The Court of the Tabernacle

Exodus 27

The description of the tabernacle continues and now God is giving Moses the information on how the court should be made. The court was the place for the Jews to come and offer the sacrifices. Within the court was the Holy Place which only the priests could enter and within that was the Holy of Holies which only the High Priest would be able to enter once a year. The court was the place for worship and for the sacrifices to be made. 

The Bronze Altar

This was the biggest piece of furniture in the tabernacle. It was about seven feet wide, seven feet long, and about four feet high. The corners of the altar were decorated with horns. It is not quite certain what was the purpose of the horns but we do know that there is a reference when accused criminals would grab the horns for protection (1st Kings 1:50). There is reference to God as being the horn of my salvation in Psalms 18:2. Either way the horns served in the sacrifice of the burnt offerings and the sacrifice of an innocent animal needed to be done for the forgiveness of sin.

The Courtyard

The courtyard was like a fence. The bronze altar was inside the fence in the middle of the courtyard. There was only one entrance the courtyard and that is in verses 16-19. Everything served a purpose. The colors chosen for the fabrics were that of beauty. You could only see that if you went inside the tabernacle. If you were to stand on the outside it would have looked like a normal tent, covered in goat’s hair. You would have to go inside and be with God to see the beauty of the place. 

The Eternal Flame

There is little said about the duties of the priest so far but in the last part of this chapter God tells Moses what one of the jobs that Aaron and his sons will be doing. They are responsible to keeping the flame on the lamp going. We read about the lamp in chapter 25. The oil had to be obtained a certain way. The flame had to be on for sure during the evening. The light represented the eternal presence of the Lord.

Today we have been given a light that never goes out and that is the Holy Spirit. He is here right now to guides us. He convicts us of sin (John 16:8). He is here to help us as Jesus even said, “He is our helper,” in John 14:6. The Holy Spirit goes on our behalf and prays for us (Romans 8:26-28). The Israelites looked at the light to symbolize the presence of God, and we look to a light to, that is the Holy Spirit who works on our behalf. He is here in our midst.