Making the Bronze Altar and Bronze Basin — Exodus 38:1–8
Bezalel continued the construction of the Tabernacle furnishings, beginning with the bronze altar of burnt offering. This altar was placed in the courtyard, where sacrifices would be offered to the Lord.
The altar was made from acacia wood and overlaid with bronze. It measured:
- 5 cubits long
- 5 cubits wide
- 3 cubits high
The altar was square and had horns on its four corners. Bezalel also made all the necessary utensils for its service from bronze, including:
- Pots
- Shovels
- Basins
- Forks
- Firepans
Four bronze rings were attached to the corners of the altar so that poles could be inserted for transportation. The poles were made from acacia wood and covered with bronze.
The altar was therefore both strong and portable. Israel could carry it with them as they traveled through the wilderness.
The bronze altar was extremely important because it was the first major furnishing encountered when approaching the Tabernacle. It represented the sacrificial system through which Israel’s sins would be dealt with according to God’s covenant.
The Bronze Basin
Bezalel also constructed the bronze basin used by the priests.
This basin was placed between the Tabernacle and the bronze altar. Aaron and his sons would wash their hands and feet there before entering the Tent of Meeting or approaching the altar to minister before the Lord.
The basin had a particularly interesting origin.
It was made from:
“The mirrors of the ministering women who ministered at the entrance of the tent of meeting.”
These women willingly surrendered something that had personal value to them so that it could be transformed into something useful for God’s worship.
Their mirrors became part of a sacred object used by the priests.
This small detail provides a beautiful picture of personal possessions being surrendered and redirected toward God’s purposes.
Making the Outer Court of the Tabernacle — Exodus 38:9–20
The craftsmen then constructed the outer courtyard surrounding the Tabernacle.
The courtyard created a defined boundary around the sacred area and separated it from the rest of Israel’s camp.
The south side consisted of:
- 100 cubits of fine twined linen
- 20 bronze pillars
- 20 bronze bases
- Silver hooks and connecting pieces
The north side was constructed in the same way:
- 100 cubits of fine linen
- 20 bronze pillars
- 20 bronze bases
The west side was 50 cubits long and contained:
- 10 pillars
- 10 bases
- Linen hangings
The east side also measured 50 cubits.
However, the eastern side had an important difference: it contained the entrance gate.
The entrance was covered by a 20-cubit screen made from blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twined linen. It was supported by four pillars with their bases.
This entrance provided a controlled way into the courtyard.
The courtyard therefore had both openness and boundaries. There was an entrance through which people could come, but God’s dwelling place was not approached randomly.
Everything had been carefully arranged according to God’s instructions.
Summary of the Metals Used in the Tabernacle — Exodus 38:21–31
The final section of the chapter provides an accounting of the metals used in constructing the Tabernacle.
This section demonstrates that the project was not only spiritual but also involved significant physical resources.
The Israelites had contributed large quantities of gold, silver, and bronze, and the materials were carefully counted.
The measurements used included the talent, mina, and shekel, which were ancient units of weight.
A talent was a very large unit of weight, approximately 66 pounds or 30 kilograms. It was divided into minas, which were further divided into shekels.
According to the account, approximately:
- 29 talents and 730 shekels of gold were used.
- 100 talents and 1,775 shekels of silver were used.
Bronze was also collected and used extensively for the altar, basin, pillars, bases, and other items.
These figures emphasize just how generously the Israelites had contributed.
Only one chapter earlier, Moses had announced that the people should stop bringing offerings because there was already more than enough. Now the materials were being carefully accounted for and used according to God’s instructions.
Their generosity had become part of the physical structure of the place where God would dwell among them.
Application
One of the most memorable details in Exodus 38 is the contribution of the women who gave up their mirrors.
Mirrors were personal possessions, something connected with appearance and self-reflection. Yet these women willingly surrendered them for something greater.
Their action can challenge us to think about what occupies our attention.
We live in a world where it is easy to spend enormous amounts of time thinking about ourselves—our appearance, our image, our possessions, our achievements, and how others see us.
The women in Exodus 38 provide a beautiful picture of turning our attention away from ourselves and toward the things of God.
Their mirrors were no longer being used primarily for looking at themselves. They had become part of something used in God’s service.
The lesson is not that mirrors are wrong or that caring about our appearance is sinful. The deeper lesson is about what captures our attention and what we are willing to surrender.
We can ask ourselves:
Am I spending more time looking at myself, or looking for ways to serve God and others?
Sometimes what God asks us to surrender may not be something obviously sinful. It may simply be something we value that has begun to occupy too much of our attention.
Our time can become an offering.
Our abilities can become an offering.
Our money can become an offering.
Our possessions can become an offering.
Even our attention can become an offering.
The women who gave their mirrors remind us that generosity often begins when we stop asking only, “What do I want to keep?” and begin asking, “What can I offer?”
The Tabernacle was built from the willing contributions of many different people. Some gave gold. Some gave silver. Some gave fabric. Some gave wood. Some gave their skills. And some women even surrendered their mirrors.
No contribution was meaningless when it was willingly given for God’s purposes.
For Christians, this points us again toward the generosity of God Himself.
We have received far more than the Israelites could ever have imagined.
God has given us Christ.
Therefore, our response should not be motivated merely by obligation, but by gratitude.
The more clearly we understand God’s generosity toward us, the more naturally we should want to become generous toward Him and others.
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