What was the brazen altar made of and why is it called that?
The brazen altar was made of acacia wood and covered with brass, not gold. It is called the brazen altar because of that brass covering. Throughout Scripture brass denotes judgment, and the altar was where sacrifices were committed, pointing to sin being judged.
Les explains that the brazen altar was constructed of the desert wood, acacia wood, and covered with brass rather than gold, and that is why it is called the brazen altar. He teaches that all through Scripture brass always speaks of judgment. As an illustration, when Israel was dying from snakebites, God told Moses to erect a brazen serpent, and it judged their sin as they looked at it. The cross was the reality of that work: sin was judged. So everything with respect to the judgment of sin is denoted with the metal brass, and the altar where the sacrifices were committed was wood covered with brass.