Old Testament Scripture is full of models and examples of the things to come — things that are ultimately fulfilled in Christ. Hebrews even says they are “a shadow” not the “realities.” Elevation Worship’s song “O Come To The Altar” sent me on a journey to discover the significance of two altars found in the tabernacle of old.
Come with me as we peek into the old covenant to better understand the new. I have a feeling it will affect the way you “come to the altar” in the future.
On this episode I discuss:
- Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week’s Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
- Consider a topic
- Historical context
- How bit by bit God is revealing the severity of sin to me
- God’s charge to build a tabernacle for his dwelling among the people – Exodus 25:8-9
- God’s current dwelling place – 1 Corinthians 3:16
- A description of the brazen altar – Exodus 27:1-8
- A description of the animals to be offered on the brazen altar – Leviticus 1:1-9
- How the brazen altar and the sacrifices there were designed to show the Israelites that the first step for sinful man to approach a holy God was to be cleansed by the blood of an innocent creature
- That the brazen altar was a place of forgiveness
- The sacrifices made on the brazen altar were incomplete, but Jesus’ sacrifice was final and complete – Hebrews 10:1-18
- The altar of incense and the specific instructions for that altar – Exodus 30:37-38
- Incense as a representation of prayer
- Like the incense, our prayers should be continuous – Luke 18:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:17
- The altar as a picture of the intercession of Christ on our behalf – Hebrews 7:25
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Coming to the altar with confidence and a sincere heart – Hebrews 10:19-23, Hebrews 4:16
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If you have never heard this song before, you can watch the official live version on YouTube below.
Additional Resources
Download the single by clicking the link below.
- Lyrics
- An article on the brazen altar – The-Tabernacle-Place.com
- An article on the altar of incense – The-Tabernacle-Place.com
- An article on the significance of the altar of incense – GotQuestions.com
This Week’s Challenge
Read all about the tabernacle in Exodus 26-31. You can learn about the specifics of the sacrifices and the law when you continue reading in Leviticus. Then head over to Hebrews. If you start in chapter 7 and read through chapter 10 you will see the references to the old covenant and a detailed description of the new.
