Well let us turn again to God's
Word and to that portion of scripture that we read in the Old Testament
lesson in Exodus chapter 27 reading again the first two verses Exodus
chapter 27 the first two verses and thou shalt make an altar
of shitting wood five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be four square,
and the height thereof shall be three cubits. And thou shalt
make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof. His horns
shall be the same, and thou shalt overlay it with brass. Here then we have that brazen
altar. of burnt offering. It is the
instruction that was given by God and then subsequently we
have the actual deed, the making of that altar recorded in chapter
38 and the first seven verses. And he made the altar of burnt
offering of shitting wood 5 cubits was the length thereof, and 5
cubits the breadth thereof, it was 4 square, and 3 cubits the
height thereof, and so forth. The brazen altar of burnt offering. Now, previously last Thursday,
we sought to say something with regards to another part. of the
furniture that was to be employed in the worship of God in the
tabernacle. We consider on that occasion
what he said concerning the altar of incense. And it's spoken of
in chapter 30, remember, and the first 10 verses. Thou shalt
make an altar to burn incense upon is the instruction that
God gives in the opening words of that 30th chapter. And we
remark then on the significance of that particular altar. how it is a type of the priestly
intercession of the Lord Jesus. Remember the words that we have
there in verse 6 of chapter 30, concerning the altar to burn
incense upon, they shall put it, says God, before the veil. before the veil, that is by the
ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat, that is over
the testimony where I will meet with them." It is clearly typical
of prayer because we have the authority of the New Testament
Scriptures, what we read in the very last book of the Bible in
Revelation chapter 8, and there in the verses 3 and 4 we see
a connection between the incense and the prayers of the saints. John says Verse 3 of Revelation
chapter 8, Another angel came and stood at the altar, having
a golden censer, and there was given unto him much incense,
that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon
the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of
the incense which came with the prayers of the saints ascended
up before God out of the angel's hand. Clearly then we see there
the connection between the prayers of the saints and the incense
that is being burnt upon what is referred to as the golden
altar. it is a type of prayer and in
prayer of course we are to come always by faith without faith
we're told it is impossible to please him for he that cometh
to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him but the The altar of incense was put
outside the Holy of Holies. There in the Holy of Holies was
to be found the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat. It was God
who would come and appear there enthroned in the midst of the
people. But outside, and beyond the veil,
they had this altar of incense. And so it was that they could
not see what was within the Holy of Holies. But there they were
to come and to present their prayers, as it were, before God. And we now, of course, do not
see the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet we're told that He has entered
into that within the veil. And there in heaven he is the
one who ever lives to make intercession. And there he not only intercedes
but he takes our poor prayers and presents them before the
throne of God. What a wonderful type of Christ
priestly intercession. But we also remarked concerning
those things that we were looking at on Thursday with regards to
the altar of incense that there is a sense in which we see something
also of the priestly sacrifice of Christ. Yes, the principal
truth that's set before us in that type is the priestly intercession. But remember what we're told
at the end of that same 30th chapter. There at verse 34, following,
we read of the incense. And in verse 36, The instruction
is given, Thou shalt beat some of it very small and put of it
before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation where I will
meet with thee. It shall be unto you most holy. They were not permitted to make
any other composition like unto it. It was dedicated to the service
of God but it was to be beaten. Thou shalt beat some of it very
small, and does it not remind us of Christ? His name is as
perfume, incense poured forth, and how it pleased the Father
to bruise Him, how He was beaten, how He is that one who was presented
to the Father, His sacrifice and offering. And the sacrifice
to God, we're told, for a sweet-smelling savour. All the richness then
that we see there in that type with regards to the altar of
incense. Principally, as I say, Christ
interceding, but also we're reminded somewhat of his sufferings, of
his sacrifice. But it is, of course, in what
we have here, in this particular 27th chapter, where we read of
the altar of sacrifice, the brazen altar,
whereon they were to present the burnt offerings. It's here
really that we see more clearly the sufferings of Christ. Thou
shalt make an altar of shitting wood and thou shalt overlay it
with brass. First of all then as we come
to consider what he said before us in these verses I want to
say something concerning Christ in his two natures. Christ in
his two natures, the shitting wood is spoken of as that that
is overlaid with the brass. Now, concerning this wood, this
Shetim wood, wood from the Acacia tree, Dr. Gill says it is a wood
incorruptible and durable. It is a close-grained and a hard
wood and it is said therefore to represent to us something
of the sacred humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as the
wood is a type of his human nature. So, what of the brass? Thou shalt
overlay it with brass. And this sets before us the divine
nature. When John is there on the Isle
of Patmos in the opening chapter of the Revelation, and he is
blessed and favoured with that revelation of the glorified Christ,
you remember how he describes the vision that he sees. And
concerning Christ, he says, his feet were like unto fine brass,
as if they burned in a furnace. His feet like unto fine brass. This is the glorified Christ.
