Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 30:7
And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
7. burn ] properly, make to exhale (or make into) sweet smoke, as Exo 29:13 (see the note).
sweet spices ] see on v. 34.
when he dresseth the lamps ] cf. on Exo 27:21.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
7 10. Incense is to be burnt upon the altar twice a day by the high priest, in the morning when the lamps are removed from the candlestick for trimming, and in the evening when they are replaced and lighted. Atonement is to be made for it once a year by the blood of the sin-offering (Lev 16:15-19) being applied to its horns.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 7. When he dresseth the lamps] Prepares the wicks, and puts in fresh oil for the evening.
Shall burn incense upon it.] Where so many sacrifices were offered it was essentially necessary to have some pleasing perfume to counteract the disagreeable smells that must have arisen from the slaughter of so many animals, the sprinkling of so much blood, and the burning of so much flesh, &c. The perfume that was to be burnt on this altar is described Ex 30:34. No blood was ever sprinkled on this altar, except on the day of general expiation, which happened only once in the year, Ex 30:10. But the perfume was necessary in every part of the tabernacle and its environs.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Aaron was to do this for the first time, but afterwards any priest might do it, as appears from Luk 1:9; this not being done in the holy of holies, which was the high priests peculiar.
When he dresseth the lamps, i.e. cleansed them, and prepared them for the receiving of the new light.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7, 8. Aaron shall burn thereon sweetincenseliterally, “incense of spices”Strongaromatic substances were burnt upon this altar to counteract by theirodoriferous fragrance the offensive fumes of the sacrifices; or theincense was employed in an offering of tributary homage which theOrientals used to make as a mark of honor to kings; and as God wasTheocratic Ruler of Israel, His palace was not to be wantingin a usage of such significancy. Both these ends were served by thisaltarthat of fumigating the apartments of the sacred edifice,while the pure lambent flame, according to Oriental notions, was anhonorary tribute to the majesty of Israel’s King. But there was a farhigher meaning in it still; for as the tabernacle was not only apalace for Israel’s King, but a place of worship for Israel’s God,this altar was immediately connected with a religious purpose. In thestyle of the sacred writers, incense was a symbol or emblem of prayer(Psa 141:2; Rev 5:8;Rev 8:3). From the uniformcombination of the two services, it is evident that the incense wasan emblem of the prayers of sincere worshippers ascending to heavenin the cloud of perfume; and, accordingly, the priest who officiatedat this altar typified the intercessory office of Christ (Luk 1:10;Heb 7:25).
every morning . . . atevenIn every period of the national history this daily worshipwas scrupulously observed.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning,…. This in later times was done by a common priest, who obtained this service by lots as we find in the times of Zacharias, Lu 1:9 the incense was fetched out of the house of Abtines, where it was made, and burning coals were taken off of the altar of burnt offering in a vessel, and the incense was spread upon them and burnt: the Jewish canons about this matter run thus r; he that was worthy of, or allotted to, the incense, took a vessel that held three kabs, and a bowl in the midst of it, full and heaped up with incense, and took a silver censer, and went up to the top of the altar, and moved the coals to and fro, and took them and went down and poured them into a golden censer: and again s, he that was worthy of, or allotted to, a censer, gathered the coals upon the top of the altar, and spread them with the edges of the censer, and bowing himself went out; and he that was worthy of, or allotted to, the incense, took the bowl out of the midst of the vessel, and gave it to his friend or neighbour: and he that burns the incense may not burn until the president says to him, burn; and if he was an high priest, the president says, lord high priest, burn; the people depart, and he burns the incense, and bows and goes away: the burning of the sweet incense was typical of the mediation and intercession of Christ; the burning coals typified his sufferings, which were painful to his body, and in which he endured the wrath of God in his soul, and both must be very distressing to him: the incense put upon these shows that Christ’s mediation and intercession proceeds upon his sufferings and death, his bloodshed, satisfaction, and sacrifice; which mediation of his, like the sweet incense, is frequent, is pure and holy, though made for transgressors, and there is none like unto it; there is but one Mediator between God and man: likewise this was typical of the prayers of the saints; and at the same time that the incense was burnt the people were at prayer, which was set before the Lord as incense, see Ps 141:3, these go upwards to God, and come up with acceptance to him, from off the golden altar, being offered up to him by Christ, with his much incense, through his blood and righteousness, and are pure, holy, fervent, and fragrant, and called odours, Re 5:8
when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it; which he did every morning he went into the holy place, where the candlestick with its lamps was; these he trimmed and dressed, snuffed those that were ready to go out, lighted those that were gone out, supplied them with oil and wicks, and cleared the snuff dishes, and the like: now near to the candlestick stood the altar of incense, so that when the priest looked after the one, he did the service of the other; and hence we learn, that our intercessor and lamplighter is one and the same; he that was seen amidst the golden candlesticks dressing the lamps of them, appears at the golden altar with a golden censer, to offer up the prayers of his saints, Re 1:13 and we learn also, that the light of the word and prayer should go together, as they do in faithful ministers and conscientious Christians, who give themselves up unto and employ themselves therein; the one to and in the ministry of the word and prayer, and the other to and in the reading and hearing of the word and prayer.
