CHRIST, OUR ALTAR
Ezekiel 43:13-21
V:13 "These are the measurements of the altar in long
cubits, that cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth: Its gutter is a cubit deep
and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span around the edge. And this is the
height of the altar: "
A. God gave us the dimensions of the altar that He will set
in His Holy temple during the
millennium
kingdom age (the time after the rapture of the Church).
1. We do not know
the exact measurements of the altar.
2. God gave measurements
in cubits.
3. Some say a cubit is 18 inches, others say
it is 21 inches.
B. It is important to
know that God was very particular to give us His design.
1. We should seek
to know the importance of the altar.
2. The altar was
the place where all sacrifices to God were made for the nation of
3. They were required
to bring meat and grain offerings to the Lord.
4. The first
sacrificial offering was from God for man in the Garden of Eden.
a. God killed
an animal to make a covering for the sin of Adam and Eve.
b. God
sacrificed an animal to redeem Adam and Eve.
c. It was
the beginning of blood sacrifices.
5. Cain and Able
were required to bring offerings to the Lord.
C. After the giving
of the Law to the Israelites in the desert, God set up a sanctuary and
a Priesthood to
make sacrifices for the sins of Israel
1. All of the
sacrifices pointed to the blood Jesus Christ shed on the Cross for
the sins of
mankind.
D. The required sacrifices established a special
relationship with the Lord.
1. At the altar is
redemption.
2. At the altar is
atonement for sins.
3. At the altar is
forgiveness of sins.
3. At the altar is
the love of God. John 3:16
5. At the altar is
the entry way to heaven.
6. At the altar is
the compassion of God
7. At the altar is
the righteousness of God.
8. At the altar is
the light of the world.
9. At the altar is
the transformation of man.
10. At the altar is
life with Jesus.
11. At the altar is
the final sacrifice for sin.
12. At the altar is
the place to show the Father our gratefulness.
13. At the altar is
the relationship with Father.
14. At the altar is
fellowship with the Father.
V:14. God set
standards for His people to live by.
1. The law is
God written standards of holiness.
2. God set the
altar in the mist of the sanctuary to remind His people of
His
requirements for holiness.
3. In order to
stay in fellowship with the Lord , sacrifices were required.
4. We must
offer ourselves as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God.
Rom 12:1
B. The vision of
the altar was built up in a 3 tier section about 13 feet off the ground.
1. The layers
leading to the altar could be compared to the required steps we must go
through, to
maintain fellowship with the Lord.
a. Become
aware of our sinfulness.
b. Confess our sins before the Lord.
c. Ask
for forgiveness.
d. Accept
Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
2. We are
lifted out of our sinful state into a relationship with the Lord by the
redeeming
blood Jesus shed on the cross.
3. The altar is the Hebrew word hareel meaning the mount of God.
a. God is
high and we are low.
b. Our
focus should always be upward toward the Lord.
V:15. " The
altar hearth is four cubits high, and four horns project upward from the
hearth.
A. The horn
represents strength, power and glory.
1. Jesus is the
horn of our salvation.
2. The Lord is our strength.
3. All power
over heaven and earth is in the hands of Jesus.
4. Jesus is the glory of the Lord.
5 . During the millennium, Israel
6. All who
believe in Christ Jesus are God's elect.
B. The altar hearth
could be considered the place where Jesus who knew no
sin, took our place
as a perfect sacrifice for sin. 2 Cor 5:21
V:16. " The altar hearth is square, twelve cubits long
and twelve cubits wide."
A. The vision of the
Altar was a square, perhaps representing the four corners of
the earth.
1. When Jesus comes
again He will gather His redeemed from the four corners of the
earth. Isa
11:12
2. In Revelations,
angels hold the 4 corners of the earth.
Rev 7:1
B. God is complete
in what He does.
1. The death of
Jesus on the cross was the one complete sacrifice covering sin for
all times
for all of mankind. John 1:29
2. It is through
Jesus Christ that we are made complete in the Lord.