If the words suggest to us the idea of that sacred humanitarian,
Oh, the brass speaks to us of Him who is also the eternal Son
of God. This is the great mystery, is
it not, of our religion. That's what we're told by the
Apostle when writing to Timothy. You know, familiar words in 1
Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16. Paul says, and without controversy,
great is the mystery of godliness. Their godliness is to be understood
in terms of religion. Real religion, true religion,
what is the great mystery of it? And he goes on to tell us
God was manifest in the flesh. God was manifest in the flesh. And what do we say when we come
to consider something of this particular item of furniture
that was employed there in the tabernacle in the worship of
God? How all things are to be carefully
attended to as it was showed thee in the mount, so shall they
make it, it says there at the end of verse 8. Oh, this is a
sacred object, is it not? This is that that is to be employed
in God's worship, and God Himself prescribes the way in which they
are to worship Him. They must worship Him by sacrifice,
for without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. Animals must be taken, and they
must be killed, and then they must be consumed by the fire
there upon the brazen altar. And from whence that fire proceeds? Well, it comes from God, as we
see. When the tabernacle is erected
at the end of Exodus, and then we come into the book of of Leviticus,
and we read of the various sacrifices that were to be presented and
offered. At the end of Leviticus chapter
9 we're told, there came a fire out from before the Lord, and
consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fats, which
when all the people saw, they shouted and fell on their faces. That fire that is kindled there
upon the brazen altar, it comes out from before God. It is a
demonstration of the wrath of God being visited upon that sacrifice,
that substitutionary sacrifice. And how it points to the Lord
Jesus Christ. Oh, we just sang, did we not,
in that beautiful hymn of Joseph Swain's, to us justice. that
burst in a blaze of vengeance on Jesus our heads. Divinity's indwelling grace sustained
Him till nature was dead. There we see Jesus, the two natures,
even there upon the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. How the
divine nature sustains Him. as he makes that great sacrifice
for the sins of his people. As God's fire descends from heaven,
God's wrath is visited upon the person of him who is the great
antitype of the brazen altar. Now what can we say with regards
to the sacrifice that is to be presented here? Well it was a
sanctified sacrifice look at what we're told concerning this
this brazen altar later in chapter 29 and verse verse 37 chapter
29 and verse 37 seven days Thou shalt make an atonement
for the altar, and sanctify it, and it shall be an altar most
holy. Whatsoever toucheth the altar
shall be holy." Now, we see Christ quite clearly, of course, in
those animals that were to be sacrificed. All the bloods, balls,
and of lambs on the Jewish altars slain we see the Lord Jesus He
is that one of course who is the Lamb of God that taketh away
the sin of the world but there in chapter 29 and verse 37 do
we not see how important the altar is? The altar in many ways
is more significant than the sacrifice the Lord Jesus says
where there is greater the gift, or the altar, that sanctifies
the gift. It is the altar that sanctifies
the gift. It is most holy, as we just read
there in that 29th chapter. And all that touches the altar
is holy. Now if Christ is to be seen in
the sacrifice, surely we see the Lord Jesus Christ also typically
in the altar. the brazen altar is a type of
the Lord Jesus Christ it is the altar that sanctifies
the gift when we read of him Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 14,
Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself up unto
God. Most interesting and significant
verse of Holy Scripture there in Hebrews 9.14. Christ who through the eternal
Spirit offered himself without spot to God. Now what of the
Eternal Spirit that is spoken of there in that verse? Well
we know that there was a very real ministry of the Holy Spirit
throughout the life of the Lord Jesus Christ here upon the earth.
