COMMENTARY EXODUS 30

E X O D U S

CHAP. XXX.

Moses is, in this chapter, further instructed, I.Concerning the altar of incense, ver. 1-10. II. Concerning the ransom-moneywhich the Israelites were to pay, when they were numbered,ver. 11-16. III.Concerning the laver of brass, which was set for the priests towash in, ver. 17-21. IV.Concerning the making up of the anointing oil, and the use of it,ver. 22-33. V.Concerning the incense and perfume which were to be burned on thegolden altar, ver. 34,&c.

The Tabernacles and ItsFurniture. (b. c. 1491.)

1 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incenseupon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. 2 A cubitshall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadththereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be theheight 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 thoushalt make unto it a crown of gold round about. 4 And twogolden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by thetwo corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou makeit; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear itwithal. 5 And thou shalt make the staves of shittimwood, and overlay them with gold. 6 And thou shalt put itbefore the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, beforethe mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meetwith thee. 7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incenseevery morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incenseupon it. 8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, heshall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. 9Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, normeat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. 10 And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in ayear with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in theyear shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations:it is most holy unto the Lord.

I. The orders given concerning the altar ofincense are, 1. That it was to be made of wood, and covered withgold, pure gold, about a yard high and half a yard square, withhorns at the corners, a golden cornice round it, with rings andstaves of gold, for the convenience of carrying it, v. 1-5. It does not appearthat there was any grate to this altar for the ashes to fall into,that they might be taken away; but, when they burnt incense, agolden censer was brought with coals in it, and placed upon thealtar, and in that censer the incense was burnt, and with it allthe coals were taken away, so that no coals nor ashes fell upon thealtar. The measure of the altar of incense in Ezekiel's temple isdouble to what it is here (Ezek. xli.22), and it is there called an altar of wood, andthere is no mention of gold, to signify that the incense, in gospeltimes, should be spiritual, the worship plain, and the service ofGod enlarged, for in every place incense should be offered,Mal. i. 11. 2. That it wasto be placed before the veil, on the outside of that partition, butbefore the mercy-seat, which was within the veil, v. 6. For though he thatministered at the altar could not see the mercy-seat, the veilinterposing, yet he must look towards it, and direct his incensethat way, to teach us that though we cannot with our bodily eyessee the throne of grace, that blessed mercy-seat (for it is such athrone of glory that God, in compassion to us, holds back the faceof it, and spreads a cloud upon it), yet we must in prayer by faithset ourselves before it, direct our prayer, and look up. 3. ThatAaron was to burn sweet incense upon this altar, every morning andevery evening, about half a pound at a time, which was intended,not only to take away the ill smell of the flesh that was burntdaily on the brazen altar, but for the honour of God, and to showthe acceptableness of his people's services to him, and thepleasure which they should take in ministering to him, v. 7, 8. As by the offeringson the brazen altar satisfaction was made for what had been donedispleasing to God, so, by the offering on this, what they did wellwas, as it were, recommended to the divine acceptance; for our twogreat concerns with God are to be acquitted from guilt and acceptedas righteous in his sight. 4. That nothing was to be offered uponit but incense, nor any incense but that which was appointed,v. 9. God will havehis own service done according to his own appointment, and nototherwise. 5. That this altar should be purified with the blood ofthe sin-offering put upon the horns of it, every year, uponthe day of atonement, v.10. See Lev. xvi. 18,19. The high priest was to take this in his way, as hecame out from the holy of holies. This was to intimate to them thatthe sins of the priests who ministered at this altar, and of thepeople 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. Themediation of Christ. The brazen altar in the court was a type ofChrist dying on earth; the golden altar in the sanctuary was a typeof Christ interceding in heaven, in virtue of his satisfaction.This altar was before the mercy-seat; for Christ always appears inthe presence of God for us; he is our advocate with thefather (1 John ii. 1),and his intercession is unto God of a sweet-smelling savour. Thisaltar 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 aresaid to be set forth before God as incense, Ps. cxli. 2. As the smoke of the incenseascended, so much our desires towards God rise in prayer, beingkindled with the fire of holy love and other pious affections. Whenthe priest was burning incense the people were praying (Luke i. 10), to signify that prayer isthe true incense. This incense was offered daily, it was aperpetual incense (v.8); for we must pray always, that is, we must keep upstated times for prayer every day, morning and evening, at least,and never omit it, but thus pray without ceasing. The lamps weredressed or lighted at the same time that the incense was burnt, toteach us that the reading of the scriptures (which are our lightand lamp) is a part of our daily work, and should ordinarilyaccompany our prayers and praises. When we speak to God we musthear what God says to us, and thus the communion is complete. Thedevotions of sanctified souls are well-pleasing to God, of asweet-smelling savour; the prayers of saints are compared to sweetodours (Rev. v. 8), but it isthe incense which Christ adds to them that makes them acceptable(Rev. viii. 3), and his bloodthat atones for the guilt which cleaves to our best services. And,if the heart and life be not holy, even incense is anabomination (Isa. i.13), and he that offers it is as if he blessed anidol, Isa. lxvi. 3.

