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Matthew Henry |
E X O D U S
CHAP. XXX.
Moses is, in this chapter, further instructed,
I. Concerning the altar of incense,
II. Concerning the ransom-money which the Israelites were to pay, when
they were numbered,
III. Concerning the laver of brass, which was set for the priests to
wash in,
IV. Concerning the making up of the anointing
oil, and the use of it,
V. Concerning the incense and perfume which were to be burned on the
golden altar,
ver. 34, &c.
| The Tabernacles and Its Furniture. | B. C. 1491. |
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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.
I. The orders given concerning the altar of incense are,
1. That it was to be made of wood, and covered with gold, pure gold,
about a yard high and half a yard square, with horns at the corners, a
golden cornice round it, with rings and staves of gold, for the
convenience of carrying it,
It does not appear that there was any grate to this altar for the ashes
to fall into, that they might be taken away; but, when they burnt
incense, a golden censer was brought with coals in it, and placed upon
the altar, and in that censer the incense was burnt, and with it all
the coals were taken away, so that no coals nor ashes fell upon the
altar. The measure of the altar of incense in Ezekiel’s temple is
double to what it is here
and it is there called an altar of wood, and there is no mention
of gold, to signify that the incense, in gospel times, should be
spiritual, the worship plain, and the service of God enlarged, for
in every place incense should be offered,
Mal. i. 11.
2. That it was to be placed before the veil, on the outside of that
partition, but before the mercy-seat, which was within the veil,
v. 6.
For though he that ministered at the altar could not see the
mercy-seat, the veil interposing, yet he must look towards it, and
direct his incense that way, to teach us that though we cannot with our
bodily eyes see the throne of grace, that blessed mercy-seat (for it is
such a throne of glory that God, in compassion to us, holds back the
face of it, and spreads a cloud upon it), yet we must in prayer by
faith set ourselves before it, direct our prayer, and look up.
3. That Aaron was to burn sweet incense upon this altar, every morning
and every evening, about half a pound at a time, which was intended,
not only to take away the ill smell of the flesh that was burnt daily
on the brazen altar, but for the honour of God, and to show the
acceptableness of his people’s services to him, and the pleasure which
they should take in ministering to him,
As by the offerings on the brazen altar satisfaction was made for what
had been done displeasing to God, so, by the offering on this, what
they did well was, as it were, recommended to the divine acceptance;
for our two great concerns with God are to be acquitted from guilt and
accepted as righteous in his sight.
4. That nothing was to be offered upon it but incense, nor any incense
but that which was appointed,
v. 9.
God will have his own service done according to his own appointment,
and not otherwise.
5. That this altar should be purified with the blood of the
sin-offering put upon the horns of it, every year, upon the
day of atonement,
v. 10.
See
The high priest was to take this in his way, as he came out from the
holy of holies. This was to intimate to them that the sins of the
priests who ministered at this altar, and of the people for whom they
ministered, put a ceremonial impurity upon it, from which it must be
cleansed by the blood of atonement.
II. This incense-altar typified,
1. The mediation of Christ. The brazen altar in the court was a type of
Christ dying on earth; the golden altar in the sanctuary was a type of
Christ interceding in heaven, in virtue of his satisfaction. This altar
was before the mercy-seat; for Christ always appears in the presence of
God for us; he is our advocate with the father
(1 John ii. 1),
and his intercession is unto God of a sweet-smelling savour. This altar
had a crown fixed to it; for Christ intercedes as king. Father, I
will,
John xvii. 24.
2. The devotions of the saints, whose prayers are said to be set forth
before God as incense,
As the smoke of the incense ascended, so much our desires towards God
rise in prayer, being kindled with the fire of holy love and other
pious affections. When the priest was burning incense the people were
praying
(Luke i. 10),
to signify that prayer is the true incense. This incense was offered
daily, it was a perpetual incense
(v. 8);
for we must pray always, that is, we must keep up stated times for
prayer every day, morning and evening, at least, and never omit it, but
thus pray without ceasing. The lamps were dressed or lighted at the
same time that the incense was burnt, to teach us that the reading of
the scriptures (which are our light and lamp) is a part of our daily
work, and should ordinarily accompany our prayers and praises. When we
speak to God we must hear what God says to us, and thus the communion
is complete. The devotions of sanctified souls are well-pleasing to
God, of a sweet-smelling savour; the prayers of saints are compared to
sweet odours
(Rev. v. 8),
but it is the incense which Christ adds to them that makes them
acceptable
(Rev. viii. 3),
and his blood that atones for the guilt which cleaves to our best
services. And, if the heart and life be not holy, even incense is an
abomination
(Isa. i. 13),
and he that offers it is as if he blessed an idol,
Isa. lxvi. 3.
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.
Some observe that the repetition of those words, The Lord spoke unto
Moses, here and afterwards
intimates that God did not deliver these precepts to Moses in the
mount, in a continued discourse, but with many intermissions, giving
him time either to write what was said to him or at least to charge his
memory with it. Christ gave instructions to his disciples as they were
able to hear them. Moses is here ordered to levy money upon the people
by way of poll, so much a head, for the service of the tabernacle. This
he must do when he numbered the people. Some think that it refers only
to the first numbering of them, now when the tabernacle was set up; and
that this tax was to make up what was deficient in the voluntary
contributions for the finishing of the work, or rather for the
beginning of the service in the tabernacle. Others think that it was
afterwards repeated upon any emergency and always when the people were
numbered, and that David offended in not demanding it when he numbered
the people. But many of the Jewish writers, and others from them, are
of opinion that it was to be an annual tribute, only it was begun when
Moses first numbered the people. This was that tribute-money which
Christ paid, for fear of offending his adversaries
when yet he showed good reason why he should have been excused. Men
were appointed in every city to receive this payment yearly. Now,
1. The tribute to be paid was half a shekel, about fifteen pence
of our money. The rich were not to give more, nor the poor less
(v. 15),
to intimate that the souls of the rich and poor are alike precious, and
that God is no respecter of persons,
Acts x. 34; Job xxxiv. 19.
