The altar of burnt offering emphasizes the need for sacrificial atonement and consecration, but in the Old Testament, animal sacrifices only gave access to a copy of the heavenly temple, and these sacrifices needed to be repeated daily. The ratification of the covenant at Mount Sinai was a one-off occasion, but it provides an important illustration of what must happen to enable people to come safely into God’s presence. These daily sacrifices, which replicated what happened when the covenant was sealed, enabled the priests to come close to God. Finally, having been consecrated, the worshipers were to eat the consecrated meat of the sacrifice.Īfter their initial consecration, the priests were still expected to present each day two burnt offerings, one in the morning and one in the evening (29:38–43).
Blood from the altar was then sprinkled on the priests to make them holy. When they were daubed with blood taken from the sacrifice, they were cleansed from the defilement of sin. Those who offered the sacrifices were ransomed from the power of death the animal functioned as a substitute, taking the punishment that should have fallen on the priests. On the basis of what is said in Exodus 29 about the consecration of the Levitical priests, the burnt and peace offerings achieved a number of outcomes. Just as the representatives of the people had to be consecrated through sacrifices on an altar before ascending Mount Sinai, the priests had to be consecrated before entering the Holy Place. The Most Holy Place paralleled the top of the mountain the Holy Place paralleled the side of the mountain the courtyard with its bronze altar paralleled the foot of the mountain. The three parts of the tabernacle complex represented different parts of the mountain. The ritual for making the priests holy takes on added significance when we appreciate that for the Israelites, the tabernacle was thought to be, among other things, a miniature Mount Sinai. Once again, burnt and peace offerings were presented to God (29:15–34). Strikingly, the process by which they were consecrated resembles what happened when the covenant was ratified at Mount Sinai. To facilitate this latter function, certain Israelites were made holy as priests. Soon after this initial covenant-sealing event, the Israelites constructed the tabernacle, a very ornate tent designed to be both a dwelling place for God and a “tent of meeting” where people could approach God.
Interestingly, this is the first mention in the Bible of peace offerings being made. On this altar, the Israelites presented to God two distinctive types of sacrifice: burnt offerings and peace offerings. Importantly, before the people could ascend toward God on Mount Sinai, they had to offer sacrifices on a newly constructed stone altar at the foot of the mountain (vv. Not only did they see something of God’s majestic splendor, but they celebrated their new covenant relationship with Him by feasting on the mountain (v. While their view was restricted, they witnessed “under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness” (v. As they did, they experienced an extraordinary vision of God (24:9–11). 20:22–23:33)-representatives of the Israelites crossed the boundary and went part of the way up Mount Sinai. 19:2–17) and the Book of the Covenant (Ex. When all the people affirmed their commitment to obeying the covenant obligation-the conditions of which are given in the Ten Commandments (Ex.
This changed, however, after God made a covenant (or friendship treaty) with the people. Moses alone was permitted to go up anyone else attempting to do this was to be put to death. Mount Sinai was set apart as holy, and a barrier was placed around it to prevent the people from ascending. On arriving at Mount Sinai, the Israelites were strictly forbidden from ascending the mountain (Ex. To appreciate the function of the altar located outside the sanctuary where God dwelt, it is helpful to observe that the atonement rituals associated with the tabernacle/temple altar originated at Mount Sinai, when the Israelites entered into a unique covenant relationship with God. These sacrifices were vital for ensuring that sinful, defiled people could approach God’s holy presence in safety. Its central location is significant, for it reminded Israelite worshipers that access to God depended on the efficacy of the various kinds of sacrifices presented on it. Because it was situated between the entrance to the courtyard and the doorway that led into the Holy Place of the sanctuary, no one could come into God’s presence without first encountering this sizable altar.
BIBLICAL DEFINITION OF SACRIFICE PORTABLE
The altar of burnt offering was one of the most highly visible features in the courtyard of the portable tabernacle and subsequently in the Jerusalem temple.
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