New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Exodus 30
2
It must be one foot six inches square and three feet high. Make a horn stick out from each of its upper four corners.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 27:2
3
Cover the top, sides and horns with pure gold. Put a strip of gold around it.
4
"Make two gold rings for the altar below the strip. Put the rings across from each other. They will hold the poles that are used to carry it.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 25:27
5
Make the poles out of acacia wood. Cover them with gold.
6
"Put the altar in front of the curtain that hangs in front of the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept. The ark will have a cover. It will be the place where sin is paid for. There I will meet with you.
7
"Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on the altar. He must do it every morning when he takes care of the lamps.
Reference
8
He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at sunset. Incense must be burned regularly to me. Do it for all time to come.
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 9:24
9
"Do not burn any other incense on the altar. Do not use the altar for burnt offerings or grain offerings. Do not pour drink offerings on it.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 10:1
10
"Once a year Aaron must put the blood of a sin offering on its horns to make it pure. He must do it on the day Israel's sin is paid for. Do it for all time to come. The altar is a very holy place to me."
Reference
11
Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
12
"When you make a list of the people of Israel and count them, they must pay me for their lives at the time they are counted. Then a plague will not come on them when you count them.
Reference
Redemption
Psalm 49:7
Matthew 20:28
References Israel
1 Chronicles 27:24
References Lord
Numbers 31:50
13
"Each one who is counted must pay a fifth of an ounce of silver. It must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. The payment is an offering to me.
Reference
14
Each one who is counted must be 20 years old or more. He must give an offering to me.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 1:20
15
"When you make the offering, rich people must not give more than a fifth of an ounce of silver. And poor people must not give less. The offering you give to me will pay for your lives.
Reference
Parallel theme
Job 34:19
Ephesians 6:9
References Lord
Numbers 31:50
Exodus 30:12
Sacrifice
Leviticus 17:11
16
"Receive the money from the people of Israel. Use it for any purpose in the Tent of Meeting. It will remind the people that they are paying me for their lives."
Reference
17
Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
18
"Make a large bronze bowl for washing. Make a bronze stand to put it on. Place the bowl between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. Put water in it.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 7:38
1 Kings 7:23
2 Chronicles 4:2
1 John 1:7
Zechariah 13:1
Titus 3:5
Sacrifice
Exodus 40:7
Leviticus 8:11
2 Chronicles 4:6
Temple
Exodus 38:8
20
When they enter the Tent of Meeting, they must wash with water so that they will not die. They will come to the altar to serve me. They will bring an offering that is made to me with fire.
21
When they do, they must wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. For all time to come, that will be a law for Aaron and the priests who are in his family line."
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 28:43
22
Then the Lord spoke to Moses.
23
He said, "Get some fine spices. Get 12 pounds eight ounces of liquid myrrh. Get six pounds four ounces of sweet-smelling cinnamon and the same amount of sweet-smelling cane.
Reference
24
Also get 12 pounds eight ounces of cassia. All of the spices must be weighed out in keeping with the standard weights that are used in the sacred tent. Get four quarts of olive oil.
Reference
25
"Have a person who makes perfume mix everything into a sacred anointing oil. It will smell sweet.
Reference
Holy
Exodus 37:29
Exodus 40:9
Psalm 89:20
Numbers 35:25
Parallel theme
1 Chronicles 9:30
Psalm 133:2
Hebrews 1:9
26
"Then anoint the Tent of Meeting and the ark where the tablets of the covenant are kept.
Reference
Temple
Numbers 7:1
27
Anoint the table for the holy bread and all of its articles. Anoint the lampstand and the things that are used with it. Anoint the altar for burning incense.
28
Anoint the altar for burnt offerings and all of its tools. And anoint the large bowl together with its stand.
29
You must set them apart so that they will be very holy. Anything that touches them will be holy.
Reference
31
"Say to the people of Israel, 'This will be my sacred anointing oil for all time to come.
