Exodus 30:1-16  The Making of the Incense Altar and the Atonement Offering

[Study Aired December 19, 2022]

Exo 30:1  And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. 
Exo 30:2  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. 
Exo 30:3  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. 
Exo 30:4  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. 
Exo 30:5  And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
Exo 30:6  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.
Exo 30:7  And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 
Exo 30:8  And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. 
Exo 30:9  Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. 
Exo 30:10  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. 
Exo 30:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Exo 30:12  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. 
Exo 30:13  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. 
Exo 30:14  Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. 
Exo 30:15  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.
Exo 30:16  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.

Today’s study focuses on the altar of incense and the atonement offering. In order to understand the spiritual significance of the altar of incense, we will trace our steps from the entrance of the tabernacle to the Holy of Holies. We start our journey into the Holy of Holies as we enter the tabernacle courtyard to offer sacrifice to the Lord for our sins. It is worth noting that it was only Israelites who could enter the courtyard of the tabernacle. These Israelites represent our lives in Babylon. We enter the courtyard to offer sacrifice to the Lord at the altar in the courtyard. This sacrifice is Christ whose blood cleanses us from our sins. However, we go back to become worse off as a result of the false doctrines we receive in Babylon or the physical churches of this world. 

Heb 9:13  For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh,
Heb 9:14  how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 
2Pe 2:22  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

However, if we are granted to become priests in this life, then we are given to know our spiritual poverty which grants us access to the laver in the courtyard which holds water for our ceremonial cleansing. As we are aware, water represents the word of God and so at this stage of our lives, we are given to begin to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. This is accompanied by our trials and tribulations because of the word we have received. These fiery trials cause us to learn righteousness.

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Learning righteousness through our trials and tribulations is what grants us the grace to be able to put on our priestly garments which reflect the righteousness of the saints. Putting on these priestly garments is the same as putting on Christ. 

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Once we have put on the priestly garments, we have access to the holy place of the Tent of Meeting to commune with the Lord which is symbolized by the offering of incense at the incense altar in the Holy Place. 

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

As we know, the temple is our bodies where the Lord dwells. As we are cleansed through the words of the Lord which bring about our fiery trials, our hearts and mind becomes a holy place for the Lord to dwell in. It is within our hearts and minds that we are building this altar of incense before the Lord. We, therefore, have this treasure in the earthen vessel of our flesh.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Today’s study will show us how we can build this altar of incense within us.

Exo 30:1  And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.

In Scripture, incense is often associated with prayer. David prayed, “May my prayer be set before you like incense.” In his vision of heaven, John saw that the elders around the throne “were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” In the Gospel according to Luke, as Zechariah the priest was offering incense in the temple, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. The altar of incense then, can be seen as a symbol of the prayers of God’s people. Our prayers ascend to God as the smoke of the incense ascending to God in the sanctuary.

Psa 141:2  Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Rev 8:5 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

Rev 8:3  And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 

Luk 1:9  According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 
Luk 1:10  And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

So, the instructions about the making of an altar of incense are basically to show us how we can communicate with the Lord. The altar of incense is required to be made of shittim wood which comes from acacia. Apart from the fact that acacia wood grows wild in the desert, it is considered incorruptible. It is very dense and resistant both to disease and insects, just like cedar. What this means is that to be effective in communicating with the Lord, we must know that it is all the work of the Lord and that we do not contribute anything to this just as the Lord cares for acacia wood in the desert. Since we do not bring anything to the table, our prayers before the Lord must be accompanied with a heart that is humble and grateful for being counted worthy to come before His presence. That is what the story of the two gentlemen who went to pray teaches us.

Luk 18:9  And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 
Luk 18:10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 
Luk 18:11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 
Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbled himself shall be exalted.

Exo 30:2  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. 
Exo 30:3  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. 

The shape of the altar of incense was to be a square. This implies that from whatever situation we find ourselves as a priest of the Lord, we must offer prayers to the Lord. That is another way of saying that men must always pray and not faint.

