Exodus 30

1 "Make an Altar for burning incense. Construct it from acacia wood,

2 one and one-half feet square and three feet high with its horns of one piece with it.

3 Cover it with a veneer of pure gold, its top, sides, and horns, and make a gold molding around it

4 with two rings of gold beneath the molding. Place the rings on the two opposing sides to serve as holders for poles by which it will be carried.

5 Make the poles of acacia wood and cover them with a veneer of gold.

6 "Place the Altar in front of the curtain that hides the Chest of The Testimony, in front of the Atonement-Cover that is over The Testimony where I will meet you.

7 Aaron will burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he polishes the lamps,

8 and again in the evening as he prepares the lamps for lighting, so that there will always be incense burning before God, generation after generation.

9 But don't burn on this Altar any unholy incense or Whole-Burnt-Offering or Grain-Offering. And don't pour out Drink-Offerings on it.

10 Once a year Aaron is to purify the Altar horns. Using the blood of the Absolution-Offering of atonement, he is to make this atonement every year down through the generations. It is most holy to God." The Atonement-Tax

11 God spoke to Moses:

12 "When you take a head count of the Israelites to keep track of them, all must pay an atonement-tax to God for their life at the time of being registered so that nothing bad will happen because of the registration.

13 Everyone who gets counted is to give a half-shekel (using the standard Sanctuary shekel of a fifth of an ounce to the shekel) - a half-shekel offering to God.

14 Everyone counted, age twenty and up, is to make the offering to God.

15 The rich are not to pay more nor the poor less than the half-shekel offering to God, the atonement-tax for your lives.

16 Take the atonement-tax money from the Israelites and put it to the maintenance of the Tent of Meeting. It will be a memorial fund for the Israelites in honor of God, making atonement for your lives." The Washbasin

17 God spoke to Moses:

18 "Make a bronze Washbasin; make it with a bronze base. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar. Put water in it.

19 Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet in it.

20 When they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the Altar to serve there or offer gift offerings to God, they are to wash so they will not die.

21 They are to wash their hands and their feet so they will not die. This is the rule forever, for Aaron and his sons down through the generations." Holy Anointing Oil

22 God spoke to Moses:

23 "Take the best spices: twelve and a half pounds of liquid myrrh; half that much, six and a quarter pounds, of fragrant cinnamon; six and a quarter pounds of fragrant cane;

24 twelve and a half pounds of cassia - using the standard Sanctuary weight for all of them - and a gallon of olive oil.

25 Make these into a holy anointing oil, a perfumer's skillful blend.

26 "Use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the Chest of The Testimony,

27 the Table and all its utensils, the Lampstand and its utensils, the Altar of Incense,

28 the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offerings and all its utensils, and the Washbasin and its base.

29 Consecrate them so they'll be soaked in holiness, so that anyone who so much as touches them will become holy.

30 "Then anoint Aaron and his sons. Consecrate them as priests to me.

31 Tell the Israelites, 'This will be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations.'

32 Don't pour it on ordinary men. Don't copy this mixture to use for yourselves. It's holy; keep it holy.

33 Whoever mixes up anything like it, or puts it on an ordinary person, will be expelled." Holy Incense

34 God spoke to Moses: "Take fragrant spices - gum resin, onycha, galbanum - and add pure frankincense. Mix the spices in equal proportions

35 to make an aromatic incense, the art of a perfumer, salted and pure - holy.

36 Now crush some of it into powder and place some of it before The Testimony in the Tent of Meeting where I will meet with you; it will be for you the holiest of holy places.

37 When you make this incense, you are not to copy the mixture for your own use. It's holy to God; keep it that way.

38 Whoever copies it for personal use will be excommunicated."

Exodus 30 Commentary

Chapter 30

The altar of incense. (1-10) The ransom of souls. (11-16) The brazen laver. (17-21) The holy anointing oil, The perfume. (22-38)

Verses 1-10 The altar of incense represented the Son of God in his human nature, and the incense burned thereon typified his pleading for his people. The continual intercession of Christ was represented by the daily burning of incense thereon, morning and evening. Once every year the blood of the atonement was to be applied to it, denoting that the intercession of Christ has all its virtue from his sufferings on earth, and that we need no other sacrifice or intercessor but Christ alone.

Verses 11-16 The tribute was half a shekel, about fifteen pence of our money. The rich were not to give more, nor the poor less; the souls of the rich and poor are alike precious, and God is no respecter of persons, ( Acts 10:34 , Job 34:19 ) . In other offerings men were to give according to their wordly ability; but this, which was the ransom of the soul, must be alike for all. The souls of all are of equal value, equally in danger, and all equally need a ransom. The money raised was to be used in the service of the tabernacle. Those who have the benefit, must not grudge the necessary charges of God's public worship. Money cannot make atonement for the soul, but it may be used for the honour of Him who has made the atonement, and for the maintenance of the gospel by which the atonement is applied.

Verses 17-21 A large vessel of brass, holding water, was to be set near the door of the tabernacle. Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet at this laver, every time they went in to minister. This was to teach them purity in all their services, and to dread the pollution of sin. They must not only wash and be made clean, when first made priests, but must wash and be kept clean, whenever they went to minister. It teaches us daily to attend upon God, daily to renew our repentance for sin, and our looking to the blood of Christ for remission; for in many things we daily offend.

Verses 22-38 Directions are here given for making the holy anointing oil, and the incense to be used in the service of the tabernacle. To show the excellency of holiness, there was this spiced oil in the tabernacle, which was grateful to the sight and to the smell. Christ's name is as ointment poured forth, So. 1:3 , and the good name of Christians is like precious ointment, ( Ecclesiastes 7:1 ) . The incense burned upon the golden altar was prepared of sweet spices. When it was used, it was to be beaten very small; thus it pleased the Lord to bruise the Redeemer, when he offered himself for a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour. The like should not be made for any common use. Thus God would keep in the people's minds reverence for his own services, and teach us not to profane or abuse any thing whereby God makes himself known. It is a great affront to God to jest with sacred things, and to make sport with his word and ordinances. It is most dangerous and fatal to use professions of the gospel of Christ to forward wordly interests.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 30

This chapter treats of the altar of incense, its form and use, Ex 30:1-10 of the ransom of the Israelites, with the half shekel when numbered, Ex 30:11-16 of the laver for the priests to wash their hands and feet at before service, Ex 30:17-21 of the anointing oil, the ingredients of it, and what was to be done with it, Ex 30:22-33, and of the perfume, the composition and use of it, Ex 30:34-38.