In other offerings men were to give according to their ability; but
this, which was the ransom of the soul, must be alike for all;
for the rich have as much need of Christ as the poor, and the poor are
as welcome to him as the rich. They both alike contributed to the
maintenance of the temple-service, because both were to have a like
interest in it and benefit by it. In Christ and his ordinances rich
and poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker, the Lord Christ is
the Redeemer of them both,
The Jews say, “If a man refused to pay this tribute, he was not
comprehended in the expiation.”
2. this tribute was to be paid as a ransom of the soul, that there
might be no plague among them. Hereby they acknowledged that they
received their lives from God, that they had forfeited their lives to
him, and that they depended upon his power and patience for the
continuance of them; and thus they did homage to the God of their
lives, and deprecated those plagues which their sins had deserved.
3. This money that was raised was to be employed in the service of the
tabernacle
(v. 16);
with it they bought sacrifices, flour, incense, wine, oil, fuel, salt,
priests’ garments, and all other things which the whole congregation
was interested in. Note, Those that have the benefit of God’s
tabernacle among them must be willing to defray the expenses of it, and
not grudge the necessary charges of God’s public worship. Thus we must
honour the Lord with our substance, and reckon that best laid out which
is laid out in the service of God. Money indeed cannot make an
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.
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.
Orders are here given,
1. For the making of a laver, or font, of brass, a large vessel, that
would contain a good quantity of water, which was to be set near the
door of the tabernacle,
The foot of brass, it is supposed, was so contrived as to receive the
water, which was let into it out of the laver by spouts or cocks. They
then had a laver for the priests only to wash in, but to us now there
is a fountain open for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in
an inexhaustible fountain of living water, so that it is our own
fault if we remain in our pollution.
2. For the using of this laver. Aaron and his sons must wash their
hands and feet at this laver every time they went in to minister, every
morning, at least,
For this purpose clean water was put into the laver fresh every day.
Though they washed themselves ever so clean at their own houses, that
would not serve; they must wash at the laver, because that was
appointed for washing,
This was designed,
(1.) To teach them purity in all their ministrations, and to possess
them with a reverence of God’s holiness and a dread of the pollutions
of sin. They must not only wash and be made clean when they were first
consecrated, but they must wash and be kept clean whenever they went in
to minister. He only shall stand in God’s holy place that has
clean hands and a pure heart,
Ps. xxiv. 3, 4.
And,
(2.) It was to teach us, who are daily to attend upon God, daily to
renew our repentance for sin and our believing application of the blood
of Christ to our souls for remission; for in many things we daily
offend and contract pollution,
John xiii. 8, 10; Jam. iii. 2.
This is the preparation we are to make for solemn ordinances.
Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts, and then draw nigh
to God,
Jam. iv. 8.
To this law David alludes in
I will wash my hands in innocency, so will I compass thine altar, O
Lord.
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.
Directions are here given for the composition of the holy anointing oil
and the incense that were to be used in the service of the tabernacle;
with these God was to be honoured, and therefore he would appoint the
making of them; for nothing comes to God but what comes
from him.
1. The holy anointing oil is here ordered to be made up the
ingredients, and their quantities, are prescribed,
Interpreters are not agreed concerning them; we are sure, in general,
they were the best and fittest for the purpose; they must needs be so
when the divine wisdom appointed them for the divine honour. It was to
be compounded secundum artem–after the art of the apothecary
(v. 25);
the spices, which were in all nearly half a hundred weight, were to be
infused in the oil, which was to be about five or six quarts, and then
strained out, leaving an admirable sweet smell in the oil. With this
oil God’s tent and all the furniture of it were to be anointed; it was
to be used also in the consecration of the priests,
It was to be continued throughout their generations,
v. 31.
The tradition of the Jews is that this very oil which was prepared by
Moses himself lasted till near the captivity. But bishop Patrick shows
the great improbability of the tradition, and supposes that it was
repeated according to the prescription here, for Solomon was anointed
with it
and some other of the kings; and all the high priests with such a
quantity of it that it ran down to the skirts of the garments; and we
read of the making up of this ointment
yet all agree that in the second temple there was none of this holy
oil, which he supposes was owing to a notion they had that it was not
lawful to make it up, Providence overruling that want as a presage of
the better unction of the Holy Ghost in gospel times, the variety of
whose gifts was typified by these several sweet ingredients. To show
the excellency of holiness, there was that in the tabernacle which was
in the highest degree grateful both to the sight and to the smell.
Christ’s name is said to be as ointment poured forth
(Cant. i. 3),
and the good name of Christians better than precious ointment,
Eccl. vii. 1.
2. The incense which was burned upon the golden altar was prepared of
sweet spices likewise, though not so rare and rich as those of which
the anointing oil was compounded,
This was prepared once a year (the Jews say), a pound for each day of
the year, and three pounds over for the day of atonement. 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.
3. Concerning both these preparations the same law is here given
that the like should not be made for any common use. Thus God would
preserve in the people’s minds a reverence for his own institutions,
and teach us not to profane nor abuse any thing whereby God makes
himself known, as those did who invented to themselves (for their
common entertainments) instruments of music like David,
It is a great affront to God to jest with sacred things, particularly
to make sport with the word and ordinances of God, or to treat them
with lightness,
That which is God’s peculiar must not be used as a common thing.
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