When God gave Moses instructions for the Tabernacle, He also gave him specific details about the curtained fence around its courtyard. Last time we talked about the messages woven into His choice of white linen. Now we will begin to cover the meaning of the support system for those curtains. This is the scripture we will use:

And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of a hundred cubits long for one side: 10 And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. Exodus 27:9-10 KJV 

There are three metals used in God’s blueprint—Brass, Silver, and Gold. Brass only used outside of the Tabernacle tent in the courtyard fence. Brass is also used in the Brazen Altar, the Laver, and their utensils. Everything in the Tabernacle itself is covered with gold or made of gold. 

FYI –The King James Version speaks of Brass while the New King James says Bronze. Brass is an alloy of copper and typically consists of 67% copper and 33% zinc while Bronze, is made of copper and tin. Bronze has a reddish-brown or reddish-gold color, which turns into dark brown or green as it oxidizes. But Brass, has a bright gold, copper, or even silver color and it doesn’t tarnish.

The scripture we are using describes the south side of the fence. The north side is the same with the shorter east and west ends creating a rectangular courtyard. The pillars that hold up the curtains will be our focus today. 

While the scripture sounds as if the pillars could be made of brass, Hebrew scholars who have studied the Tabernacle for centuries, say they were made of shittim or acacia wood, found in the Middle East. Both of these are known for their durability and strength.

One researcher wrote about acacia wood, “This wood is resistant to decay because the tree deposits in the heartwood many waste substances which are preservatives and render the wood unpalatable to insects making the wood dense and difficult to be penetrated by water and other decay agents.” (Source: http://ww2.odu.edu/~lmusselm/plant/bible/acacia.php)

This mobile Tabernacle complex was used for 400 years until the building of Solomon’s temple.

From these facts, we can say that the sixty pillars used in the fence were pictures of the strength and endurance of our eternal Savior. They also represented the sixty righteous men mentioned in the Blood Line of Christ in Matthew and Luke. Over time they taught and prepared the Bride for her Bridegroom. 

Brass is Strong’s # 5178 and it looks like this: נְחשֶׁת

Let’s see what the letters tell us.

Nun 50 = Restoration, Holy Spirit, Jubilee. Means: Life or Action

ח Chet  8 = New Beginnings. This means: Fence, Gate, Tent wall to Separate, Protect, and Cut off. Torah

ש Shin 300 = Victory of good over evil, Holy Spirit. Means: Teeth, Fire, the Fire of God to consume all His enemies, Devour, Destroy, Something Sharp.

ת Tav 400 = the Outcome of Trial and Testing. Picture: A Rough Cross. Means: Cross, Covenant, Seal, Mark, a Sign, Ownership, Finished or Complete.

Brass: (Shin) God in His fiery zeal devoured the enemy at the cross. (Chet) He separated us from our sinful past with His Word (Living Word- Jesus and Written Word – Torah), giving us a new beginning. He made a (Tav) blood covenant with us and gave us (Nun) His Life for our complete Restoration. 

Most theologians equate brass with judgment. But we can see here that there is so much attached to it. 

Along the fence line, brass pegs anchor the cords that hold the fence pillars in place. And brass ‘sockets’ are the bases that the pillars rest in. Our relationship with God is based on His willingness to take our sin, judge it as unholy, and then pay the price to completely remove it from our record. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

Romans 5:6-8 says, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

Brass reveals God’s provision for every person born into this world. Righteousness is ours—it’s our position before Abba. Ephesians 1:3-4 says, “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love”

But, we still have to choose Him and choose to do His will. If we choose to rebel against what God is telling us to do by the Holy Spirit and through His Word, we will find ourselves in a mess. It’s not God’s doing. We have chosen to follow the enemy. And that gives him an open door to ensnare us.

Abba gave us the gift of repentance. But until we do repent, we are guilty and in enemy territory. Repentance is more than saying, “I’m sorry.” Repentance means to stop our disobedience, turn around and return to Jesus, doing His will. 

Yes, Jesus paid for our sins. Yes, He justified us and redeemed us. Our part is to follow Him, to make Him our Master—the One who tells us what to do and we do it. 

John wrote these words to believers—after the crucifixion and ascension:

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:7-9

As His Bride, we are called to be one with Him, surrendered to His way of life. He’s paid the ultimate price to take the judgment for our sins and free us for life eternal with Him, in Him. May we celebrate Him and rejoice that our lives are founded securely in His covenant love. 

We will look at brass again when we talk about the Brazen Altar and the Laver. But our next post will be about the treasure of silver.

Shalom ♥