Exodus 30:8

30:1-10 The altar of incense represented the Son of God in his human nature, and the incense burned thereon typified his pleading for his people. The continual intercession of Christ was represented by the daily burning of incense thereon, morning and evening. Once every year the blood of the atonement was to be applied to it, denoting that the intercession of Christ has all its virtue from his sufferings on earth, and that we need no other sacrifice or intercessor but Christ alone.

And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it,.... In the evening the priest went into the holy place to light the lamps that were gone out; see Gill on Exodus 27:20 at the same time he burnt incense on the altar; and as the daily sacrifice was offered up morning and evening, so the incense was burnt every morning and evening, and much about the same time: the Jews say (t), that the incense of the morning was offered between the blood (i.e. the sprinkling of the blood of the daily sacrifice) and the members, or the laying of the pieces on the altar; and the incense of the evening was between the pieces and the drink offering: and with this Philo agrees (u), who says, twice every day most fragrant odours were offered, at the sun rising and setting, before the morning and after the evening sacrifice: a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations; thus Christ's mediation and intercession is constant and continual; as his sacrifice continually takes away the sin of the world, in which it was the antitype of the daily sacrifice; so his blood continually speaks for peace and pardon, and every blessing of grace for his people, in which it is the antitype of the morning and evening incense; for he ever lives to make intercession; and so the prayers of the saints are directed to God both morning and evening, and they cease not praying as long as they live. (t) Misn. Yoma, c. 3. sect. 4. (u) De Victimis, p. 836.

Verse 8. - At even . Literally, "between the two evenings." (See the comment on Exodus 12:6.) The offering of incense by the high priest twice a day, at the time of the morning and evening sacrifice, indicated that prayer was needed as constantly as expiation, and that neither might for a single day be intermitted. A perpetual incense . "Perpetual," in the sense that it was to be burnt twice a day, as long as the religion lasted - not in the sense that it was to be kept burning constantly. Exodus 30:8

8 . lighteth ] fixeth on : see on Exodus 25:37 . at even ] between the two evenings , as Exodus 29:39 : see on Exodus 12:6 . perpetual ] better, continual : the expression is a standing one; see on Exodus 29:42 . before Jehovah ] as Exodus 29:25 , and constantly in the priestly laws.

8. Aaron shall burn incense—seemingly limiting the privilege of officiating at the altar of incense to the high priest alone, and there is no doubt that he and his successors exclusively attended this altar on the great religious festivals. But "Aaron" is frequently used for the whole priestly order, and in later times, any of the priests might have officiated at this altar in rotation (Lu 1:9).

CHAPTER 30 Ex 30:1-38. The Altar of Incense. 1. thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon, &c.—Its material was to be like that of the ark of the testimony, but its dimensions very small [Ex 25:10].He commands to make an altar for incense, and of what, Exodus 30:1. The length and breadth of it, Exodus 30:2. The form of it, Exodus 30:3-6. Whereon the priest was to kindle incense every morning, being commanded, Exodus 30:7. All the children of Israel to bring half a shekel for their souls, Exodus 30:11-16. A laver of brass, Exodus 30:17,18; wherein Aaron and his sons wash their hands and their feet, Exodus 30:19-21. The making the oil of holy ointment, Exodus 30:22-25. Its use, Exodus 30:26-28. None might make the like, Exodus 30:32,33. The composition of the perfume, Exodus 30:34-38. Incense signifies the prayers of God’s people, Psalm 141:2 Revelation 8:3; which are not acceptable to God except they be offered upon the true altar, Christ. This incense also was useful to correct the bad smell of the sacrifices, which were offered on another altar not far from it. Yea, some sacrifices were offered upon this altar, as appears from Exodus 30:10 Leviticus 4:7. But here only the principal and constant use of it is noted.

Upon this altar Aaron was to burn fragrant incense, the preparation of which is described in Exodus 30:34 ., every morning and evening before Jehovah, at the time when he trimmed the lamps. No "strange incense" was to be offered upon it, - i.e., incense which Jehovah had not appointed (cf. Leviticus 10:1 ), that is to say, which had not been prepared according to His instructions-nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat-offering; and no drink-offering was to be poured upon it. As the altar of incense was not only marked as a place of sacrifice by its name מזבּח, "place of slain-offering," but was put on a par with the altar of sacrifice by its square shape and its horns, it was important to describe minutely what sacrifices were to be offered upon it. For the burning of fragrant incense is shown to be a sacrifice, by the fact that it was offered upon a place of sacrifice, or altar. Moreover the word הקטיר, to cause to ascend in smoke and steam, from קטר to smoke or steam, is not only applied to the lighting of incense, but also to the lighting and burning of the bleeding and bloodless sacrifices upon the altar of incense. Lastly, the connection between the incense-offering and the burnt-offering is indicated by the rule that they were to be offered at the same time. Both offerings shadowed forth the devotion of Israel to its God, whilst the fact that they were offered every day exhibited this devotion as constant and uninterrupted.

But the distinction between them consisted in this, that in the burnt or whole offering Israel consecrated and sanctified its whole life and action in both body and soul to the Lord, whilst in the incense-offering its prayer was embodied as the exaltation of the spiritual man to God (cf. Psalm 141:2 ; Revelation 5:8 ; Revelation 8:3-4 ); and with this there was associated the still further distinction, that the devotion was completed in the burnt-offering solely upon the basis of the atoning sprinkling of blood, whereas the incense-offering presupposed reconciliation with God, and on the basis of this the soul rose to God in this embodiment of its prayer, and was thus absorbed into His Spirit. In this respect, the incense-offering was not only a spiritualizing and transfiguring of the burnt-offering, but a completion of that offering also.

[Bible] And with the one lamb a tenth-portion of flour mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink-offering. And the other lamb thou shalt offer at evening, and shalt do thereto according to the meat-offering of the morning, and according to the drink-offering thereof, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire to the LORD. This shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you to speak there to thee. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office. And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God. Chapter 30 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth; foursquare shall it be; and two cubits shall be its hight: its horns shall be of the same. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, its top, and its sides round about, and its horns; and thou shalt make to it a crown of gold round about. And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by its two corners, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staffs to bear it with. And thou shalt make the staffs of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 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. And Aaron shall burn upon it sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.