And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it.
The verse describes the altar of burnt offering as fitted with a bronze grate of network set beneath its rim and reaching to the middle of the altar. The altar itself was a brass structure about nine feet square and nearly five and a half feet high for offering sacrifices to God, and this is one minute detail of how the sanctuary was furnished. It belongs to the wilderness tabernacle built at God's command as His dwelling place among His people, made exactly according to the pattern shown to Moses in the mount. That divinely patterned sanctuary with its rites served as an object lesson of God's plan of salvation, its sacrifices and ceremonies being shadows of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man and pointing to the coming Messiah and His priestly work in heaven. With Christ's sacrifice at Calvary that earthly sanctuary passed away entirely and forever, yet its making remains written for instruction in how the soul temple is adorned for God's indwelling, though no special meaning of the grate itself is explained.
Altar's Bronze Grate
The altar in view is the altar of burnt offering, made for offering sacrifices to God. For that altar was made a grate of bronze, formed as network. It was placed beneath its rim, underneath, extending to the midst of the altar, to halfway up it.
That grate is one minute detail of the worldly sanctuary built in the days of Moses. It shows part of how the sanctuary was furnished and how it was made and adorned. The altar itself was made of brass, about nine feet square and nearly five and a half feet high. It was made exactly according to the pattern shown in the mount.
Wilderness Sanctuary Setting
Exodus 38:4 belongs to the account of the wilderness tabernacle built by Israel at God's command. That tabernacle was made as God's dwelling place among His people. It was the center of earthly worship, whose service centered on the holy of holies, where God's law rested beneath the mercy seat.
Historically it follows Israel's deliverance from bondage and oppression in Egypt. After that deliverance they became a nation with thorough organization, efficient leadership, and a complete code of laws with an established form of worship. The verse belongs to the worship portion of Exodus, chapters 25 to 50, which sets forth that established form of worship.
Within Exodus it belongs to the making and adorning of God's sanctuary in chapters 36 to 38. It belongs also to the building and setting up of the sanctuary recorded in chapters 33 to 40. That building and setting up came in chronological order after the events of chapters 19 to 32 and immediately after the sanctuary instruction God gave to Moses in the mount in chapters 25 to 31. It is part of the description in chapters 25 to 40 and of the worship portion in chapters 25 to 50.
The sanctuary was built exactly according to the explicit directions and the pattern shown to Moses in the mount. The work was done as God directed. The account records that the Lord's directions were explicitly carried out.
The completed and inaugurated sanctuary with its services was blessed with the manifestation of His glory. That construction and manifestation of God's glory show His acceptance of the people's repentance.
Typical Meaning and Application
The directions and description for building the sanctuary present a divinely patterned structure whose rites served as an object lesson of God's plan of salvation. The earthly sanctuary so made served as a pattern and object lesson of God's way and of Christ's priestly work in heaven. As part of the laws given through Moses, including regulations about sacrifices, offerings, and ceremonial practices, it reveals offerings and types that serve as shadows of the substance of the new dispensation. It belongs to the lesser sanctuary that was always typical of and foreshadowed the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man, serving unto the shadow of heavenly things and pointing as an object lesson to the coming Messiah and His power to forgive sin, transform the character, and deliver from burdens. With the death of Christ and His sacrifice at Calvary, that earthly sanctuary passed away entirely and forever.
The sanctuary and its service were written for instruction. The making and adorning of God's sanctuary, with its brazen grate for the altar showing part of how the sanctuary was furnished, calls for examining how the soul temple is adorned for God's indwelling. No specific explanation of the grate itself is given.
The verse describes the altar of burnt offering as fitted with a bronze grate of network set beneath its rim and reaching to the middle of the altar. The altar itself was a brass structure about nine feet square and nearly five and a half feet high for offering sacrifices to God, and this is one minute detail of how the sanctuary was furnished. It belongs to the wilderness tabernacle built at God's command as His dwelling place among His people, made exactly according to the pattern shown to Moses in the mount. That divinely patterned sanctuary with its rites served as an object lesson of God's plan of salvation, its sacrifices and ceremonies being shadows of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man and pointing to the coming Messiah and His priestly work in heaven. With Christ's sacrifice at Calvary that earthly sanctuary passed away entirely and forever, yet its making remains written for instruction in how the soul temple is adorned for God's indwelling, though no special meaning of the grate itself is explained.
Altar's Bronze Grate
The altar in view is the altar of burnt offering, made for offering sacrifices to God. For that altar was made a grate of bronze, formed as network. It was placed beneath its rim, underneath, extending to the midst of the altar, to halfway up it.
That grate is one minute detail of the worldly sanctuary built in the days of Moses. It shows part of how the sanctuary was furnished and how it was made and adorned. The altar itself was made of brass, about nine feet square and nearly five and a half feet high. It was made exactly according to the pattern shown in the mount.
Wilderness Sanctuary Setting
Exodus 38:4 belongs to the account of the wilderness tabernacle built by Israel at God's command. That tabernacle was made as God's dwelling place among His people. It was the center of earthly worship, whose service centered on the holy of holies, where God's law rested beneath the mercy seat.
Historically it follows Israel's deliverance from bondage and oppression in Egypt. After that deliverance they became a nation with thorough organization, efficient leadership, and a complete code of laws with an established form of worship. The verse belongs to the worship portion of Exodus, chapters 25 to 50, which sets forth that established form of worship.
Within Exodus it belongs to the making and adorning of God's sanctuary in chapters 36 to 38. It belongs also to the building and setting up of the sanctuary recorded in chapters 33 to 40. That building and setting up came in chronological order after the events of chapters 19 to 32 and immediately after the sanctuary instruction God gave to Moses in the mount in chapters 25 to 31. It is part of the description in chapters 25 to 40 and of the worship portion in chapters 25 to 50.
The sanctuary was built exactly according to the explicit directions and the pattern shown to Moses in the mount. The work was done as God directed. The account records that the Lord's directions were explicitly carried out.
The completed and inaugurated sanctuary with its services was blessed with the manifestation of His glory. That construction and manifestation of God's glory show His acceptance of the people's repentance.
Typical Meaning and Application
The directions and description for building the sanctuary present a divinely patterned structure whose rites served as an object lesson of God's plan of salvation. The earthly sanctuary so made served as a pattern and object lesson of God's way and of Christ's priestly work in heaven. As part of the laws given through Moses, including regulations about sacrifices, offerings, and ceremonial practices, it reveals offerings and types that serve as shadows of the substance of the new dispensation. It belongs to the lesser sanctuary that was always typical of and foreshadowed the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man, serving unto the shadow of heavenly things and pointing as an object lesson to the coming Messiah and His power to forgive sin, transform the character, and deliver from burdens. With the death of Christ and His sacrifice at Calvary, that earthly sanctuary passed away entirely and forever.
The sanctuary and its service were written for instruction. The making and adorning of God's sanctuary, with its brazen grate for the altar showing part of how the sanctuary was furnished, calls for examining how the soul temple is adorned for God's indwelling. No specific explanation of the grate itself is given.