Exodus 30

Exodus 30 contains detailed instructions given by God to Moses regarding the construction and use of the altar of incense, the anointing oil, and the incense itself. Additionally, it addresses the census and the ransom offering, the basin for washing, and the formula for the holy anointing oil and incense. These regulations were designed to ensure that the worship in the tabernacle was conducted in a manner that was holy and pleasing to God.

Exodus 30:1-3 (NKJV)
1 “You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood.
2 A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width—it shall be square—and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.
3 And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around, and its horns with pure gold; and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around.

These verses describe the construction of the altar of incense. It is to be made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, signifying the combination of humanity (wood) and divinity (gold). The altar is square in shape, symbolizing stability and balance, and its horns, likely signifying strength and authority, are to be made as part of the altar itself. The molding of gold around it emphasizes the sacredness and beauty of the object, setting it apart for holy purposes within the tabernacle.

Exodus 30:4-5 (NKJV)
4 Two gold rings you shall make for it, under the molding on both its sides. You shall place them on its two sides, and they will be holders for the poles with which to bear it.
5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.

God commands that the altar of incense must be portable, allowing it to be carried as the Israelites move through the wilderness. The gold rings and poles serve this purpose. The use of acacia wood for the poles, overlaid with gold, mirrors the construction of the altar itself, emphasizing that even the transportation of holy objects is sacred and should be treated with reverence. The details underscore the careful preparation for worship.

Exodus 30:6 (NKJV)
6 You shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you.

The altar of incense is to be placed directly before the veil that separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. This positioning indicates the importance of incense in worship, as it symbolically rises before God. The mercy seat, located in the Most Holy Place, represents God's throne on earth, and the altar of incense serves as a mediator, signifying the prayers of the people ascending to God in the Holy of Holies. This highlights the centrality of intercession in worship.

Exodus 30:7-8 (NKJV)
7 Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it.
8 And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.

The burning of incense is to be a daily ritual, performed both in the morning and at twilight, symbolizing continuous worship and prayer. Aaron, the high priest, is instructed to carry out this duty as part of his role in maintaining the tabernacle’s sanctity. The incense is described as "perpetual," showing that the worship of God is to be constant, not limited to specific times but always present, much like the prayers and intercessions of the people.

Exodus 30:9 (NKJV)
9 You shall not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it.

God provides a strict warning that only the specified incense is to be burned on the altar. This ensures the purity and sanctity of the offering, emphasizing that God is to be worshiped in the manner He commands, not according to human invention. Offering strange incense or other forms of sacrifice would defile the altar and disrespect the holy space set aside for God's presence, illustrating the importance of obedience in worship.

Exodus 30:10 (NKJV)
10 And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”

Once a year, Aaron is to make atonement on the altar’s horns with the blood of the sin offering, emphasizing the connection between incense and the forgiveness of sins. The blood symbolizes the means by which atonement is made, and its application to the horns, the points of strength and authority on the altar, underscores the significance of God’s mercy. This yearly ritual points to the ongoing need for reconciliation with God and the seriousness of sin.

Exodus 30:11-12 (NKJV)
11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
12 “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.

God instructs Moses to collect a ransom offering during a census to prevent a plague among the people. This offering served as a symbolic act of atonement, reminding the Israelites that their lives belong to God. The ransom payment prevented the census from being merely a means of counting human strength and emphasized that Israel's protection came from their dependence on God, not their numbers or power.

Exodus 30:13-14 (NKJV)
13 This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord.
14 Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the Lord.

Every Israelite aged twenty and above was required to give a half-shekel as an offering to the Lord during the census. The standardization of the offering (half a shekel) emphasizes equality, as everyone, regardless of wealth, is to give the same amount. This underscores that all are equal before God, and everyone must contribute to the maintenance of the sanctuary and to the work of atonement.

Exodus 30:15-16 (NKJV)
15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.
16 And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.”

This regulation reinforces the idea that both the rich and the poor have the same responsibility before God. No one could buy more favor with God by giving more, and no one could shirk their duty because of poverty. The atonement money was to be used for the service of the tabernacle, symbolizing the communal responsibility of supporting the worship and ministry of God. It served as a continual reminder of the people’s dependence on God’s grace for atonement.