r Misn. Tamid, c. 5. sect. 4, 5. s Ibid. c. 6. sect. 2, 3.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(7) Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense (Heb., incense of spices) every morning.On the composition of the incense, see Exo. 30:34-35. That the offering of incense regularly accompanied both the morning and evening sacrifice appears from Psa. 141:2; Luk. 1:10. That it was symbolical of prayer may be gathered both from those passages and also from Rev. 5:8; Rev. 8:3-4.
When he dresseth the lamps.Comp. Exo. 27:21.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7, 8. Perpetual incense Like the continual burnt offering, this burning of incense of spices was to be repeated every morning, and also at even, or between the two evenings . See on Exo 29:39. It was to correspond with the dressing and lighting of the lamps. The composition of the incense is described in Exo 30:34-38.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Aaron and the Altar of Incense ( Exo 30:7-10 ).
a
b And when he lights the lamps in the evening he will burn it a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout their generations (Exo 30:8).
c No strange incense, or whole burnt offering, or grain offering, or drink offering shall be offered on it (Exo 30:9).
c Aaron will make atonement on its horns once a year (Exo 30:10 a).
b With the blood of the purification for sin offering of atonement he will make atonement once a year throughout their generations (Exo 30:10 b).
a It is most holy to Yahweh (Exo 30:10 c).
In ‘a’ Aaron as the people’s representative is to burn sweet incense on it when he dresses the lamps which in symbol reveal the presence of Yahweh, and in the parallel it is most holy to Yahweh for it is before His throne. In ‘b’ he must burn incense perpetually throughout the generations, while in the parallel yearly atonement is to be made for it throughout the generations. In ‘c’ there are to be no offerings made on it apart for the holy incense while in the parallel its reaching up to God must be atoned for once a year. Here we have vividly portrayed the best that man can offer and yet in spite of that the continual need for atonement.
Exo 30:7-8
“And Aaron shall burn on it incense of sweet spices. He shall burn it every morning when he dresses the lamps. And in the evening, when Aaron lights the lamps, he will burn it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations.”
As with the continual whole burnt offerings the incense must be offered twice a day. It would be a perpetual reminder of the worship and prayers of His people, and of their love for Him (Deu 6:5). It was the purest form of their worship. The lamps which were lit every evening, and dressed in the morning represented the life and light that came from God, the incense is the people’s response in holy gratitude and worship and commitment. This too would be continual through the generations. Thus the actions were two way, light and life from God, worship towards God.
Again, as with the daily offerings, this is a continual offering, of incense. Incense would also be offered by ‘the Priest’ in a censer within the Most Holy Place itself on the Day of Atonement (see Lev 16:12-13). Its importance comes out in 1Sa 2:28 where one of the duties of ‘the Priest’ was seen as being to burn incense before Yahweh, along with the wearing of the ephod. That its use was carefully controlled comes out in that later Nadab and Abihu were slain for their casual use of it (Lev 10:1). As with all that took place in the Sanctuary God’s instructions had to be followed to the letter. There must be no hint of the degrading of worship, which might become like the extravagant behaviour of those who worshipped Baal, known by Israel from what they had witnessed in the Baal worship common in Egypt (there were close ties between Egypt and Canaan). It was possibly because that had been in the minds of the sons of Aaron that they were so severely treated, although in Scripture the first example of an offence against a holy ordinance is always severely treated.
It is probable that we are to see here the first introduction of incense into the regular worship of Israel, which would explain why its use has to be so carefully controlled. God’s punishments are always most severe at such crucial times.
