Monday, August 3, 2020

Exodus 30:1-10 comments: the altar of incense




Exodus 30:1 ¶  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.

In verse 7 there is a form of the verb to dress. To dress something in this context means to prepare it, make ready for use, to maintain. For instance, in dressing an animal one has slaughtered for a meal, caring for a garden, or washing one’s feet.

Genesis 18:7  And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

Genesis 2:15  And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

2Samuel 19:24  And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.

Paying particular attention to verse 9 you can see again that God does not want pagan worship mingled in with His worship. He demands that no strange incense on this altar. Strange is a synonym for foreign or alien as stranger is a foreigner or alien.

Genesis 35:2  Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

Exodus 2:22  And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

Exodus 18:3  And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:

Psalm 69:8  I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.

Ephesians 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, will violate this command of God and die for it.

Leviticus 10:1  And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2  And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

What can we take away from this? It reinforces that God does not want pagan elements mixed in with His worship.

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