EXODUS –LESSON 47
LEARN: Hebrews 10:11-14
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Read: Exodus 27:1-8
1.Make a drawing and give the dimensions of the brass altar. vv 1, 2, 4-7
2. What was the purpose of the horns that were made on the corners of the altar? Exodus 29:12 Psalm 118:27
I Kings 1:50-52; 2:28-31
NOTE: Horns were not usual adjuncts of altars; indeed they seem to have been peculiar to those of the Israelites. They were projections at the four top corners of the altar, probably not unlike the horns of bulls. THE PULPIT COMMENTARY THE BOOK OF EXODUS p 269
3. What instruments were to be made for use with this altar, and what was their material composition to be? v3
NOTE: “His pans to receive his ashes”, literally, “to cleanse from fat”- i.e., to receive what remained after burning the sacrifices, which would be ashes with a good deal of fat. “His shovels”- These would be used in removing the ashes from the altar, and depositing them in the pans. “His basins”- vessels for receiving the blood of the sacrifices and from which it was poured on the altar. “His fire pans”- probably a receptacle to carry embers.
4. What do the “flesh hooks” seem to be? I Samuel 2:13
NOTE: Obviously, in the I Samuel passage the flesh hooks were being misused by evil priests. The proper use would appear to have been for the arranging of the various pieces upon the altar.
5. What was the brass altar and its staves material composition? vv 1, 2
6. What is the difference between the material composition of this article of furniture for the Tabernacle and the material composition of the previous articles of furniture described? v 2 Review Exodus 25:10-40 if needed.
7. How would Moses be able to direct the building of this altar, when those who try to describe it cannot be agreed especially as to verses 4, 5? v 8
8. From verse 8, we see again that God did not give a complete blueprint for the building of what was to be used in worship of himself to anyone but Moses. It seems interesting that God, knowing all things, knew that at a future date all the furniture of the Tabernacle/Temple would be destroyed, and that still later in time the Jewish people would try to reconstruct these articles for their worship of God, but would not have complete knowledge as to how the articles should be made. Give your comments concerning this situation. Use Scripture to back your reasons as to why this might be.
9. Where was the brass altar to be located? Exodus 27: 9-19, especially note verse 19. Exodus 40:6, 8
10. What did the altar witness to? Psalm 14:2, 3; Isaiah 64:6
11. What was the function or purpose of the brass altar? Exodus 40:6; Leviticus 1:3, 4; 3:1, 16, 27, 28; 17:11
NOTE: The brass altar was without the sanctuary so that none might venture inside the holy structure, and so draw nigh to God without passing it, thereby pointing to the necessity of making sacrifice before coming before the Holy God. By its very position (directly in front of the sanctuary, and so in front of the ark and the mercy seat), the altar reminded men of the mercy and at the same time holiness of God, and of their sin and their need for his forgiveness. Here was begun that purging, both of the nation and of the individual, which was only complete when once in the year the high priest entered into the holiest, with the blood of the sin offerings, and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat, so atoning for himself and for the sins of the people.
THE PULPIT COMMENTARY, THE BOOK OF EXODUS, pp 270, 271
12. What was the problem with the sacrifices made on the brass altar? Hebrews 10:1b, 11
13. Why couldn’t the sacrifices made on that brass altar make a person free of their sin? Hebrews 10:1a
14. What was the proof in the sacrificial system that the sacrifices made on the altar were not sufficient to cleanse anyone form sin? Hebrews 10:2
15. It is obvious then, that if daily sacrifices need to be made, this action in itself proves that the sacrifices are ineffectual. How does this fact apply to the Catholic Church’s continual offering of the Mass in which they say they are reoffering Christ for the people’s sins in an un-bloody sacrifice? Use Scripture to justify your answer.
16. What did the continual sacrifices result in doing? Hebrews 10:3
17. Why were the sacrifices not able to take away sins? Hebrews 10:4
18. If the sacrificial system was not able to bring about the desired result of removal of man’s sin, what was its purpose? Galatians 3:19-24
19. What was God’s solution to the dilemma of man’s unrighteousness, for because of this dilemma, there was no opportunity for man to come into God’s presence to have fellowship with him? Also, how was the problem of a sacrificial system (which God himself instituted) that was unable to cleanse men from their sin? Hebrews 10:5-10
20. What is the result of God’s provision of Jesus as the sacrifice for our sins? Hebrews 10:12-14
21. Why will this offering of Christ never be repeated in any form? Hebrews 9:24; 10:14
22. What is the guarantee that the offering is sufficient for every man’s sin? Hebrews 10:16-18
23. Why is not possible that someone who trusts in the Catholic Church’s system of re-sacrificing Christ continually, have the eternal life for which they are seeking? Use Scripture to justify your answer.
24. What does our belief in the finished work of Christ on our behalf give to us? Hebrews 10:19-22