here.

Now, the horns speak of strength, the ability of Christ to save. And now we have instructions here concerning the details that have to do with the altar. There had to be certain pots and pans and staves and rings and all that sort of thing.

And I think there's meaning in every detail, as we've said. Now you have in verse 8, "...and he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass." Now, there was a place beneath for the washing of the feet, and the place above was for the washing of the hands. "...and it was made of the looking-glasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." Now, those mirrors were made of brass.

In that day, mirrors were high-polished brass. And women hadn't changed. They carried mirrors in that day, and I guess they were much heavier than some of the pocketbooks that some of the women carry today.

But in that day, they had that which was heavy, you see. But the women brought their mirrors, and the brazen laver was made out of those mirrors. The mirror represents the Word of God.

It's the Word of God that shows the believer that he needs cleansing. And the laver is there for the cleansing. You have the same thing in your bathroom.

You have a mirror, and beneath the mirror you have a washbasin. Now, the mirror doesn't wash it off. The law today won't save you.

You can rub up against it all you want to. "...but there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins, and sinners plunge beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains." Now, these are the two articles of furniture that are in the Outer Court.