Question 1

What are the ordinances of the altar in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The ordinances of the altar here are the specific steps God gives for setting the altar apart for holy use. When the altar is made, a young bull is brought for a sin offering. Its blood is put on the four horns, the corners of the ledge, and the border to cleanse and purge the altar. The bull is then burned in a set place outside the sanctuary. On the following days more animals are offered, until the altar is fully cleansed and ready for regular worship.

Question 2

Why is the altar cleansed and purged for seven days?

Accepted Answer

The altar is cleansed for seven days to show a full and careful setting apart for God. Each day a goat for a sin offering is prepared, and also a young bull and a ram without blemish. This repeated pattern underlines how serious sin is and how worship needs cleansing before God. By the end of the seven days, the altar is said to be purged and purified, and the priests have consecrated themselves. Then the altar can be used regularly, and God promises to accept the people’s offerings.

Question 3

Who are the priests of the seed of Zadok that serve at this altar?

Accepted Answer

The priests of the seed of Zadok are a line within the Levites who are chosen here to serve at the altar. They are described as those who come near to God to minister to him. Their role in this passage is to handle the sacrifices, apply the blood to the altar, throw salt on the offerings, and make the burnt and peace offerings for the people. Their name is linked with righteousness, and they picture a faithful priesthood that can stand before God on behalf of the people.

Question 4

Why is blood put on the horns and border of the altar?

Accepted Answer

Blood from the sin offering is put on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the settle, and on the border all around. This act is said to cleanse and purge the altar. It shows that even the place of sacrifice itself needs to be set apart from anything unclean. The blood marks the altar as belonging to God and fit for holy use. It reminds us that forgiveness and acceptance before God are tied to the shedding of blood and the dealing with sin, not to human effort or bare ritual.

Question 5

Why is the bull of the sin offering burned outside the sanctuary?

Accepted Answer

The bull of the sin offering is burned in an appointed place of the house, outside the sanctuary. This keeps what is most holy separate from what carries the guilt of sin. The blood is used on the altar, but the body is taken away and burned. This pattern matches other parts of God’s law, where parts of sin offerings tied to guilt are taken outside. It shows how sin must be removed from God’s holy presence, even as the altar itself is being prepared for worship.

Question 6

What is the meaning of the priests casting salt on the offerings?

Accepted Answer

The priests cast salt on the bull and the ram that are offered as burnt offerings before the Lord. Elsewhere in God’s law, all sacrifices were to be seasoned with salt. Salt keeps things from rotting and adds flavor, so it became a picture of something that lasts and is pure. In this passage it shows that the offerings are not careless or empty, but fit and pleasing. It hints that worship should not be dull or corrupt, but marked by a steady, faithful heart toward God.

Question 7

What happens on the eighth day and afterward at the altar?

Accepted Answer

After the seven days of cleansing and consecration are finished, the passage says that on the eighth day and onward the priests will make burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar. This means the special dedication time is over and regular worship begins. From that point the altar is in normal use. God ends the section with a simple promise: “I will accept you.” So the goal of all these steps is that God will receive the people and their worship through the way he himself has provided.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God accepting his people?

Accepted Answer

The passage shows that God’s acceptance does not come cheaply or casually. There are careful steps, offerings for sin, blood applied, days of cleansing, and priests set apart. Only after all this does God say, “I will accept you.” It teaches that sin must be dealt with, that worship must be offered in God’s way, and that God himself provides the path for people to draw near. For readers today, it points to the need for cleansing and for a mediator so that our lives and worship can be pleasing to God.

Question 9

Why does this passage seem difficult with all the detailed sacrifices?

Accepted Answer

This section can feel hard to read because it describes a lot of ancient sacrifice details that seem far from everyday life. The many animals, the blood on the altar, and the seven-day process can be confusing. But the main points are clear: God is holy, sin is serious, and worship needs cleansing and order. The details slow us down so we see that coming near to God is not a light thing. Even if we do not follow these rituals today, they help us feel the weight of holiness and the gift of being accepted.

Ezekiel 43:18

¶ And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord God; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.

The Altar of Sacrifice

The Offerings

Cross References

Ezekiel 43:18

¶ And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord God; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.

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The Altar of Sacrifice

The Offerings

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