There are no real grounds for denying the altar of incense to Tabernacle worship, although acute minds can always find anything. The fate of Nadab and Abihu was unlikely to be invented and the words in 1Sa 2:28 would not be likely from an inventor. Why put an emphasis on incense at that point if the reason was other than because all knew that it had a centrally important place in worship? Other ceremonial activity could equally well have been used. Nor would it have been introduced into the laws of purification for sin offerings in especially grave cases (Lev 4:7; Lev 4:18). It is also listed in the final lists of what was in the Tent of Meeting (30:26-29; 31:7-9; 39:33-43). These mainly almost incidental references confirm its existence from the beginning. In 37:25-29 where the making of it is described, it is placed in what critics would see as the ‘correct’ place, along with the other furniture in the Holy Place. And Solomon’s Temple also contained an altar of incense.
It is not surprising that Ezekiel does not mention it. He was speaking of a heavenly Temple not made by man. To him man’s only access was through the altar built on earth, the only thing that man was told to construct of all that he saw. And to suggest that because the brazen altar is sometimes described as ‘the altar’ (Exodus 27-29; Leviticus 1-6) that signifies that there could be no other altar which was of an expressedly different kind and which specifically excludes the offering of sacrifices on it, would be going too far even if the article was so specific in Hebrew. But as it is not, it is even more farfetched. In Hebrew the article often simply signifies ‘the one I am speaking about’ and nothing more.
Exo 30:9
“You shall offer no strange incense on it, nor whole burnt offering, nor meal offering. And you shall pour no drink offering on it.”
The altar of incense was not to be used except for the morning and evening offering of the official incense. It was mainly reserved for that. ‘Strange incense’ probably means incense of a different kind than that prescribed (Exo 30:34-38), but it may also simply mean incense not offered at the right time. And the altar was specifically not to be seen as a sacrificial altar, or an altar for offerings. Its purpose was to be wholly different.
There is however one significant exception to this, and that is when ‘the Priest’ has sinned (this probably includes his deputies and may especially have in mind unwitting sin in respect of their service in the Dwellingplace) or when the whole people have unwittingly sinned. In these grave cases, which affect the whole people, and in these alone, the blood of the necessary sin offering must be applied to the horns of this altar (Lev 4:7; Lev 4:18). This is probably because such sins are seen as having affected the worship and loyalty of the whole people, either in their representative or in themselves, and therefore as having defiled the altar and effectively cancelled their oath of loyalty. And the altar is therefore seen as in need of special atonement because of its defilement. It is a renewed oath of loyalty and expression of worship after the grave sin which affected their combined worship was now repented of and atoned for with a sin offering. It is, however, only for unwitting sin. There is no atonement for considered and deliberate sin. That would call for judgment.
Exo 30:10
“And Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once in the year. He shall make atonement with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to Yahweh.”
Being in the Holy Place, and only approached by priests who have been cleansed, it would not come in direct contact with the profane, but in spite of its holiness it still needs to be atoned for yearly, for the incense represents man’s worship, and it is offered by fallible man. Nothing that involves man is seen as free from being tainted. All that is on earth outside the veil requires regular atonement. So even this holy altar does so, once a year. Yet it is so holy that common sacrifices are not holy enough for it. (The above exception in Lev 4:7; Lev 4:18 was probably to be seen as an emergency day of atonement for all the people). It is most holy. Only the once a year purification for sin offering on the Day of Atonement must be used to atone for it. It represents all the continual worship of the whole people as offered through their representative. And blood from the sin offering on the Day of Atonement must be applied to its horns, the horns which constitute its essence and its effectiveness. Some have suggested that it is not mentioned in the Day of Atonement regulations in Leviticus, and if so that is because it was to do with something other than the essential purpose of the Day of Atonement, but in our view ‘the altar before Yahweh’ mentioned there can only signify this altar (Lev 16:12; Lev 16:18 compare Exo 4:18). It refers to the altar in the Holy Place.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
DISCOURSE: 101
THE ALTAR OF INCENSE
Exo 30:7-10. And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it; a perpetual incense before the Lord, throughout your generations. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt-sacrifice, nor meat-offering; neither shall ye pour drink-offering thereon. 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.