32
Do not pour it on the bodies of any other men. Do not make any other oil in the same way. It is sacred. So you must think of it as sacred.
Reference
Holy
Exodus 30:25
33
Anyone who makes perfume in the same way and puts it on someone who is not a priest must be cut off from his people.' "
Reference
34
Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Get some sweet-smelling spices. Get some gum resin, onycha and galbanum. Also get some pure frankincense. Make sure everything is in equal amounts.
Reference
35
"Have a person who makes perfume mix it all up into a sweet-smelling incense. It must have salt in it. It will be pure and sacred.
Reference
36
Grind some of it into powder. Place it in front of the tablets of the covenant in the Tent of Meeting. There I will meet with you. The incense will be very holy to you.
Reference
Witness
Exodus 25:22
37
"Do not make any incense for yourselves in the same way. Think of it as holy to me.
38
Anyone who makes incense in the same way to enjoy its sweet smell must be cut off from his people."
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 30:33
Summary of Exodus 30
Exodus 30 continues the instructions for the tabernacle, describing several important objects and practices associated with worship. God instructs Moses concerning the altar of incense, the payment made by the Israelites, the laver, the anointing oil, and the holy incense.
The chapter begins with additional directions for constructing the altar of incense. It was to be made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. It was to be about a cubit long and a cubit wide, making it square shaped, and two cubits high. It was to have horns on the four corners, just like the altar of burnt offering.
A gold molding was to be put around the top of the altar and gold rings were to be made on the sides in order to attach poles for carrying the altar. The poles were also to be made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. The altar was to be placed before the veil which separated the Holy Place from the most holy place, right before the mercy seat where God would meet with Moses.
Aaron was to burn sweet incense on the altar every morning when he prepared the lamps. He was also to burn incense in the evening when he lit the lamps. This was to be a continual service before the Lord throughout the generations, and no strange incense, burnt offering, meat offering, or drink offering was to be burned on this altar.
Once a year, Aaron was to make an atonement upon the horns of the altar with the blood of the sin offering. This was to take place every year throughout the generations. The altar was to be most holy to the Lord.
God then told Moses to take a numbered count of the children of Israel. When the people were numbered every man was to give a ransom for his soul to the Lord. The payment was the same whether rich or poor. Each person counted in the census was to give half a shekel as an offering.
The money was called the offering of the Lord and was to be used for the service of the tabernacle. God explained that the payment was made so that there would be no plague among the people when they were numbered. The amount was the same for everyone, to prevent the wealth of a person from determining the value of his contribution.
God then gave instructions for making a laver or washing basin, which was to be made of brass, including its brass base. The laver was to be placed between the tabernacle and the altar.
Aaron and his sons were required to wash their hands and feet with water from the laver whenever they entered the tabernacle or approached the altar to serve. They were to wash themselves in order to avoid dying. This washing was necessary each time they performed their priestly duties.
God then gave Moses the recipe for the holy anointing oil. It was to be made from a combination of several carefully measured ingredients, including myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, cassia, and olive oil. A skilled person was to prepare the mixture.
The oil was to be used to anoint the tabernacle, the ark of the testimony, the table and its vessels, the candlestick and its vessels, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and its vessels, and the laver and its base. Aaron and his sons were also to be anointed with it when they were consecrated as priests.
God declared that this oil was to be holy, and was not to be made or used as ordinary perfume. The Israelites were not to put it on an ordinary person, and they were not to make another mixture like it for personal use. Anyone who treated it as ordinary or used it for an unauthorized purpose was to be cut off from his people.
The final section of the chapter gave instructions for making the holy incense. The ingredients included sweet spices such as stacte, onycha, and galbanum as well as pure frankincense. They were to be mixed in equal amounts and prepared by a perfumer.
The incense was to be beaten into a fine powder and placed before the testimony in the tabernacle, where God would meet with Moses. It was considered most holy, just like the anointing oil. Like the oil, it was not to be copied for use as personal perfume. Anyone who made the same mixture to use as perfume was to be cut off from his people.