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

There is a horn at each of the four corners of the square-shaped altar of incense. Horns symbolize strength. This is to let us know that our strength to resist the devil is through prayers. As He is, so are we. Jesus was strengthened when He prayed. In the same way, we are also strengthened to overcome temptation when we pray.

Luk 22:40  And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
Luk 22:41  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luk 22:43  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 

Eph 3:14  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
Eph 3:15  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Eph 3:16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

The fact that the altar of incense must be overlaid means that to become a house of prayer, we must be refined just like gold refined in the fire. As we are aware, if we are to become a house of prayer, then Jesus has to come into our temple to drive away all that offends with a scourge of small cords. The scourging signifies our fiery trials or the refining process of gold which cleanses us to become a house of prayer. 

Job 23:10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  

Joh 2:13  And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
Joh 2:14  And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 
Joh 2:15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; 
Joh 2:16  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. 

Mat 21:13  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Exo 30:4  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. 
Exo 30:5  And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

Rings of gold were attached to the altar so that it could be carried about with acacia wood poles that were slipped through the rings. The altar of incense was placed before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. In Ezekiel chapter 1, the living creatures who represent the elect, have wheels which are rings full of eyes. These living creatures represent the elect. The two rings of gold are therefore the elect who serve as witness of Christ. 

Eze 1:15  Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. 
Eze 1:16  The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 
Eze 1:17  When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. 
Eze 1:18  As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

The staves are long rods of wood which pass through the rings to make it easier to carry the altar. The function of the staves suggests that spiritually, they represent the spirit of the Lord which helps us bear Christ wherever we go. These staves are made from shittim wood and therefore are not of man’s origin but of the Lord. The staves being in the rings means the promise of the comforter being within us to lead us into all truth so we can have the mind of Christ and therefore “carry” Christ wherever we go.

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Exo 30:6  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.

As we indicated, the altar of incense was placed before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, where the mercy seat of the ark of the testimony was placed. It is in the Holy of Holies that the Lord meets with us before the mercy seat. The veil represents the flesh of Christ and therefore represents our flesh as well. It is when our flesh is done away with that we can meet and commune with the Lord in our hearts and mind.

Heb 10:20  By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

It is through being wounded by our fiery trials that this veil of the flesh is gradually taken away from us. In the Song of Solomon, it is the watchmen that took away the veil from us. These watchmen, or the keepers of the walls, are the Lord’s elect, and it is the words of the Lord that come out from us that wounds us. What this means is that through what every joint supplies, our veils are removed. 

Son 5:7  The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

Exo 30:7  And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 
Exo 30:8  And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. 

Aaron was instructed to burn incense on the altar each morning and at twilight, every day, as a regular offering to the Lord. The fire used to burn the incense was always taken from the altar of burnt offering outside the sanctuary.

Lev 16:12  And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail:

As we have indicated, sweet incense represents our prayers. The lamps symbolize the word of the Lord.

Psa 119:105  NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Burning incense in the morning and evening means that we should always pray and not faint and that our prayers and the word of the Lord must go together.  It also means that the basis of our prayers must be in line with the word of the Lord.

Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Exo 30:9  Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.

If our prayers are not guided by the word of the Lord, then we are offering strange incense before the Lord. When we are given to false doctrines, our offering of incense, burnt offering, meat offering or drink offering become an abomination to the Lord. These instructions were not heeded by Aaron’s sons as they performed their priestly duty before the Lord. Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord and as a result, died before Him.

Lev 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. 
Lev 10:2  And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

This was written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. We must therefore not be carried away by divers and strange doctrines.

Heb 13:9  Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Exo 30:10  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. 

Aaron here represents the Lord Jesus Christ who atoned for our sins with His own blood.

