CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Exodus 30
Chapter 30 of 40
Chapter Overview
What happens in Exodus 30
God gives instructions for the incense altar, the census tax, the bronze wash basin, the sacred anointing oil, and the sacred incense. Each of these elements played an important role in Israel's worship.
Scripture
Exodus 30
The Altar of Incense
Study note
A small altar of acacia wood covered in gold was to be placed in front of the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Fragrant incense was to be burned on it every morning and evening. This incense symbolized the prayers of the people rising up to God. No unauthorized incense, burnt offerings, or drink offerings were allowed on this altar.
1 "Build an altar just for burning incense, using acacia wood." And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.
2 "Make it square — eighteen inches long and eighteen inches wide — and three feet tall. Shape the horns as one piece with the altar." 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 "Overlay the top surface, all four sides, and the horns with pure gold. Add a decorative gold edge all around it." 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 "Attach two gold rings beneath the edge on opposite sides. These will hold the carrying poles." 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 "Make the carrying poles from acacia wood and overlay them with gold." And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
6 "Position this altar in front of the curtain that hangs before the Ark of the Testimony, facing the mercy seat that covers the Testimony. This is where I will meet with you." And thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
7 "Every morning when Aaron takes care of the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on this altar." And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
8 "He must burn incense again at twilight when he lights the evening lamps. This sweet-smelling incense must rise before the Lord all the time, for every generation to come." And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
9 "Do not burn any unauthorized incense on this altar. Do not use it for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or drink offerings." Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
10 "Once each year, Aaron must do a special ceremony on the horns of this altar. He will use blood from the sin offering. This yearly ceremony must be done in every generation. This altar is most holy to the Lord." 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.
The Census Tax
Study note
When a census was taken, each person twenty years old or older had to pay a half shekel as a ransom for their life. Rich and poor paid the same amount, showing that every person's life was equally valuable before God. This money was used for the service of the Tabernacle.
11 The Lord continued speaking to Moses: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
12 "Whenever you take a count of the Israelite population, every person who is counted must pay a ransom to the Lord for their life. If they do this, no plague will strike them during the census." 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 "Every person counted in the census must pay a half shekel. They must use the official sanctuary measurement. This half shekel is a gift to the Lord." 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 person who is counted must give this gift to the Lord. This means everyone aged twenty and older." Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
15 "Wealthy people must not give more, and poor people must not give less. Everyone pays the same half shekel — it serves as a ransom for their lives." 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 "Collect this ransom money from the Israelites and put it toward the upkeep of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a reminder before the Lord that atonement has been made for your lives." 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.
The Bronze Basin
Study note
A bronze basin was placed between the Tent of Meeting and the altar so the priests could wash their hands and feet before serving. Failure to wash before approaching God's presence would result in death, emphasizing the need for purity.
17 The Lord continued speaking to Moses: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
18 "Construct a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. Set it up between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and fill it with water." 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 "Aaron and his sons will use it to wash their hands and feet." For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
20 "They must wash every time they enter the Tent of Meeting or come near the altar to serve — otherwise they will die. Washing their hands and feet is a matter of life and death. This is a permanent requirement for Aaron and all his descendants, through every generation." 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 The Lord continued speaking to Moses: 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.
The Anointing Oil and Incense
Study note
God gave specific recipes for the sacred anointing oil and the incense. These were holy mixtures reserved exclusively for use in the Tabernacle. Anyone who copied these recipes for personal use would be cut off from the community. The anointing oil was used to consecrate the Tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priests.
22 "Gather the finest spices. Get twelve and a half pounds of pure liquid myrrh. Get six and a quarter pounds of sweet-smelling cinnamon. Get twelve and a half pounds of sweet-smelling calamus." Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
23 "Get twelve and a half pounds of cassia. Weigh it all by the official standard. Also get one gallon of olive oil." 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 "Mix these together into a sacred anointing oil. Make it like a skilled perfumer would. This becomes the sacred anointing oil." And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
25 "Apply it to the Tent of Meeting and the Ark of the Testimony," 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 "the table with all its tools, the lampstand with all its parts, the incense altar," And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,
27 "the altar used for burnt offerings with all its tools, and the washing basin with its stand." And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,
28 "By anointing them, you make them supremely holy. Anything that comes into contact with them will become holy." And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.
29 "Anoint Aaron and his sons too. Set them apart to serve me as priests." And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
30 "Tell the Israelites, 'This will be my sacred anointing oil for all time.'" And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
31 "Never pour it on an ordinary person's skin, and never try to reproduce the recipe. It is sacred — treat it that way." And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
32 "No one may copy this formula to make their own version. No one may apply it to anyone who is not a priest. That person must be sent away from the group." 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 The Lord also told Moses, "Take these sweet-smelling items in equal parts. Use gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense." Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
34 "Blend them into a fragrant incense — mixed professionally like a perfumer would. Add salt to it, making it pure and sacred." 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 "Crush some of it into a fine powder and set it before the Ark of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting — the place where I meet with you. Consider this incense to be supremely holy." And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
36 "Do not reproduce this incense recipe for your own personal use. Treat it as something set apart for the Lord alone." 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 "Anyone who makes incense with this same formula just to enjoy the smell must be expelled from their people." 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 "Anyone who copies this recipe for their own use must be cut off. They must leave their group." Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.
Key Themes
Themes in Exodus 30
Incense as a symbol of prayer rising to GodThe atonement money — equal value for every personAnointing oil and sacred perfume set apart for GodCleansing before entering God's presence
Prophetic Connections
How this chapter points to Christ
Exodus 1-8 Revelation 8:3-4
In Revelation, an angel offers incense mixed with the prayers of the saints on a golden altar before God's throne, fulfilling the symbolism of the incense altar.
Exodus 12-16 Matthew 20:28
The ransom money each person paid foreshadows Jesus giving His life as 'a ransom for many.'
Apply This Today
Living Exodus 30
The incense altar stood just before the curtain that separated people from God's presence. Its sweet-smelling smoke rose continually, representing prayer. This beautiful image reminds us that our prayers genuinely reach God. They are not empty words — they rise like incense into His presence.
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