We've said it many times when we think of His coming into the
world, His conception. His birth. Mary is told the Holy
Ghost shall come upon them. The power of the highest shall
overshadow thee, therefore also that holy thing that shall be
born of thee shall be called the Son of God. That holy thing,
that human nature, how was it conceived in the womb of a virgin? Mary knew not a man and yet she
is with child. She is with child of the Holy
Ghost. The importance of the ministry
of the Spirit there. There at the beginning of Christ's
earthly life. And then also when he comes forward
to be baptized by John, he's going to commence now his public
ministry. And remember what happens as
he comes forth, up out of the waters of baptism, how the Holy
Ghost descended in a bodily form of a dove upon him, and a voice
from heaven saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased. But how there at his baptizing,
We see him again anointed, as it were, by the Spirit of God. He comes upon him in bodily form
as a dove, it says. How the Father giveth not the
Spirit by measure unto him. And then subsequently we're told
how he is led of the Spirit into the wilderness. And there he
is tempted for 40 days and 40 nights And then after resisting
all the assault of Satan, all those temptations, he comes forth
from the wilderness in the power of the Spirit. That's what it
says there in Luke chapter 4 and verse 14. He returns in the power
of the Spirit and he goes into the synagogue at Nazareth on
the Sabbath day and the minister gives him the book of the prophet
Isaiah and the Lord turns to the words of chapter 61. And
he reads that passage. And what does he declare there
in those verses at the beginning of Isaiah 61? The Spirit of the
Lord is upon them, because he hath anointed me to preach the
gospel. Oh, there was a ministry of the
Spirit. And there in Hebrews chapter
9 and verse 14 we're told of Christ who through the eternal
Spirit offered Himself without spot to God. Now, many understand
that the reference there is to the ministry of the Holy Spirit
when he comes to the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. As the
Spirit is there at the beginning of his earthly life, as the Spirit
is there repeatedly throughout his earthly ministry, so when
he comes to die, he offers himself through the Eternal Spirit, but
not all. would say that the reference there is to the Holy Spirit. In fact, some most notable men
say quite differently. Dr. Rowling, in his great exposition
of the epistle to the Hebrews there in Hebrews 9.14 says Christ
offered himself unto God through or by his own eternal spirit,
the divine nature acting in the person of the Son. Dr. Owen sees that reference to the
eternal spirit to have to do with the divine nature. in the
Lord Jesus Christ. And it is the altar, of course,
that sanctifies the gift. Christ's divine nature, as it
were, sanctifies the offering that He presents. His human nature,
which is consumed by the wrath of God. Not just Dr. Rowan, but
John Bunyan says much the same. with regards to his understanding
of the words Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself
to God. How that divine nature in the
Lord Jesus as it was sanctified the gift. Such a holy gift. How is he sustained in dying
there upon the cross Oh, here's the great mystery. He is sustained
in making that sacrifice. He's upheld, as it were, by the
divine nature as he makes himself the great sin offering for his
people. It is a sanctified sacrifice. All the offerings, all the sacrifices
presented on the brozen altar, they were sanctified. All things
that touched the altar, were whole. But then also something
more we see really when we think of the type here, do we not see
this, that the sacrifice was purpose? The sacrifice was all
purposed of God. Verse 2 of the 27th chapter,
Thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof,
His horns shall be of the same, and they shall overlay it with
brass. An integral part of the altar
of burnt sacrifice is that that we have on the four corners,
these horns. Now what is the significance
of these things? Well, look at the language that
we have in the Psalm, in Psalm 118 and verse 27. Bind the sacrifice with cords
even unto the horns of the altar. The sacrifice, you see, is bound,
and it is bound by use of the horns of the altar. Now, the 118th Psalm. is evidently a messianic psalm. It clearly speaks to us of the
Lord Jesus Christ. We know that because verses from
that psalm are taken up and quoted quite specifically in the New
Testament in reference to the Lord Jesus. In the 26th verse
of Psalm 118, Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord,
we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord and those words
at the beginning of that verse blessed be he that cometh in
the name of the Lord are they not those words that were sung
when Christ himself entered into Jerusalem for that last time
we see it in Matthew 21.9 and again in Matthew 23.39 that's
the words of the psalm being fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ
but then again we have words there in the 22nd verse of Psalm
118 the stone which the builders refused is become the headstone
of the corner which is this stone that the builders refused well
he came unto his own and his own received him not and yet
This One whom they, of the Jews, are rejecting is truly the Promised
One, the Messiah, the Christ of God. But those words in the
Psalms, that 22nd verse, is again applied directly to the Lord
Jesus in Matthew 21 and verse 42. Now I make the point because
we're to understand the language that we have there in that psalm
as ultimately having to do with Christ, if it's messianic. All
