In our study of Exodus chapter twenty seven, we look at the construction of the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle.
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"You are to make the altar of acacia-wood, seven-and-a-half feet long and seven-and-a-half feet wide - the altar is to be square and four-and-a-half feet high.
Now, we are given the dimensions for the altar and it is to be made of acacia wood. It is interesting to note that the altar is larger than the ark of the covenant and it is twice as tall.
Make horns for it on its four corners; the horns are to be of one piece with it; and you are to overlay it with bronze.
There was to be a horn at each corner of the altar and the altar was to be overlayed with bronze to make it one piece.
"Make its pots for removing ashes, and its shovels, basins, meat-hooks and fire pans; all its utensils you are to make of bronze.
All of the utensils were to be made of bronze.
Make for it a grate of bronze netting; and on the four corners of the netting, make four bronze rings. Put it under the rim of the altar, so that the netting reaches halfway up the altar.
This would be like a grill and it was to be suspended from rings inside the altar. The altar was to be made in two pieces and this netting would be attached to the lower piece.
Make poles of acacia-wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze. Its poles are to be put into the rings; the poles are to be on both sides of the altar for carrying it.
Once again, the altar was to be portable and was to be transported using poles that were made of acacia and covered in bronze.
The altar is to be made of planks and hollow inside. They are to make it just as you were shown on the mountain.
We are reminded that Moshe was shown the pattern for this when he was on Mt. Sinai and that he was responsible for ensuring the proper construction of everything.
"Here is how you are to make the courtyard of the tabernacle. On the south side, facing southward, are to be tapestries for the courtyard made of finely woven linen, 150 feet for one side, supported on twenty posts in twenty bronze sockets; the hooks on the posts and the attached rings for hanging are to be of silver.
Now we see what I would describe as a fence made out of laced hanging tapestries that are hung from posts.
Likewise, along the north side are to be tapestries 150 feet long, hung on twenty posts in twenty bronze sockets, with silver hooks and rings for the posts. Across the width of the courtyard on the west side are to be tapestries seventy-five feet long, hung on ten posts in ten sockets. The width of the courtyard on the east side, facing east, will be seventy-five feet.
We see that three of the sides of the courtyard are to be made the same way and that the courtyard is in the shape of a rectangle with the long sides being twice the length of the short sides.
The tapestries for one side will be twenty-two-and-a-half feet long, hung on three posts in three sockets; for the other side there will be tapestries twenty-two-and-a-half feet long on three posts in three sockets. "For the gateway of the courtyard there is to be a screen thirty feet long made of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely woven linen. It should be in colors, the work of a weaver. It is to be on four posts in four sockets.
The entrance to the courtyard is described and a screen acts as a door. We notice that there is only one entrance and that is a reminder that there is only one way to a right relationship with God which is through Yeshua Messiah.
All the posts all the way around the courtyard are to be banded with silver and to stand in sockets of bronze.
The bands and the hooks are made of silver but the rest of the hardware is of bronze.
The length of the courtyard is to be 150 feet and the width seventy-five feet everywhere; with the height seven-and-a-half feet. The tapestries and screen are to be of finely woven linen, and the sockets are to be of bronze.
The dimensions of the courtyard are repeated and we find that the fence would be seven and a half feet tall.
"All the equipment needed for every kind of service in the tabernacle, as well as the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, are to be of bronze.
Everything for service is made of bronze including the tent pegs that were used to secure the covering of the tabernacle.
"You are to order the people of Isra'el to bring you pure oil of pounded olives for the light, and to keep a lamp burning continually. Aharon and his sons are to put it in the tent of meeting, outside the curtain in front of the testimony, and keep it burning from evening until morning before ADONAI. This is to be a permanent regulation through all the generations of the people of Isra'el.
We see that the menorah was to burn pure olive oil and the menorah was to be inside the tabernacle but outside of the Holy of Holies. The menorah was to be burning from evening until morning.
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