Heb 9:11  But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Heb 9:13  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

As we are aware, our bodies are the temple of the living God which is being purged by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Heb 9:25  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
Heb 9:26  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Heb 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Exo 30:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Exo 30:12  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.
Exo 30:13  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.
Exo 30:14  Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
Exo 30:15  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.
Exo 30:16  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.

A simpler rendition of these verses is as follows:

Exo 30:11  And the Lord said to Moses, 
Exo 30:12  When you are taking the number of the children of Israel, let every man who is numbered give to the Lord a price for his life, so that no disease may come on them when they are numbered. 
Exo 30:13  And this is what they are to give; let every man who is numbered give half a shekel, by the scale of the holy place: the shekel being valued at twenty gerahs: this money is an offering to the Lord. 
Exo 30:14  Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, is to give an offering to the Lord. 
Exo 30:15  The man of wealth is to give no more and the poor man no less than the half-shekel of silver, when the offering is made to the Lord as the price for your lives.
Exo 30:16  And you are to take this money from the children of Israel to be used for the work of the Tent of meeting, to keep the memory of the children of Israel before the Lord and to be the price of your lives. (BBE)

The question is, “Who were those being counted?” They were male Israelites who were twenty years old and above as stated in verse 14. Being twenty years is a symbol of being ready to go to war in our heavens. This means that those who are being counted represent the elect who are ready to war or are warring against the flesh. We must remember that women in Israel were not counted. The reason is simple: In the sight of the Lord, there is only one woman (one church) who is the bride of Christ. That is why women are not counted. In Babylon, however, there are several women who are not part of the commonwealth of Israel. All these, show us the privilege we have received of being part of the bride of Christ.

Num 1:20  And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Num 1:22  Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;

Another question to ask is, “Why would Moses count the Israelites?” It is because the Lord wants to demonstrate to us His ability to keep us safe in this life irrespective of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. This is alluded to in verse 12 when the Lord asked Moses to let those counted give back to the Lord for keeping them safe.

Exo 30:12  Find out how many grown men there are in Israel and require each of them to pay me to keep him safe from danger while you are counting them. (CEV)

In numbers, after the men of war were counted, none was found missing!! Indeed, the Lord is able to keep us from falling and to preserve us faultless until that day!!

Num 31:49 and said to Moses, “Your servants have counted the men of war who are under our command, and there is not a man missing from us.”

In view of the Lord’s preservation, which is because of His mercies, what shall we render unto Him? That is the import of Verse 13. We are to give back to the Lord for His mercies toward us. In verse 13 and 15, everybody, irrespective of whether one is rich or poor, offers the same amount of money – half shekels to the Lord.  The giving of the shekels here represents the giving of our lives to the Lord. Remember that both Jesus and Joseph were exchanged for money. What this means is that we are to offer ourselves wholly to the Lord as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord in view of His mercies towards us.

Psa 116:12  What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?
Psa 116:13  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. 
Psa 116:14  I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people. 
Psa 116:15  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. 
Psa 116:16  O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. 
Psa 116:17  I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Gen 37:28  Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Mat 26:15  And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him [Jesus] unto you? And they covenanted with him [Judas] for thirty pieces of silver.

It is insightful to note that Psalm 116:15 shows us that the death of the Lord’s saints is precious in His eyes. The death here refers to being dead to the flesh. It is when we are dying to the flesh that we can offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to the Lord. That is the sacrifice of thanksgiving mentioned here in Psalm 116:17 which is pleasing to the Lord.

In the sight of the Lord, every elect offers the same thing – our bodies as a living sacrifice. That is why in the body of Christ, there is no hierarchy. That is why the Lord hates the Nicolaitan doctrine of Babylon. Of course, we do have leaders, but they are there to serve, instead of being served.  Because we all offer the same thing, that is why the reward we are to receive is also the same for every elect!! We need to also note that the atonement offering collected was used for services of the tabernacle. As we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, we are able to be part of what every joint supplies in the church.

May the Lord grant us the grace to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to Him in view of His mercies towards us!! Amen!!