Exodus 30:17-18 (NKJV)
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
18 “You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it,

The laver, or basin, made of bronze, was to be used for washing. It was placed between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, signifying its essential role in the preparation for service and worship. The priests had to be cleansed before approaching the altar, which symbolizes the importance of purity when coming before God. Washing with water represents spiritual cleansing and sanctification, preparing the priests to serve in a holy manner.

Exodus 30:19-21 (NKJV)
19 for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it.
20 When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, lest they die.
21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a statute forever to them—to him and his descendants throughout their generations.”

The priests were commanded to wash their hands and feet before entering the tabernacle or offering sacrifices, under the threat of death if they neglected this command. This ritual emphasized the holiness of God and the need for those who serve Him to approach with purity. It also represents the broader principle of spiritual cleanliness and moral purity required for those who come before God. The fact that this command was to be observed "forever" shows the timeless nature of purity in worship.

Exodus 30:22-23 (NKJV)
22 Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
23 “Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane,

God gives Moses specific instructions for the ingredients to make the holy anointing oil. The use of valuable spices such as myrrh, cinnamon, and cane highlights the importance and sacredness of the oil. Each element was carefully measured, reflecting precision and care in worship. The combination of these fragrances symbolizes the sweet-smelling nature of holy service to God, illustrating that all aspects of worship should be pleasing to Him.

Exodus 30:24-25 (NKJV)
24 five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil.
25 And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.

The final ingredient, cassia, is added along with a hin of olive oil. Together, these ingredients are to be skillfully mixed by a perfumer to create the holy anointing oil. The oil itself is holy, set apart exclusively for sacred use. The careful craftsmanship involved shows that worship and service to God require intentionality, skill, and reverence. The oil serves not only a practical purpose but is symbolic of the Holy Spirit’s presence and the consecration of those who are set apart for God’s work.

Exodus 30:26-28 (NKJV)
26 With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony;
27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense;
28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base.

Moses is instructed to use the anointing oil to consecrate the tabernacle and all its furnishings. Every element, from the ark of the covenant to the utensils used in the tabernacle, is to be set apart as holy. This consecration signifies that everything involved in worship is sacred and must be treated as such. It reinforces the idea that God’s presence makes all things holy, and only that which is dedicated to Him may be used in worship.

Exodus 30:29 (NKJV)
29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them must be holy.

The consecration of the tabernacle and its objects rendered them "most holy." This means that anything that came into contact with these items must also be holy. This instruction demonstrates the seriousness of holiness in the worship of God. Anything or anyone that is defiled cannot come near what has been dedicated to God. It emphasizes the need for purity and reverence in the presence of the Lord.

Exodus 30:30 (NKJV)
30 And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests.

Just as the tabernacle and its furnishings were to be anointed, so too were Aaron and his sons. This anointing set them apart for their role as priests, signifying that they were holy and consecrated to serve God. The act of anointing symbolizes the impartation of God’s Spirit and power to enable them to perform their priestly duties. This consecration underscores that their service was not simply a job but a sacred calling.

Exodus 30:31-33 (NKJV)
31 And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations.
32 It shall not be poured on man’s flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.
33 Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, shall be cut off from his people.’”

God makes it clear that the anointing oil is to be used exclusively for sacred purposes. It is not to be applied to ordinary people or replicated for common use. This preserves the uniqueness and sanctity of the oil, reinforcing that what is holy belongs to God alone. Violating this command would result in being "cut off" from the people, illustrating the seriousness of misusing what has been consecrated for God’s purposes.

Exodus 30:34-36 (NKJV)
34 And the Lord said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each.
35 You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.
36 And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.

God gives specific instructions for making the holy incense, a fragrant mixture of spices, each in equal proportion. This incense is to be made by a perfumer and treated with salt, symbolizing preservation and purity. The incense is not only aromatic but also symbolic of prayers rising to God. Its placement before the Testimony in the tabernacle highlights its role in divine communication and worship. The mixture is described as "most holy," showing its exclusive purpose in the presence of God.

Exodus 30:37-38 (NKJV)
37 But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord.
38 Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.

These verses emphasize the holiness of the incense used in the tabernacle. The specific formula for the incense is reserved solely for worship and is not to be recreated for personal use. This restriction highlights the sanctity of items dedicated to God and prevents the casual or profane use of holy things. The severe consequence of being "cut off from his people" underscores how serious God considers the violation of this command. It serves as a reminder that what is holy should remain distinct and treated with reverence, showing the importance of purity in worship.