Exodus 30:1. Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon— After the account we have given of the former altars, there is nothing difficult in the description of this; which was a little more than half a yard square, and as high again as it was broad. From being covered all over with pure gold, it was commonly called the golden altar, Numbers 4:11. It appears from other passages of Scripture, that the priest took fire from the brazen altar, and put it into a golden censer; and then placed this censer with the fire upon the golden altar, to burn incense upon it. See Leviticus 10:1.Numbers 17:13; Numbers 17:13. The sweet incense which was to be burnt every morning and evening on this altar, is minutely described at the close of this chapter; which, doubtless, was used to perfume the sanctuary, and to prevent that otherwise offensive smell which would have arisen from the sacrifices. The use of incense in sacred rites was very general among the heathens. In the hymns of Orpheus, the incense appropriated to each heathen deity is constantly mentioned; and, of the Egyptians in particular, from whom Orpheus borrowed his philosophy, Plutarch (de Is. & Osir.) tells us, that they offered incense to the sun, rosin (ρητινην ) in the morning, myrrh at noon, and, about sun-set, what they called kyphi. Aaron, as chief, Exo 30:7 and the other priests in their course, Luk 1:8-9 were to offer the sacred incense; to point out to us the figurative and spiritual meaning of which, we find that the people in the court of the temple and tabernacle were at prayers, while the priest burnt the incense, Luke 1:10. And, in Rev 8:3 we read that an 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: So that this action of the high-priest shadowed forth the intercession of CHRIST, the High-Priest of our profession, offering up the prayers of his servants before the throne of God, as the smoke of the incense ascended before the mercy-seat; representing the propitiousness of God to sinful men, and his readiness to receive those prayers and confessions which are offered up in faith and love through the mediation of Him who is perfect in holiness. Psalms 141:2. It should be observed, that this altar, Exo 30:6 was to be placed in the sanctuary before the vail, exactly opposite to the mercy-seat, between the table of shew-bread and the candlestick.

Exodus 30:10. Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it— This ceremony was to be performed on the great day of expiation; see Lev 16:18-19 when the high-priest alone entered into the holy of holies, and made an atonement by blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people, Hebrews 9:7. These atonements and purifications were used, no doubt, to express the weakness and imperfections of all the legal ceremonies; which, though types of the great gospel blessings, yet themselves needed to be purified; see Heb. chapters 9: and 10: throughout. The latter clause of this verse, it is most holy unto the Lord, might, with as much propriety, be rendered, it shall be (that is, thus expiated) most holy unto the Lord; for there is no verb in the Hebrew. The horns of the altar, it is most probable, are used as a part for the whole; for, from Lev 16:18-19 it appears, that the blood was not put upon the horns only: the whole altar was sprinkled with it seven times. The altar of burnt-offering had horns upon the four corners of it, upon which the blood of the bullock, ch. Exo 29:12 is ordered to be put. Horns, says Parkhurst, are the well-known emblems of strength, power, or glory, both in the sacred and prophane writers; and that, not only because the strength of those animals which are furnished with horns, consists therein; (see Deuteronomy 33:17. Psalms 22:22; Psalms 92:10. Dan. ch. 8:) but also because, as horns are in Hebrew expressed by the same word as the rays or columns of light; so are they striking emblems of the natural light, the representative of the REDEEMER, the
Light of the world. We find that, among the heathens, horns are the very hieroglyphical name for force or power: addis cornua pauperi,—thou givest horns (strength or power) to the poor, says Horace, speaking of wine: Τρωας κεραιζε he pushed with horns (force) the Trojans, says Homer, of Achilles. Horns and horned animals, such as bulls; goats, stags, &c. were supposed to bear a peculiar relation to the Apollo or Sun of the heathens: and, indeed, as Spencer has shewn at large, the heathens used to adorn their altars with a variety of horns; which too were often placed upon the heads of their gods.
REFLECTIONS.—1 The incense of praise and thanksgiving for daily mercies is as needful as prayer for daily pardon. 2. Our holiest services need the blood of Christ, or they would be regarded of God as an unclean thing. 3. While Christ is interceding for us in heaven before the golden altar, it becomes us to be found sending up the incense of prayer and praise, that, perfumed by him, they may appear before the throne of God as a sweet-smelling savour.