of the psalm, all of Psalm 118 is speaking to us pre-eminently
of the Lord Jesus. And so what we read there at
the end of verse 27, buying the sacrifice, with cords, even unto
the horns of the altar, that's true of Christ. He was a bound
sacrifice. He was a bound sacrifice. But
how? How was the Lord Jesus Christ
a bound sacrifice? Well, we are to see it surely
in terms of that eternal covenant. He is bound to die. from eternity. We read there
in Hebrews chapter 10 and you don't need me to tell you that
the key to so much of the type that we find in Exodus and in
Leviticus is to be understood in terms of Hebrews. Hebrews is the key whereby we
unlock those types and figures in Exodus and in Leviticus. And what do we read here? We
read it just now in our reading. Verse 4 of Hebrews 10, it is
not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take
away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into
the world he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not,
but a body hast thou prepared me. in burnt offerings and sacrifices
for sin thou hast had no pleasure then said I lo I come in the
volume of the book it is written of me what is the book that is
being spoken of the volume of the book it is written of me
this is a book of God's decree this is God's great purpose God's
eternal purpose it's a reference to God's counsel. We were thinking
of the counsel of the Lord this morning and we remarked then
that we're to see that counsel in terms of the eternal covenant
of Christ. That is the book that he's spoken
of. Then said, I know I come in the
volume of the book it is written of me. to do thy will O God above
when he said sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering
for sin thou wouldest not neither hath pleasure therein which are
offered by the law then said he lo I come to do thy will O
God he taketh away the first that he may establish the second
This is how the Lord Jesus Christ is bound. He is bound in terms
of that great covenant, that eternal covenant of grace. What does he say in John chapter
10? take of it from me." Speaking
of his own life, no man take of it from me, but I lay it down
of myself. I have power, literally I have
authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it again. This commandment have I received
of my father. All this was the commandment
that the father gave to him in the covenant, that he must come
and lay down his life. He is a bound sacrificer. And
so he humbles himself and becomes obedient unto death, even the
death of the cross. God's pattern. God's pattern
must be followed. It must be followed in the type
as we've seen here. At the end of verse 8, as it
was shown in the mount, so shall they make it, so the Lord Jesus
Christ must do all that was shown to him in the eternal mount.
He must do all that he had engaged to fulfill in the eternal covenant,
or the sacrifice. It's a sanctified sacrifice,
yes. It's sustained there in dying
by his divine nature, he is God, he is never anything less than
God that is the great mystery, is it not? that he who is God manifest in
the flesh dies and dies a real death there upon the cross but
all the time sustained by his divine nature but then also it
is a sacrifice that was purpose it is the fulfillment of that
eternal covenant of grace when the Lord Jesus died but then
in the second place we see here that that is for
the deliverance of sinners all Christ is the great antitype
of all these types. Christ is the one who is the
substance of all of these shadows that we have in the Old Testament
Scriptures. And what has Christ done? Again,
we read the words there in our Scripture reading in the New
Testament in that 10th chapter of Paul to the Hebrews Verse 12
he says, But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice
for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth
expecting till his enemies be made his footstool, for by one
offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Now, in the Old Testament all
the times there's a repetition There were daily sacrifices.
There were a multitude of sacrifices. Ah, but this is that one sacrifice
for sins forever. And by one offering, we're told,
he has sanctified his people. And so he goes on to say, there
remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. There remaineth no more
sacrifice for sins. Oh friends, when we come to observe
that Holy Supper of the Lord, it is to us, is it not, a feast? But it's a memorial feast. We
recognize the truth of the article that states, this is the 39 articles
in the Church of England, the Reformed Church of England, concerning
the doctrine of the Mass. It's a dangerous deceit, it's
a blasphemous fable. You know the teaching of the
Church of Rome, the doctrine of transubstantiation. They vainly
imagine that the priest is repeating Christ's sacrifice. Every time
the Mass is celebrated, there's more than a memorial there. There's
a reenactment. Or it's a bloodless sacrifice,
but it's a sacrifice. They call it the sacrifice of
the Mass. It is a deceit. It's a blasphemy. And that is
the language of the Reformed Church of England. But alas,
that state church has lost sight of those great doctrines of the
Protestant Reformation. Christ has made one sacrifice
for sins forever. He is the fulfillment. He is the antitype. there remaineth
no more sacrifice for sins. But friends, all of this has
to become real. It has to become something real
in our soul's experience. It's not enough to have an intellectual
awareness of it. It's not enough, is it, to see
the heretical teachings of the Church of Rome and to condemn
those teachings. We have to receive these things.