11 And the Lordspake unto Moses, saying, 12 When thou takest the sum of thechildren of Israel after their number, then shall they give everyman a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be noplague among them, when thou numberest them. 13 Thisthey shall give, every one that passeth among them that arenumbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (ashekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be theoffering of the Lord. 14Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twentyyears 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, whenthey give an offering unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls. 16 And thou shalt take the atonement money of the childrenof Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacleof the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children ofIsrael before the Lord, to make anatonement for your souls.

Some observe that the repetition of thosewords, The Lord spoke unto Moses, here and afterwards(v. 17, 22,34), intimates that God did not deliver these preceptsto Moses in the mount, in a continued discourse, but with manyintermissions, giving him time either to write what was said to himor at least to charge his memory with it. Christ gave instructionsto his disciples as they were able to hear them. Moses is hereordered to levy money upon the people by way of poll, so much ahead, for the service of the tabernacle. This he must do when henumbered the people. Some think that it refers only to the firstnumbering of them, now when the tabernacle was set up; and thatthis tax was to make up what was deficient in the voluntarycontributions for the finishing of the work, or rather for thebeginning of the service in the tabernacle. Others think that itwas afterwards repeated upon any emergency and always when thepeople were numbered, and that David offended in not demanding itwhen he numbered the people. But many of the Jewish writers, andothers from them, are of opinion that it was to be an annualtribute, only it was begun when Moses first numbered the people.This was that tribute-money which Christ paid, for fear ofoffending his adversaries (Matt. xvii.27), when yet he showed good reason why he should havebeen excused. Men were appointed in every city to receive thispayment yearly. Now, 1. The tribute to be paid was half ashekel, about fifteen pence of our money. The rich were not togive more, nor the poor less (v. 15), to intimate that the souls ofthe rich and poor are alike precious, and that God is norespecter of persons, Acts x. 34; Job xxxiv. 19. In otherofferings men were to give according to their ability; but this,which was the ransom of the soul, must be alike for all; forthe rich have as much need of Christ as the poor, and the poor areas welcome to him as the rich. They both alike contributed to themaintenance of the temple-service, because both were to have a likeinterest in it and benefit by it. In Christ and his ordinancesrich and poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker, the LordChrist is the Redeemer of them both, Prov. xxii. 2. The Jews say, "If a man refusedto pay this tribute, he was not comprehended in the expiation." 2.this tribute was to be paid as a ransom of the soul, that theremight be no plague among them. Hereby they acknowledged thatthey received their lives from God, that they had forfeited theirlives to him, and that they depended upon his power and patiencefor the continuance of them; and thus they did homage to the God oftheir lives, and deprecated those plagues which their sins haddeserved. 3. This money that was raised was to be employed in theservice of the tabernacle (v.16); with it they bought sacrifices, flour, incense,wine, oil, fuel, salt, priests' garments, and all other thingswhich the whole congregation was interested in. Note, Those thathave the benefit of God's tabernacle among them must be willing todefray the expenses of it, and not grudge the necessary charges ofGod's public worship. Thus we must honour the Lord with oursubstance, and reckon that best laid out which is laid out in theservice of God. Money indeed cannot make an atonement for thesoul, but it may be used for the honour of him who has made theatonement, and for the maintenance of the gospel by which theatonement is applied.

17 And the Lordspake unto Moses, saying, 18 Thou shalt also make a laverof brass, and his foot also of brass, to washwithal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of thecongregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. 19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and theirfeet thereat: 20 When they go into the tabernacle of thecongregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; orwhen they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering madeby fire unto the Lord: 21 Sothey shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: andit shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and tohis seed throughout their generations.

