What does it take for sinful people to draw near to a holy God? Can we approach Him simply because we desire to, or must we come according to the way He has established?
Key Verse
“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits.” — Exodus 27:1 (NASB)
Background Context
In Exodus 25–26, YHWH gave Moses detailed instructions for constructing the tabernacle, where He would dwell among His people. We studied the ark of the covenant, the table of the bread of the Presence, the golden lampstand, and the curtains and structure that formed the sanctuary. The veil separating the Most Holy Place reminded Israel that access to God’s presence was not something sinful people could take for granted.
Now, in Exodus 27:1–8, YHWH turns His attention to the bronze altar. This altar would stand in the courtyard outside the tabernacle, where sacrifices would be offered before the priests entered the sanctuary.
The placement is significant. As Israel approached the dwelling place of YHWH, the altar would stand before them, reminding them that approaching a holy God required dealing with sin according to His instructions.
(Continued and expanded after scripture.)
The Bronze Altar
1“And you shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. 2“You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. 3“You shall make its pails for removing its ashes, and its shovels and its basins and its forks and its firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze. 4“You shall make for it a grating of network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. 5“You shall put it beneath, under the ledge of the altar, so that the net will reach halfway up the altar. 6“You shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. 7“Its poles shall be inserted into the rings, so that the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. 8“You shall make it hollow with planks; as it was shown to you in the mountain, so they shall make it.
Reflection on Exodus 27:1–8:
YHWH’s instructions for the bronze altar are remarkably specific. It was to be made of acacia wood, overlaid with bronze, square in shape, and equipped with horns at its four corners. God also specified the utensils used in connection with the sacrifices, the bronze grating, and the poles by which the altar would be carried.
These details remind us of a principle we have encountered repeatedly in the construction of the tabernacle: YHWH determines how He is to be approached and worshiped. Israel was not invited to invent its own altar or establish its own sacrificial practices according to personal preference.
God provided the pattern, and Israel was expected to follow it.
But the altar was more than another carefully constructed piece of tabernacle furniture. It would become the place where sacrifices were offered to YHWH. The instructions for those sacrifices would be developed more fully in Leviticus, including burnt offerings, sin offerings, and other sacrifices associated with worship, atonement, and fellowship with God.
The altar therefore confronted Israel with an uncomfortable truth. YHWH desired to dwell among His people, but His holiness could not be separated from His righteousness. Sin mattered, and approaching Him required more than good intentions.
Leviticus 17:11 later explains, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.”
Notice that YHWH says He had given the blood upon the altar for atonement. The sacrificial system was not something Israel invented to persuade an unwilling God to forgive them. It was a provision established by God Himself.
This is an important distinction. The same God who revealed His holiness also provided a way for His people to approach Him. His requirements were not evidence that He wanted to remain distant. He had already declared His desire to dwell among Israel. But that relationship would be established according to His righteousness rather than through human efforts to redefine what was acceptable.
The bronze altar also helps us better understand the sacrifice of Yeshua.
Hebrews 10:1–14 explains that the sacrifices offered under the earlier system could not ultimately take away sins. Their repetition pointed to the need for something greater. Yeshua offered Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice that accomplished what repeated animal sacrifices could not.
We should be careful not to assign a symbolic meaning to every measurement or construction detail of the altar. Scripture does not require us to interpret every horn, utensil, or dimension as a hidden reference to Yeshua. Yet the larger connection between sacrifice, atonement, and Messiah is clearly established in the New Testament.
The altar reminds us that sin is serious, forgiveness is costly, and reconciliation with YHWH comes through the provision He establishes.
There is also an important application for how we approach God today.
Sometimes people assume that sincerity is enough to make any form of worship or approach to God acceptable. Others emphasize freedom in Messiah in a way that suggests God’s revealed instructions no longer deserve careful attention.
But the tabernacle teaches us something different. Where YHWH has spoken, we should not replace His instruction with our preferences. Nor should we add requirements of our own and treat them as though God commanded them.
We must distinguish between what God has actually required and what people have added or assumed.
Most importantly, we must recognize that we cannot establish our own path to forgiveness. We cannot make ourselves righteous through good intentions, religious activity, or personal effort. We need the redemption YHWH has provided through Yeshua.
Israel had already been delivered from Egypt before these instructions were given. The altar was not a means of earning that deliverance. It was part of learning how a redeemed people should live in relationship with their holy God.
Likewise, our obedience does not purchase salvation. Rather, those who have received God’s grace should respond with faith, reverence, repentance, and a sincere desire to follow His ways.
The bronze altar reminds us that drawing near to YHWH is a tremendous privilege. We should never treat it casually, but neither should we overlook His desire to welcome us through the way He has provided.
Application
- Remember that sin is serious before a holy God. Do not minimize the need for repentance and forgiveness.
- Approach YHWH through the redemption He has provided in Yeshua rather than trusting in your own goodness or religious efforts.
- Honor God’s revealed instructions for worship and obedience rather than substituting personal preferences or assumptions about freedom.
- Be thankful that YHWH not only calls His people to holiness but also provides the way for them to draw near to Him.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for desiring to dwell among Your people and for providing a way for sinful people to approach You. Help me never to take Your holiness lightly or minimize the seriousness of sin. Thank You for the sacrifice of Yeshua, through whom You have provided forgiveness and reconciliation. Teach me to approach You with reverence, gratitude, and humility. Keep me from replacing Your instructions with my own preferences, and help me respond to Your grace through faithful obedience. May my worship and my daily life honor You according to the truth You have revealed. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.
May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you.
John Golda
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