“You are to construct the altar of acacia wood. The altar must be square, 7.5 feet long, and 7.5 feet wide; it must be 4.5 feet high. Make horns for it on its four corners; the horns are to be of one piece. Overlay it with bronze. Make its pots for removing ashes, and its shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans; make all its utensils of bronze. Construct a grate for it of bronze mesh, and make four bronze rings on the mesh at its four corners. Set it below, under the altar’s ledge, so that the mesh comes halfway up the altar. Then make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. The poles are to be inserted into the rings so that the poles are on two sides of the altar when it is carried. Construct the altar with boards so that it is hollow. They are to make it just as it was shown to you on the mountain.” (CSB – Read the chapter)
The sacrificial system formed the heart of Israel’s worship of Yahweh. As the apostle Paul would later explain, the just consequence for sin is death. When sin occurs, a life that belongs to God (because all life belongs to God as He is the creator of all life) is being taken from Him. If that life is not return to God, it will remain separated from Him. If it is to be reconciled to God, though, it must be returned to Him. If we don’t have our own lives any longer because they have been returned to God, then we are without life, or dead. Relationships aren’t possible with the dead, though, and God created us to be in relationship with Him. The sacrificial system took a means of worship the people already understood and graciously made it a way for their sins to be covered by the substitutionary death of an animal so they could approach God’s presence. Because of all this, the altar was really important. Let’s talk about the alter here and explore some of its details.
Perhaps the first thing to notice when talking about the altar is the change in materials. Acacia wood was still the base for everything, but the covering given to the altar was not gold like the inside of the tabernacle and all the things that went inside it. Instead, we have shifted to bronze. Why bronze? Because bronze is less precious than gold. The altar sat out in the open courtyard of the tabernacle complex, further from God’s presence than, say, the altar of incense that went on the inside. The change in materials signaled the greater distance from God. It was a small shift, but a significant one all the same.
The altar was also given a very practical design. The top was solid so the priests could easily work around it, but the bottom was all mesh that could be removed to be able to clean out the ashes in the bottom. The practical design was because it was intended to be used. A lot. Again, the sacrificial system was at the very heart of Israel’s worship.
God told Moses to put horns on the corners of the altar. Throughout the Old Testament (and New Testament documents drawing heavily on Old Testament imagery), a horn was a symbol of strength. The horns on the altar were symbols of God’s strength. This strength was expressed through God’s mercy. Indeed, the ability to show mercy is a reflection of a much greater strength than we normally imagine when we think about worldly examples of strength. The gentleness and restraint of mercy can only come from a place of incredible strength. God’s strength is the strongest there is.
These horns were a place where someone feeling convicted of their sin could come and plead for God’s mercy. They would come and grab hold of the horns of the altar (well, they would grab hold of one horn of the altar; given that the altar was 7.5 feet wide, I doubt many folks could grab two of the horns at the same time). We see that imagery several times across the Old Testament. And the altar was the right place to seek God’s mercy. The sacrifices those worshipers would bring there, because of God’s promise, guaranteed His mercy. He told the people over and over that He would receive their sacrifices and not count their sins against them.
I should note that there was a slight catch to this. God would receive their sacrifices when they were offered properly and from out of a properly penitent spirit. Later on in their history, Israel started to treat sacrifices like checkboxes and get-out-of-sin-free cards. As long as you offered a sacrifice, your sins were covered, and you could do as you pleased. They started to treat the whole thing rather flippantly. God made clear that the sacrifices themselves were not the thing that guaranteed His mercy, but their repentant hearts as demonstrated by their commitment to obeying His commands. Sacrifices without an accompanying lifestyle of obedience were not going to be accepted and would actually count against them. Ultimately, God wants our hearts as expressed through our obedience, not our stuff.
Jews today don’t participate in the sacrificial system any longer. That system came to a screeching halt in AD 70 when Rome destroyed the temple once and for all. But followers of Jesus had stopped participating in the sacrificial system more than a generation before then. The reason was our understanding that we didn’t need it any longer. We didn’t need the altar any longer. Jesus fulfilled the old covenant in that regard with His once-for-all sacrifice of Himself on the cross. He made Himself the sacrificial lamb, but far greater than any that had been made before Him.
The writer of Hebrews spends a lot of time unpacking all of this, talking about the ultimate inefficiencies of the old system. Under that system the people had to keep offering sacrifices, one after another, in an endless cycle that never really dealt with sin as it needed because the blood of sheep and goats was not an acceptable substitute for the human life that was owed to God because of human sin. Jesus took care of all of that so that now we can be reconciled to God once and for all time through Him. He paid the price for our sin so that we don’t have to carry that burden anymore. That Roman cross became the final altar God used to deal with our sin. Now we can simply go to Him in faith, receive the grace He delights in giving, and be in the right relationship with God we were designed to be in from the beginning. In the end, with the altar, as with everything else God did with, for, and through Israel, He was always pointing forward to the new covenant. What a gift we have in that!
One last thing: Here’s a depiction of what the altar might have looked like. Enjoy!
The Nexus 
Why was there a human sacrifice in the first place?
A truly barbaric, and to be honest, cowardly act on the face of it.
Besides, as a god, he had already demonstrated his ability to perform miracles, so his disciples, as dumb and cowardly as they are often portrayed, knew he was ‘the business’, as did the many, many thousands who traipsed after him.
Therefore, he could simply have said something along the lines of: Believe in me and all sins are forgiven.
If you have seen me you have seen the father, right?
He could then have gone on to live a long and truly meaningful life.