Remember those words that we have in Romans chapter 5 and
verse 11 concerning the Lord Jesus by whom we have now received
the atonement? Or tonight are we those who have
received it? Have you received the atonement? And received it into your heart?
Is this where you put all your trust and all your confidence?
you're looking on to the Lord Jesus Christ and His obedience
and His obedience unto death, even the death of the cross and
we need friends to know if we're going to receive the atonement
that gracious working of the Holy Spirit, we need the Spirit
of God Himself to come He needs to come to us as the Spirit of
Christ and we need that he should come in that sovereign manner
and work real faith in our hearts if we're going to receive the
Atonement. You know we have a wonderful
example of it really in the experience of the Prophet Isaiah. We're familiar are we not with
the account that he gives concerning his call is called to be the
Lord's servant, the Lord's prophet there in the 6th chapter of the
book and it's an historic event we are told the time of it, it
was when the king Uzziah died very specific, the king has died
and here is the prophet and he sees a vision of the throne of God, that throne
that is never vacated. I saw also the Lord sitting upon
a throne, high and lifted up, and His throne filled the temple.
And He speaks of the Seraphim, the burning ones, those holy
pure angels about the throne of God. And how they cover their
feet and they cover their faces, and they fly and they cry, Holy,
Holy, Holy. Or they worship the triune God,
Holy Father, Holy Son, and Holy Spirit. And there, in the temple,
the post of the door is made to shake, and the house of God
is filled with smoke, he says. And then this, verse 5, Then
said I, Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean
lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.
For mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew
one of the seraphims unto me, having a light coal in his hand,
which he had taken with the tongues from off the altar. And he laid
it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and
thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." Oh, you
see the significance. He is receiving the atonement.
He is receiving the atonement. He's a sinner. And he feels it. He's undone. He has seen something
of the glories of God. But then, oh, one of the seraphim's
flights, with a living coal, a burning coal from off the brazen
altar and touches his lips and is purged. Thine iniquity
is taken away, thy sin is purged. Well, that's what it means, you
see. It's the application of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, with those friends who know
what it is to receive the atonement that purgatory of the precious
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ purges the conscience from every
dead work cleanses the sinner from all the guilt of his iniquity
and that altar you know in the Old Testament was also very much
a place of refuge we read of those men who sought
safety by clinging to the horns of the altar. Adonijah. You remember how he sought to
seize the kingdom at the end of David's life. And it was of
course Solomon that was to become the king. And Solomon will kill
his brother, or his half-brother, Adonijah and what do we read there in the first chapter of
the first book of Kings in chapter 1 and verse 50 we're told Adonijah feared because
of Solomon and arose and went and caught hold of the horns
of the altar. All to him he thought it was
a place of refuge. Not only Adonijah, it was the
same subsequently also with Joab. In the second chapter there and
verse 28 we have something very similar. Tidings came to Joab
for Joab had turned after Adonijah though he turned not after Absalom.
And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord and caught hold on
the horns of the altar. It was seen to be a place of
safety, a place of refuge. It was not to be so of course,
those men were taken and they were killed. But how men looked
to it, and how we see something more glorious in the anti-time,
because Christ is truly that place of refuge. How we need
to be those who would come and seek to find shelter under that
precious blood. Oh, that precious blood that
was shed when the Lord Jesus Christ poured out His soul unto
death, when He made that great sacrifice for sins, without the
shedding of blood there's no remission of sin but Christ has
shed that precious blood are we those who would seek to hide
under the blood of sacrifice desire that we might be plunged
as it were in that crimson fountain and so purged of all our sins
and made clean and those who are therefore acceptable in the
sight of God. Remember the language of the
hymn writer here in the 134th hymn. That hymn that speaks to
us of Christ as the hiding place. The language there in verse 7.
On him almighty vengeance fell that must have sunk a world to
hell. He bore it for the chosen race
and thus became their hiding place. All friends are we those
who understand something of the significance of these things.
It is interesting to look at the types in the Old Testament
but we want more than instruction for our minds or that we might
find some real spiritual sustenance for our soul. and know what it
is to be those who truly appreciate all that is foreshadowed here
in the time. But see the substance of these
things in the Lord Jesus Christ, that great Antitype. Thou shalt
make an altar of shit in wood, five cubits long and five cubits
broad. The altar shall be four square
and the height thereof shall be three cubits. 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.
For to see beyond these things, and to see by faith our Lord
Jesus Christ himself. The Lord bless his word to us.