THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
God communicated to St. Moses and Eleazar, the priest and son of Aaron, instructing them to gather the censers of those who had perished and to dispose of the fire. The censers belonging to these transgressors were sanctified by their demise, and they were to be crushed into sheets for the altar; for they had been presented before the Lord and made holy, serving as a sign for the children of Israel. This was the command given by God at that time. The book of Exodus notes Bezaleel, who descended from Uriah of the tribe of Dan, overseeing all the preparations, stating that he fashioned the bronze altar from the censers, which had come from those who prayed with Korah’s faction.
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Consider this carefully: it is greatly beneficial to recognize that the altar, which symbolizes Christ, along with other items like the lampstand, the basin, and the showbread, were all crafted from materials that the people offered, each dedicating what they had to God. This is pleasing to the glory of God the Father, as it demonstrates their fruitful offerings to Christ, which were representations of true worship. The altar, serving the law, mystically signifies a reminder and presages the opposition and conspiracy against the supreme priest. Can you grasp this image? For Aaron represents Christ. However, the Jews contended with the glory of Christ, their dispute arising from the lawful altar; the priestly service had become a mere shadow, whereas in Christ we offer fragrant offerings to the Father. He has illustrated this for us as a shadow, saying, "And thou shalt make an altar of incense, of shittim-wood shalt thou make it: the length thereof shall be a cubit, and the breadth thereof a cubit; it shall be four-sided, and the height thereof two cubits; and the horns thereof shall come out of it: and thou shalt cover it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about" (Ex. 30:1-3).