Yet, as the tale is played out it just comes across as a piece of dramatic ancient theater.
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You don’t really understand very well how forgiveness actually works, do you?
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This is why I asked why a barbaric human sacrifice was needed?
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You don’t accept the existence of God in the first place. Nothing else that flows from that foundational belief is going to make any sense to you as you have amply demonstrated. Why bother making the case for something you literally can’t (with more than a bit of won’t in there as well) understand?
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Whether I understand or not is irrelevant the discussion
I could be a South American Indian and you could be a missionary trying to explain your god and your religion to me in an attempt to convert me and save my soul, as you are commended to do.
So, please explain why a barbaric human sacrifice was required when Yahweh in the flesh could simply have explained that belief in him was enough?
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Given general worldview trends, a South American Indian is going to be willing to start from the premise that God exists. That person would further understand and accept the concept of sacrificial atonement. That would be a fairly easy conversation to have. Are you willing to start from that premise?
And, for the record, the command is not to convert you and save your soul. The command is simply to bear witness to Jesus’ resurrection and to make disciples out of people who are interested in following Him. What comes from there as long as I haven’t been a total jerk in presenting it (I’d like to think I haven’t, but maybe you disagree), is between you and God.
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Which god exists?
Your hubris is showing again, Jonathan.
If you think it would be an easy cinversation you should read the story of former missionary Daniel Everett and his time among the Piraha in Brazil.
So, once again why was a barbaric human sacrifice considered necessary when as Yahwrh in the flesh Jesus could have offered forgiveness to anyone who believed in him.
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Ark, you’re a man of mystery to me. You mentioned the other day you read stories of Christianity that made you want to vomit. But yet you’re familiar with the stories of a missionary from Brazil. I envision you reading his book with your head in the toilet. I absolutely despise vomiting. I hate the feeling of choking it always gives me . Hate it so much I once went 17 years without throwing up. If reading anything made me want to vomit I would tape my eyes shut before reading it. Good for you for controlling your regurgitation as you become learned from the blogs of my pastor. He is one of the smartest guys I know and not just about the Bible. He has the patience of Job answering your questions which, to be fair, can often be demeaning and mean spirited and way more personal than they should be. I’ve read a response where you warned him that his children will one day hate him for misleading them. I would have blocked you at that point but he knows your salvation is at stake and is determined to reach you. Maybe you could lighten up just a wee bit. You may not agree with one word he says but he is a man of God and doesn’t deserve disrespect, no matter what your views about religion are. He is a preacher by trade and for you to belittle that would be the same as me making fun of you being a baker. Not sure how you folks do it in South Africa but we were raised to respect others, whether we agree with them or not. Okay, fire away. I’ve got my big boy pants on. Lol.
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Dan Everett was a missionary TO Brazil.
Why would Everett’s personal deconversion testimony make me anything but happy?
And I should have corrected my original comment to Jonathan about Everett. I watched a full-length video/ documentary on him rather than read his story.
For clarity, I used the term ‘make me want to vomit’ more in the colloquial sense rather than literal.
Although some of the stories are definitely stomach turning/ sickening.
I think you may have misread that I said Jonathen’s kids WOULD hate him for misleading them.
But if you can find the post and the quote to which you refer we can discuss it.
When one considers the overall history of Christianity why do think it deserves respect?
All such discussions get a bit heated from time to time, my interactions with Jonathan are no exception.
Do think when Jonathan asserts/ alludes I don’t know what I am talking about is disrespectful or simply par for the course?
As an aside but nonetheless still part of the ongoing discussion, why do you consider the barbaric human sacrifice of the Bible character Jesus of Nazareth was necessary when as Yahweh come in the flesh Jesus could have simply instructed those around that, if they believed in him salvation was a ‘done deal’?
And, please, if you are in actual fact wearing your Big Boy pants didn’t simply hand wave away this question with a pithy response, really make an effort to answer it
Thanks.
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You will damn your own children to Hell if they decide what you have indoctrinated them is nothing but bullshit.
I hope for your sake that when they do learn what they have been told are simply lies they are able to forgive you, because, believe me, you will need their forgiveness.
To me bringing his kids into this is wrong. Any maybe hate was the wrong word, although you did allude he would need forgiveness. To be fair he knows where you’re coming from with this so I shouldn’t have butted in. My apologies. Although I would think Hell to you would be more like Hogwarts than an actual place.
No reason for me to answer you. I’ve seen blogs with over 200 remarks between you and J and so far I don’t think you’ve agreed with one thing he’s posted. What chance do I have of changing your mind?
I have a feeling if I stated the sky was blue you would say somehow try to convince me it’s chartreuse. I’ll stick with the occasional smart ass observation.
Wait, you both like Life of Brian. I stand corrected. You did both agree once.
Still praying for you. Stop gritting your teeth. Lol.
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Re: the children. Thanks for making the effort.
As your religion is clear: all non believers go to Hell, I stand by my comment.
So you resort to hand waving away my request for you to explain the need for a barbaric human sacrifice as your path to redemption etc? Perhaps you could include cowardice to your list alongside “smart ass observations.”?
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if you believe there is no Hell your response was ludicrous. You didn’t believe it as soon as you wrote it. Just written to be hurtful.
I read Js idea on this blog and you waved your hand at his response, as usual. Forgive me if I don’t pour my time giving my thoughts for you to wave me off as well. Got things to do today. You can call it cowardice, I call it hitting my Saturday list of things to do.
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Then I’ll stick with cowardice
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Happy Monday Arky.
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