Orders are here given, 1. For the making ofa laver, or font, of brass, a large vessel, that would contain agood quantity of water, which was to be set near the door of thetabernacle, v. 18.The foot of brass, it is supposed, was so contrived as to receivethe water, which was let into it out of the laver by spouts orcocks. They then had a laver for the priests only to wash in, butto us now there is a fountain open for Judah and Jerusalem to washin (Zech. xiii. 1), aninexhaustible fountain of living water, so that it is ourown fault if we remain in our pollution. 2. For the using of thislaver. Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet at thislaver every time they went in to minister, every morning, at least,v. 19-21. Forthis 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 wasappointed for washing, 2 Kings v.12-14. This was designed, (1.) To teach them purity inall their ministrations, and to possess them with a reverence ofGod's holiness and a dread of the pollutions of sin. They must notonly wash and be made clean when they were first consecrated, butthey must wash and be kept clean whenever they went in to minister.He only shall stand in God's holy place that has cleanhands and a pure heart, Ps. xxiv.3, 4. And, (2.) It was to teach us, who are daily toattend upon God, daily to renew our repentance for sin and ourbelieving application of the blood of Christ to our souls forremission; for in many things we daily offend and contractpollution, John xiii. 8,10; Jam. iii. 2. This is the preparation we are to makefor solemn ordinances. Cleanse your hands and purify yourhearts, and then draw nigh to God, Jam. iv. 8. To this law David alludes inPs. xxvi. 6, I will washmy hands in innocency, so will I compass thine altar, OLord.

22 Moreover the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 23 Takethou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundredshekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even twohundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundredand fifty shekels, 24 And of cassia five hundredshekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olivean hin: 25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment,an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall bean holy anointing oil. 26 And thou shalt anoint thetabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of thetestimony, 27 And the table and all his vessels, and thecandlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, 28And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laverand his foot. 29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they maybe most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. 30 Andthou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, thatthey may minister unto me in the priest's office. 31And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Thisshall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. 32 Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall yemake any other like it, after the composition of it: itis holy, and it shall be holy unto you. 33Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever puttethany of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from hispeople. 34 And the Lord saidunto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, andgalbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of eachshall there be a like weight: 35 And thou shalt makeit a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary,tempered together, pure and holy: 36 And thou shaltbeat some of it very small, and put of it before thetestimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meetwith thee: it shall be unto you most holy. 37 And asfor the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make toyourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be untothee holy for the Lord. 38Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall evenbe cut off from his people.

Directions are here given for thecomposition of the holy anointing oil and the incense that were tobe used in the service of the tabernacle; with these God was to behonoured, and therefore he would appoint the making of them; fornothing comes to God but what comes from him. 1. Theholy anointing oil is here ordered to be made up the ingredients,and their quantities, are prescribed, v. 23-25. Interpreters are notagreed concerning them; we are sure, in general, they were the bestand fittest for the purpose; they must needs be so when the divinewisdom appointed them for the divine honour. It was to becompounded secundum artem—after the art of the apothecary(v. 25); the spices,which were in all nearly half a hundred weight, were to be infusedin the oil, which was to be about five or six quarts, and thenstrained out, leaving an admirable sweet smell in the oil. Withthis oil God's tent and all the furniture of it were to beanointed; it was to be used also in the consecration of thepriests, v.26-30. It was to be continued throughout theirgenerations, v.31. The tradition of the Jews is that this very oilwhich 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 prescriptionhere, for Solomon was anointed with it (2 Kings i. 39), and some other of the kings;and all the high priests with such a quantity of it that it randown to the skirts of the garments; and we read of the making up ofthis ointment (1 Chron. ix.30): yet all agree that in the second temple there wasnone of this holy oil, which he supposes was owing to a notion theyhad that it was not lawful to make it up, Providence overrulingthat want as a presage of the better unction of the Holy Ghost ingospel times, the variety of whose gifts was typified by theseseveral sweet ingredients. To show the excellency of holiness,there was that in the tabernacle which was in the highest degreegrateful both to the sight and to the smell. Christ's name is saidto be as ointment poured forth (Cant. i. 3), and the good name of Christiansbetter than precious ointment, Eccl. vii. 1. 2. The incense which was burnedupon the golden altar was prepared of sweet spices likewise, thoughnot so rare and rich as those of which the anointing oil wascompounded, v. 34,35. This was prepared once a year (the Jews say), apound for each day of the year, and three pounds over for the dayof atonement. When it was used, it was to be beaten very small:thus it pleased the Lord to bruise the Redeemer when he offeredhimself for a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour. 3. Concerningboth these preparations the same law is here given (v. 32, 33, 37, 38),that the like should not be made for any common use. Thus God wouldpreserve in the people's minds a reverence for his owninstitutions, and teach us not to profane nor abuse any thingwhereby God makes himself known, as those did who invented tothemselves (for their common entertainments) instruments of musiclike David, Amos vi. 5. It isa great affront to God to jest with sacred things, particularly tomake sport with the word and ordinances of God, or to treat themwith lightness, Matt. xxii.5. That which is God's peculiar must not be used as acommon thing