Altar of Incense: the Intercession of Christ (30:1-10)

CHAPTER 30

1 And thou shalt make an altar for the burning of incense: of acacia-wood shalt thou make it; 2 a cubit the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof — square shall it be; and two cubits its height; of itself shall be its horns. 3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make upon it a border of gold round about. DARBY

vv.1-3 Both the brazen altar and the golden altar were square. They are similar in this way, that in the gospel we bring Christ to man, and in worship we bring Christ to God.

4 And two rings of gold shalt thou make for it under its border; by its two corners shalt thou make them, on the two sides thereof; and they shall be for receptacles for the staves, with which to carry it. 5 And thou shalt make the staves of acacia-wood, and overlay them with gold.

6 And thou shalt put it in front of the veil which is before the ark of the testimony in front of the mercy-seat which is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. 7 And Aaron shall burn thereon fragrant incense: every morning, when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn the incense. 8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps between the two evenings, he shall burn the incense — a continual incense before Jehovah throughout your generations. vv.7-8 Worship is to be continually ascending.

9 Ye shall offer up no strange incense thereon, nor burnt-offering, nor oblation; neither shall ye pour drink-offering thereon. DARBY

v.9 Aaron’s two sons did this very thing and died for it.

10 And Aaron shall make atonement for its horns once in the year: with the blood of the sin-offering of atonement shall he make atonement for it, once in the year, throughout your generations: it is most holy to Jehovah.

Census Tax (30:11-16)

11 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 12 When thou shalt take the sum of the children of Israel according to those of them that are numbered, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul to Jehovah on their being numbered, that there be no plague among them on their being numbered. 13 This shall they give — every one that passeth among them that are numbered — half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary, — twenty gerahs the shekel; a half shekel shall be the heave-offering for Jehovah. 14 Every one that passeth among those that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give the heave-offering of Jehovah. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when ye give the heave-offering of Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls. 16 And thou shalt take the atonement-money of the children of Israel, and devote it to the service of the tent of meeting; and it shall be a memorial to the children of Israel before Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls. DARBY

Laver: Purification for Communion (30:17-21)

17 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 18 Thou shalt also make a laver of copper, and its stand of copper, for washing; and thou shalt put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and shalt put water in it. 19 And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet out of it. 20 When they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they may not die; or when they come near to the altar to serve, to burn an offering by fire to Jehovah. 21 And they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they may not die; and it shall be an everlasting statute for them, for him and for his seed throughout their generations. DARBY

vv.19-21 Before we can go in to the holy place there is one more thing: the laver. It speaks of the practical sanctification of the believer. The washing if the water by the word is necessary if we are to function as priests. We have been “washed all over” in our new birth, but we pick up defilement day by day, and this need the daily washing that the laver speaks of. It is a continual thing. We are coming into the presence of a holy God.

Anointing Oil and Incense: the graces and sweetness of Christ (30:22-38)

22 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 23 And thou, take best spices — of liquid myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon the half — two hundred and fifty, and of sweet myrtle two hundred and fifty, 24 and of cassia five hundred, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin; 25 and make of it an oil of holy ointment, a perfume of perfumery after the work of the perfumer: it shall be the holy anointing oil. 26 And thou shalt anoint the tent of meeting with it, and the ark of the testimony, 27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lamp-stand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28 and the altar of burnt-offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand. DARBY

29 And thou shalt hallow them, that they may be most holy: whatever toucheth them shall be holy. 30 And Aaron and his sons thou shalt anoint, and shalt hallow them, that they may serve me as priests. 31 And thou shalt speak to the children of Israel, saying, A holy anointing oil shall this be unto me throughout your generations. 32 Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any like it, after the preparation of it: it is holy — holy shall it be unto you. 33 Whoever compoundeth any like it, or whoever putteth any of it upon any strange thing, shall be cut off from his peoples. 34 And Jehovah said to Moses, Take fragrant drugs — stacte, and onycha, and galbanum — fragrant drugs and pure frankincense; in like proportions shall it be. 35 And thou shalt make it into incense, a perfume, after the work of the perfumer, salted, pure, holy. 36 And thou shalt beat some of it to powder, and put some of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. 37 And the incense that thou shalt make, ye shall not make for yourselves according to the proportions of it; it shall be unto thee holy to Jehovah. 38 Whoever maketh like unto it, to smell it, shall be cut off from his peoples. DARBY

Appointment of Craftsmen (31:1-11)

CHAPTER 31

1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 2 See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in every work, 4 to devise artistic work — to work in gold, and in silver, and in copper, 5 and in cutting of stones, for setting, and for carving of timber — to work in all manner of work. 6 And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the heart of every one that is wise-hearted have I given wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee — 7 the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy-seat that is thereupon, and all the utensils of the tent, 8 and the table and its utensils, and the pure lamp-stand and all its utensils, and the altar of incense; 9 and the altar of burnt-offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand; 10 and the garments of service, both the holy garments of Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to serve as priests; 11 and the anointing oil, and the incense of fragrant drugs for the sanctuary: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do. DARBY

Observance of Sabbath Rest (31:12-18)

12 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 13 And thou, speak thou unto the children of Israel, saying, Surely my sabbaths shall ye keep; for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that it is I, Jehovah, who do hallow you. 14 Keep the sabbath, therefore; for it is holy unto you; every one that profaneth it shall certainly be put to death: yea, whoever doeth work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his peoples. 15 Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, holy to Jehovah: whoever doeth work on the sabbath day shall certainly be put to death. 16 And the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations — it is an everlasting covenant. 17 It shall be a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever; for in six days Jehovah made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. 18 And he gave to Moses, when he had ended speaking with him on mount Sinai, the two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. DARBY

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