Why the Sacrifices at the Altar of Burning | Message 3
One of the most striking pieces of furniture in the Old Testament Tabernacle was the Altar of Burnt Offering, sometimes called the Brazen Altar. It stood immediately inside the gate of the courtyard, making it the first object every worshiper saw when approaching God.
This placement was intentional.
Before a person could move toward the Holy Place or draw nearer to God’s presence, he had to stop at the altar. There, sacrifices were offered, blood was shed, and sin was dealt with.
The altar teaches us a powerful truth that echoes through all of Scripture: sin separates us from God, and only a sacrifice can remove that separation.
The Marked Down Savior
Years ago, a large department store launched what seemed like a promising promotion. The store produced a doll in the form of the baby Jesus. It was packaged in straw with a satin crib, surrounded by plastic decorations and appropriate Bible verses.
The promotion failed miserably. The dolls did not sell.
In desperation, a store manager tried a last-ditch effort to clear out the inventory. He placed a huge sign outside the store that read:
“JESUS CHRIST — MARKED DOWN 50% — GET HIM WHILE YOU CAN.”
Sadly, that sign illustrates the attitude of our culture today.
We live in an age that has “marked down” salvation. The cross of Christ is often treated casually or cheaply. Yet the Bible teaches that redemption came at an infinite cost.
The Old Testament altar reminds us just how costly salvation truly is.
The Significant Details of the Altar of Burning
Its Dimensions
The altar measured five cubits by five cubits (approximately 7.5 feet square) and stood three cubits high (about 4.5 feet tall).
It was the largest and most visible piece of furniture in the courtyard. No one entering the tabernacle could miss it.
This was deliberate.
God wanted the altar — the place where sin was judged — to be the center of attention.
Its Material
The altar was made from acacia wood covered with brass.
Acacia wood was known for its durability. In the symbolism of the tabernacle, it often represented the humanity of Christ — strong, incorruptible, and enduring.
A biblical scholar once noted that acacia wood beautifully portrays the humanity of Christ, who came from “a root out of dry ground” (Isaiah 53:2) and lived a life completely without sin.
The brass covering of the altar symbolized God’s righteous judgment against sin.
Thus, the altar itself pictured Christ — fully human, yet bearing the judgment of God on behalf of sinners.
Its Position
The altar stood near the entrance of the tabernacle courtyard.
In other words, sacrifice was the beginning of worship.
No one could bypass the altar. It was the gateway to everything that followed in the tabernacle experience.
The Purpose of the Altar
The Altar of Burnt Offering was the place where sacrifices for sin were offered.
When a worshiper came to the altar, he brought an animal sacrifice. The worshiper would place his hands on the head of the animal, symbolically transferring his guilt to the substitute.
Then the animal was slain.
The blood was poured out before the altar as a reminder of the price of sin.
Scripture declares:
“The life of the flesh is in the blood.” (Leviticus 17:11)
Through this act of sacrifice, the worshiper acknowledged his sin and trusted that God would accept the substitute on his behalf.
Yet these sacrifices were only temporary pictures.
They were shadows pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice that would come through Jesus Christ.
Four Precious Portraits of Christ in the Altar
The Altar of Burnt Offering reveals several powerful portraits of Christ.
1. Christ Is Seen in the Atoning Sacrifice
John the Baptist announced Jesus with these famous words:
John 1:29
“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Jesus became the final sacrifice for sin. Unlike the endless animal sacrifices of the Old Testament, His sacrifice was complete.
The book of Hebrews declares:
Hebrews 10:12
“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”
The Greek word translated “once for all” means a decisive act that never needs repeating.
Christ’s sacrifice accomplished everything necessary for salvation.
2. The Gospel of Christ Is Visible to All
The altar stood prominently in the courtyard. It was impossible for anyone entering the tabernacle to ignore it.
One writer observed that the altar’s square shape, blazing fire, and ascending smoke made it the most conspicuous object in the entire courtyard.
The same should be true of the gospel today.
If the crucifixion was so visible in the tabernacle courtyard, how much more visible should Christ crucified be in the world today?
The message of the cross must remain central to our faith.
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”
Titus 2:11
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.”
3. The Cross of Christ Is Our Altar
The New Testament explains that the Old Testament altar ultimately points to the cross of Christ.
Hebrews 13:10–12
“We have an altar… Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.”
Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem, just as many of the sacrifices were burned outside the camp.
He bore the shame and judgment of sin so that we could be reconciled to God.
The cross became the true altar of sacrifice.
4. The Spotless Humanity of Christ
Another powerful symbol appears in the materials used for the altar.
Acacia wood was known for being strong, incorruptible, and resistant to decay.
This beautifully reflects the spotless humanity of Jesus Christ.
The apostle Peter described Christ this way:
1 Peter 1:19
“The precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
And Paul wrote:
2 Corinthians 5:21
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Christ was the perfect sacrifice because He was the sinless Son of God.
Six Lessons About Being God’s Living Sacrifice
Romans 12:1–2 gives us the New Testament response to Christ’s sacrifice.
“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God… and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
From this passage we learn several important truths.
1. We Are to Be Holy
1 Peter 1:15–16
“Be holy, for I am holy.”
Holy living is not merely external behavior. It is a life set apart for God.
2. We Are Accepted in Jesus Christ
1 Peter 2:5
“You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house… to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
We are accepted by God not because of our merit, but because of Christ.
3. Our Total Surrender Is a Reasonable Sacrifice
Missionary David Livingstone once said:
“I had rather be in the heart of Africa in the will of God than on the throne of England out of the will of God.”
Livingstone insisted that giving our lives to God is not a sacrifice but a privilege.
Nothing compares to serving Christ.
4. Christians Are Called to Non-Conformity
1 John 2:15
“Do not love the world or the things in the world.”
Following Christ often means walking a different path than the culture around us.
Missionary Jim Elliot famously said:
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
5. Surrender Transforms the Mind
Ephesians 4:23
“Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”
God changes us from the inside out when we surrender our lives to Him.
6. Surrender Leads to Knowing God’s Will
Romans 12:2 explains that when we yield ourselves to God, we begin to understand His good, acceptable, and perfect will.
When our lives are fully surrendered, God directs our path.
The Call of the Altar
The Altar of Burnt Offering stood at the entrance of the tabernacle as a constant reminder that sin must be dealt with before we can approach God.
Every sacrifice pointed forward to the day when Jesus Christ would become the final and perfect sacrifice.
The cross is the fulfillment of everything the altar represented.
And the challenge of the altar still stands today.
Have you come to Christ for forgiveness?
Have you placed your life fully on the altar?
The altar calls us to surrender.
And when we surrender everything to Christ, we discover that His will is good, acceptable, and perfect.