V:17. " The upper ledge also is square, fourteen cubits
long and fourteen cubits wide, with a rim of half a cubit and a gutter of a
cubit all around. The steps of the altar face east."
A. The rim around the
altar was there for the Priest to stand firmly while burning the
the sacrifice.
1. We can stand
firm on the Word of God.
2. The Word never changes.
3. The blood of
Jesus never looses it's power.
B. The sun rises in
the east.
1. The first
sight we get of the glory of God in the morning is in the east.
2. At the birth
of Jesus, the wise men saw a star in the eastern sky indicating the
birth of a
King. Mat 2:2
V:18. " Then he said to me, "Son of man, this is
what the Sovereign Lord says: These will be the regulations for sacrificing
burnt offerings and sprinkling blood upon the altar when it is built."
A. God has rules for
the offering we make to Him.
1. We can't come
to God in a worldly way expecting our sins to be forgiven.
2. God requires
us to be obedient to His commands.
3. We must humble
ourselves before the Lord.
B. We must do what
God says do, the way He said to do it.
1. God is
Sovereign.
a. He does
not have to explain to us why He wants things done.
b. Trusting
in God, we do not need an explanation.
2. We show our
love for God by being obedient.
3. It is our obedience to the Word of God
that activates the blessings of God.
V:19. " You are to give a young bull as a sin offering
to the priests, who are Levites, of the family of Zadok, who come near to
minister before me, declares the Sovereign Lord."
A. Every believer is a servant of the Lord.
1. We all have
jobs that God has assigned to us.
2. No job
assignment is more important than another.
B. Ezekiel, a priest
was given the job of writing and proclaiming the vision of God.
1. The priests of
the family of Zadok was given the job of burning the sin offerings
at the altar.
2.
"Zadok" means righteous.
a. In the mist
of all the sins in the world, God has righteous people ready
to
serve. 1 Chron 29:22
b. We should
always be prepared and ready to serve the Lord.
c. The Lord may call us to serve when we least
expect it.
3. The people of
God are required to bring sacrifices to the Lord.
a. It is our duty to support the Church
with our time and resources.
b. When we make
the Church our financial obligation, God blesses our personal
finances.
c. The Lord
loves a cheerful giver.
V:20. " You are to take some of its blood and put it on
the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of the upper ledge and all
around the rim, and so purify the altar and make atonement for it."
A. The priests were required to purify the altar before
making a sacrifice to God.
1. The animals
offered for sacrifice were to be without blemish.
2. When we come
to the Lord to ask forgiveness of sin, we must be sure that
we have no
un-confessed sins.
B. God is Spirit and
we must worship Him in spirit and truth.
1. We defile the
offering when we do not offer our best to the Lord. Mal 1:7-8
2. God requires
us to bring our first fruits to Him. Rom 11:16 ,
Deu 18:4
C. The sprinkling of
the blood on the altar (the mount of God) was the dedication of
the altar to God.
1. We should
dedicate our lives to God for His use.
2. We were created
to give God glory. Isa 43:7
3. When we give up
ourselves to the Lord, we find life in Jesus. Luke 18:28-30
V:21. " You are to take the bull for the sin offering
and burn it in the designated part of the temple area outside the sanctuary. "
A. Since our bodies are the temple of the Lord, we should go
to the Lord in prayer with a
clean heart. Ps 51:10
1. We should
examine ourselves to be sure we have forgiven anyone who has wronged
us.
2. We should make
amends to anyone we have wronged.
Mat 5:23-24
B. The altar is the place where the community of
believers come together for prayer,
fellowship and
worship of the Lord.
1. The altar is
the place where the people of God come to meet Jesus.
2. The blood of
Jesus at the altar makes us whole before
the Lord.
COME TO JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
See you at the ALTAR
Rev. M. Mitchell,
Asst Pastor of GMBC
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