Exodus 30
Exodus 30 introduces several detailed regulations related to worship in the tabernacle. The chapter includes instructions for making the altar of incense (verses 1–10), the atonement money given during the census (verses 11–16), regulations concerning the bronze basin (verses 17–21), and instructions for preparing the holy anointing oil and incense (verses 22–38). Each section emphasizes that worship in the tabernacle is not merely a matter of outward form, but a holy encounter with God that must be approached according to His command.
1verse“You shall make an altar to burn incense on. You shall make it of acacia wood.
2verseIts length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit. It shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.
3verseYou shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding around it.
4verseYou shall make two golden rings for it under its molding; on its two ribs, on its two sides you shall make them; and they shall be for places for poles with which to bear it.
5verseYou shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
6verseYou shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the covenant, before the mercy seat that is over the covenant, where I will meet with you.
7verseAaron shall burn incense of sweet spices on it every morning. When he tends the lamps, he shall burn it.
8verseWhen Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
9verseYou shall offer no strange incense on it, nor burnt offering, nor meal offering; and you shall pour no drink offering on it.
10verseAaron shall make atonement on its horns once in the year; with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once in the year he shall make atonement for it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.”
11verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
12verse“When you take a census of the children of Israel, according to those who are counted among them, then each man shall give a ransom for his soul to the LORD when you count them, that there be no plague among them when you count them.
13verseThey shall give this, everyone who passes over to those who are counted, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs); half a shekel for an offering to the LORD.
14verseEveryone who passes over to those who are counted, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering to the LORD.
15verseThe rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of the LORD, to make atonement for your souls.
16verseYou shall take the atonement money from the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the Tent of Meeting; that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for your souls.”
17verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
18verse“You shall also make a basin of bronze, and its base of bronze, in which to wash. You shall put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it.
19verseAaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in it.
20verseWhen they go into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they don’t die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD.
21verseSo they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they not die. This shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his descendants throughout their generations.”
22verseMoreover the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
23verse“Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty;
24verseand of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; and a hin of olive oil.
25verseYou shall make it into a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.
26verseYou shall use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the covenant,
27versethe table and all its articles, the lamp stand and its accessories, the altar of incense,
28versethe altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its base.
29verseYou shall sanctify them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.
30verseYou shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office.
31verseYou shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations.
32verseIt shall not be poured on man’s flesh, and do not make any like it, according to its composition. It is holy. It shall be holy to you.
33verseWhoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.’”
34verseThe LORD said to Moses, “Take to yourself sweet spices, gum resin, onycha, and galbanum: sweet spices with pure frankincense. There shall be an equal weight of each.
35verseYou shall make incense of it, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.
36verseYou shall beat some of it very small, and put some of it before the covenant in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be to you most holy.
37verseYou shall not make this incense, according to its composition, for yourselves: it shall be to you holy for the LORD.
38verseWhoever shall make any like that, to smell of it, he shall be cut off from his people.”
The Altar of Incense (Verses 1–10) and the Symbol of True Worship
The altar of incense was used for burning incense before the Lord inside the tabernacle, and the priests offered incense every morning and evening. Incense is often understood as a symbol of prayer offered to God, and the altar points to the holiness of approaching God in worship. The command that incense must not be offered at any time or in any arbitrary way shows that worship and prayer are to be shaped by God’s will, not by human preference alone.
The Atonement Money (Verses 11–16) and Communal Responsibility
The people of Israel are commanded to give atonement money when a census is taken. Each person, regardless of wealth or poverty, gives the same amount before God, which implies that all stand equally in need of God’s grace. This money is used for the service of the Tent of Meeting and serves as a reminder that the whole community participates together in the worship and holiness of God’s dwelling place.
The Bronze Basin (Verses 17–21) and the Importance of Cleanness
Before entering the tabernacle or offering sacrifices, the priests had to wash their hands and feet in the bronze basin. This symbolizes that without cleanness, no one can come near to God, showing that not only outward actions but also inner purity are important.
The Holy Anointing Oil and Incense (Verses 22–38)
In the final section, instructions for preparing the anointing oil and incense are explained in detail. They must be made according to a special formula and used only for holy purposes, setting apart the tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priests for God. Ordinary use is forbidden, teaching that God’s holiness must not be treated as common.
Meditation Points
- Why did God give so many detailed rules for every part of worship and all the procedures in the tabernacle?
- What meaning do holiness and cleanness in God’s presence, along with communal responsibility (the principle of the offering), have for us today?
Applying It to Yourself
- When you worship, reflect on whether you recognize God’s holiness and approach Him with a clean heart.
- Within the community, examine whether you are faithfully fulfilling your responsibilities in prayer, service, and shared worship.