Exodus 30 added several important details to the worship system of the tabernacle. The altar of incense was established for regular offerings of incense, the half-shekel payment was required when the Israelites were numbered, and the laver provided water for the priests to wash before serving. God also established special formulas for the anointing oil and incense and restricted their use to the worship of the tabernacle.
Together, these instructions prepared the priests and the tabernacle for regular service. The chapter also continued the detailed pattern seen throughout Exodus, describing the objects used in worship, their placement, and the duties of the priests in detail.
The chapter begins with additional directions for constructing the altar of incense. It was to be made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. It was to be about a cubit long and a cubit wide, making it square shaped, and two cubits high. It was to have horns on the four corners, just like the altar of burnt offering.
A gold molding was to be put around the top of the altar and gold rings were to be made on the sides in order to attach poles for carrying the altar. The poles were also to be made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. The altar was to be placed before the veil which separated the Holy Place from the most holy place, right before the mercy seat where God would meet with Moses.
Aaron was to burn sweet incense on the altar every morning when he prepared the lamps. He was also to burn incense in the evening when he lit the lamps. This was to be a continual service before the Lord throughout the generations, and no strange incense, burnt offering, meat offering, or drink offering was to be burned on this altar.
Once a year, Aaron was to make an atonement upon the horns of the altar with the blood of the sin offering. This was to take place every year throughout the generations. The altar was to be most holy to the Lord.
God then told Moses to take a numbered count of the children of Israel. When the people were numbered every man was to give a ransom for his soul to the Lord. The payment was the same whether rich or poor. Each person counted in the census was to give half a shekel as an offering.
The money was called the offering of the Lord and was to be used for the service of the tabernacle. God explained that the payment was made so that there would be no plague among the people when they were numbered. The amount was the same for everyone, to prevent the wealth of a person from determining the value of his contribution.
God then gave instructions for making a laver or washing basin, which was to be made of brass, including its brass base. The laver was to be placed between the tabernacle and the altar.
Aaron and his sons were required to wash their hands and feet with water from the laver whenever they entered the tabernacle or approached the altar to serve. They were to wash themselves in order to avoid dying. This washing was necessary each time they performed their priestly duties.
God then gave Moses the recipe for the holy anointing oil. It was to be made from a combination of several carefully measured ingredients, including myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, cassia, and olive oil. A skilled person was to prepare the mixture.
The oil was to be used to anoint the tabernacle, the ark of the testimony, the table and its vessels, the candlestick and its vessels, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and its vessels, and the laver and its base. Aaron and his sons were also to be anointed with it when they were consecrated as priests.
God declared that this oil was to be holy, and was not to be made or used as ordinary perfume. The Israelites were not to put it on an ordinary person, and they were not to make another mixture like it for personal use. Anyone who treated it as ordinary or used it for an unauthorized purpose was to be cut off from his people.
The final section of the chapter gave instructions for making the holy incense. The ingredients included sweet spices such as stacte, onycha, and galbanum as well as pure frankincense. They were to be mixed in equal amounts and prepared by a perfumer.
The incense was to be beaten into a fine powder and placed before the testimony in the tabernacle, where God would meet with Moses. It was considered most holy, just like the anointing oil. Like the oil, it was not to be copied for use as personal perfume. Anyone who made the same mixture to use as perfume was to be cut off from his people.
Exodus 30 added several important details to the worship system of the tabernacle. The altar of incense was established for regular offerings of incense, the half-shekel payment was required when the Israelites were numbered, and the laver provided water for the priests to wash before serving. God also established special formulas for the anointing oil and incense and restricted their use to the worship of the tabernacle.
Together, these instructions prepared the priests and the tabernacle for regular service. The chapter also continued the detailed pattern seen throughout Exodus, describing the objects used in worship, their placement, and the duties of the priests in detail.