Exodus 38:1 says, And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.  In the Old Testament, altars were built at various places to serve as a place to worship God.  It is only natural that the tabernacle would include an altar, since it was to be a place of  worship to God for the people of Israel.  Today, we may have an altar in the church building, but the most important thing is to allow our heart to be an altar to God.  Verse two states, And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass.  Our altars don't usually have horns on them, but this one did.  They were overlooked with brass, which wasn't as expensive as gold, but was more practical.  Our worship today should not be just showy, but should be practical and functional as well.  If we make a beautiful altar but are afraid to use it because we don't want to mess it up, we miss the point.  Verse three says, And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.  The altar was to be a place of sacrifice, so there was a need of implements to help with the sacrifice.  When we offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice, we must offer all that we have to help support that living sacrifice.  Verse four states, And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it.  This was to catch and remove what was left over from the sacrifice.  Once we have sacrificed something to God, if there are remnants, we cannot allow them to get in our way.  We must clear out the dross.  Verse five declares, And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.  Then verse six adds, And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.  As with everything else, the grate had to be moveable.  The rings and staves were made of brass.  Verse seven continues, And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.  The altar was likewise to be transportable.  We, as followers of Christ, having the altar of God in our hearts, are to be a moving as well as a living sacrifice to God.  Verse eight states, And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.  The laver was made of the looking glasses of the women who were gathering at the temple.  Matthew Henry says they weren't just there to watch but to help in the work.  The looking glasses were made of fine brass, not of glass as we would think of today.  Women have not only always helped with the work of the church,but often do the lions share of it.