Exodus 30:12. When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel, &c.—. This is, in the Hebrew, when thou shalt lift up the head of the children of Israel, to review, (muster or number) them; and the phrase, doubtless, alludes to the manner in which the poll or muster was taken. The same expression is used in Numbers 1:2; Num 26:2 from which passages we learn, that this muster was twice taken by the immediate command of God: but, whether the tax here imposed, as a ransom for their souls, and as a testimony of their homage to the great King who had redeemed them from Egyptian bondage (a type of the delivery of their souls from the bondage of sin); whether this ransom-money was paid upon each such muster, or only upon this first, ch. Exo 38:24-26 for the purposes of supplying the tabernacle; is a matter much controverted. This first-money, it is plain from Exo 30:16 as well as ch. 38: was immediately appropriated to the business of erecting and furnishing the tabernacle; and there seems no reason to believe, that either now or at any other time it was assigned to the private use of the Levites. Selden says, that the priestly garments, as well as the sacrifices, were provided out of this money: and, if any thing remained at the end of the year, it was spent in extraordinary burnt-offerings. It seems most probable, that a tribute of this kind was occasionally levied to support the charges of the tabernacle and the temple; and we find, in Neh 10:32-33 that it was not then found sufficient; and accordingly the third part of a shekel more was levied for the service of the house of God. See Lowman on the Government of the Hebrews, p. 96.

Exodus 30:13. Half a shekel— i.e. according to some commentators, nearly fourteen-pence. This tax, every man was bound to pay, from twenty years and upwards, Exodus 30:14. And neither more nor less was to be paid by rich or poor, Exo 30:15 evidently to signify, that every soul is equally valuable in the sight of God, with whom there is no respect of persons; and that the ransom of one cost the same price with the ransom of the other; see 1 Pet. 18-20. This half shekel is said to be after the shekel of the sanctuary, i.e. according to the standard of the sanctuary, as if one should say, a shilling, according to the standard of the Tower. Note; They who value the Gospel, will never grudge to contribute towards the support of it.

Exodus 30:18. Thou shalt also make a laver of brass— See 2 Chronicles 4:2. A large font or bason, made of brass, for the priests to wash their hands and feet in, was to be placed at the entrance of the tabernacle; in the water of which, let out through cocks, they were constantly to wash on pain of death, when they ministered at the altar, Exo 30:20 not only because neglect of doing so would have argued high presumption and profaneness against a positive command of God; but because this neglect would, most probably, have been involved with that greater one of mental impurity; see ch. Exodus 29:4.Psalms 26:6; Psalms 26:6. 2 Timothy 3:5; 2 Timothy 3:52 Timothy 3:5. From the command of washing their feet as well as their hands, as also from the omission of the mention of shoes or sandals in the description of the priests' vestments, it has been concluded, that they ministered bare-footed; see note on ch. Exodus 3:5. It is well known, how careful the heathens were in washing their hands before they sacrificed, or entered upon the performance of other religious duties; whence came the proverb of doing things illotis manibus, with unwashed hands; i.e. in a profane and indecent manner. See Saurin's 54th Dissertation, where will be found an ample and very judicious discussion of all things relating to the tabernacle.

Exodus 30:32. Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured— The holy anointing oil of this composition was never to be used for any common or ordinary purposes. Whoever presumed to compound any like it, or to apply it to any ordinary person, was to be cut off from Israel. This strict charge tended to inspire men with greater reverence for religion and things set apart for divine service: "God hereby," says Ainsworth, "taught the holy and reverend use of his graces and sanctified ordinances; which must not be communicated with the unregenerate and sensual; who, not having the spirit, turn the grace of God into lasciviousness." Counterfeit graces and virtues, all self-righteousness and self-merit, every thing which is independent of the merits of Christ and the sanctification of the spirit, will only export us to the divine punishment.