1 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.
2 A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.
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 unto it a crown of gold round about.
4 And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.
5 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
6 And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
10 And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.
11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
16 And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
17 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
18 Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:
21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
22 Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
26 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,
27 And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,
28 And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.
29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
30 And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
32 Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.
33 Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
34 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:
35 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
36 And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.
37 And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.
38 Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.
Exodus chapter 30 is a continuation of the instructions given to Moses by God for the construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings. In this chapter, God gives specific instructions for the construction of the altar of incense, the census tax, and the anointing oil and incense for the tabernacle. The main themes of this chapter include the importance of worship, the concept of atonement, and the significance of holiness in the presence of God.
The chapter begins with God instructing Moses to make an altar of incense out of acacia wood and overlay it with pure gold. This altar was to be placed in front of the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle. The purpose of this altar was to burn incense, which was a symbol of the prayers of the people rising up to God. This altar was to be used every morning and evening, and the incense was to be burned continuously as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
This altar of incense serves as a reminder of the importance of worship and prayer in the lives of believers. Just as the incense was a symbol of the prayers of the people, our prayers are a sweet aroma to God. This altar also foreshadows the role of Jesus as our mediator and intercessor, who continually presents our prayers to God.
God also instructs Moses to take a census of the Israelites and to collect a half-shekel of silver from each person as a census tax. This tax was to be used for the service of the tabernacle and as a reminder that the people belonged to God. This tax was to be paid by every person, regardless of their social status, as a way to show that all were equal in the eyes of God.
This census tax serves as a reminder of the concept of atonement. The half-shekel of silver was a symbol of redemption and atonement for the people's sins. This tax also foreshadows the ultimate atonement that would be made by Jesus through his death on the cross. Just as the census tax was paid by all, Jesus' sacrifice was for all people, regardless of their social status or background.
God also gives specific instructions for the anointing oil and incense that were to be used in the tabernacle. The anointing oil was made from a mixture of fragrant spices and was to be used to consecrate the tabernacle and its furnishings, as well as the priests who would serve in it. The incense was also made from a specific blend of spices and was to be burned on the altar of incense as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.
These instructions for the anointing oil and incense highlight the importance of holiness in the presence of God. The use of these specific and costly ingredients symbolizes the purity and consecration required to enter into the presence of God. This also foreshadows the role of Jesus as the ultimate high priest, who was anointed by God to serve as the mediator between God and humanity.
Exodus chapter 30 holds great significance for Christians as it foreshadows the coming of Jesus and his role as our mediator and high priest. The altar of incense reminds us of the importance of worship and prayer in our lives, and the census tax serves as a reminder of the atonement made by Jesus for our sins. The anointing oil and incense highlight the importance of holiness and consecration in the presence of God.
Furthermore, this chapter also emphasizes the equality of all believers in the eyes of God. Just as the census tax was paid by all, Jesus' sacrifice was for all people, regardless of their background or social status. This serves as a reminder that in the eyes of God, we are all equal and loved equally.
Overall, Exodus chapter 30 teaches us about the importance of worship, prayer, atonement, holiness, and equality in the eyes of God. It also foreshadows the coming of Jesus and his ultimate sacrifice for our sins. As Christians, we can learn from these instructions given to Moses and strive to live lives that are pleasing to God, continuously seeking his presence and striving for holiness.
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