THE little acquaintance which Christians in general have with the Mosaic Law, unfits them for the reception of that instruction which the Law is well calculated to convey. Doubtless, to find the precise import of all its ordinances is beyond the power of man. But there is much of it explained in the New Testament; and much may not improperly be explained from analogy; and the light which it reflects on the truths of Christianity would richly repay any efforts that were made for the discovery of it.
In the altar of incense, in its materials, for instance, or its structure, we are not aware that any mystery of practical importance is contained, except indeed that it was preeminently holy, and therefore required peculiar sanctity in those who should approach it. Its situation too, as immediately before the mercy-seat, and separated from it only by the vail which divided the sanctuary from the holy of holies, marked in a peculiar way, that those who burnt incense upon it were to consider themselves as more than ordinarily nigh to God, and to have in exercise every disposition that became them in so high and holy an employment. The use to which it was ordained, is the point to which I would more particularly call your attention. And we may consider it,
I.
As a typical institution
And here are two things particularly to be noticed in relation to it; namely,
1.
Its daily use
[Aaron himself in the first instance, and afterwards other priests in their courses [Note: Luk 1:8-9.], was to trim the lamps every morning and evening, and to light any of them that might have gone out. At these seasons, he was to take fire from the altar of burnt-offering, and to put it on a censer, and to burn incense with it upon the altar of incense. This, I say, he was to do every morning and evening; and that was called a perpetual incense before the Lord.
This, beyond all doubt, was intended to typify the Lord Jesus Christ, who, as our great High-Priest, is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man [Note: Heb 8:1-2.]. To him is assigned the office of interceding for his Church and people; and he has ascended up into the more immediate presence of his God for that end: as says the Apostle; 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 [Note: Heb 9:24.]. There he superintends the lamps of his sanctuary, walking amongst the seven golden candlesticks, which are the seven Churches [Note: Rev 1:13; Rev 1:20; Rev 2:1,]. and either trimming or furnishing them with supplies of oil, as their various necessities may require. At the same time he offers up to God his intercessions for them, pleading with him in behalf of every individual, and obtaining for them all those blessings which they more particularly stand in need of.
To the Aaronic priests God had said, There will I meet with thee: and no doubt he did, in numberless instances, as well as in that of Zacharias [Note: Luk 1:11-13.], vouchsafe to them there more peculiar answers to their prayers. Our Great Intercessor could say, I know that thou hearest me always [Note: Joh 11:42.]: nor can we doubt but that myriads of his people are either preserved from falling, or restored after their falls, purely through his intercession for them, that their faith may not ultimately fail [Note: Luk 22:32.].]
2.
Its annual expiation
[It was enjoined that an atonement should be made upon the horns of this altar once a year with the blood of the sin-offering of the atonements. And this, I apprehend, was to shew that without the blood of atonement no intercession could be of any avail. An atonement must be made for sin: and without it there could be no remission [Note: Heb 9:22.]. The blood, too, that must be put on this altar must be the blood of bullocks, and not either of goats or lambs: for in the very same offering which was made for sins of ignorance, the blood or bullocks which was shed for a priest, and for the whole congregation, was put upon the horns of the altar of incense; whereas that which was shed for a ruler, or a common person, which was of goats and lambs, was put upon the altar of burnt-offering; by which the sins of priests were marked as of greater enormity than the sins of others; and the altar of incense as of higher sanctity than the altar of burnt-offering [Note: Compare Lev 4:7; Lev 4:18 with Lev 4:22; Lev 4:25; Lev 4:27; Lev 4:30; Lev 4:34.]. This is very strongly expressed in the New Testament, there being always a superior efficacy ascribed to the intercession of Christ than even to his death. Thus when, to the question, Who is he that condemneth? the Apostle answers, It is Christ that died, he adds, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us [Note: Rom 8:34.]. Again, in the Epistle to the Hebrews he lays the greatest stress on the intercession of Christ as being the most effectual for the salvation of his people: He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them [Note: Heb 7:25.]. And to the same effect, also, in his Epistle to the Romans: If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life [Note: Rom 5:10.]. Whether this was intended to be marked by the atonement being only annual, whilst the offering of incense was daily, I pretend not to say. I should apprehend not. I should rather think that that part of the appointment signified that Christ would make the expiation but once, whilst his intercession would be continual: but, at all events, the union of the two is absolutely indissoluble; as St. John intimates, when he says, If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is also the propitiation for our sins [Note: 1Jn 2:1.]. In fact, his atonement is the very plea which he offers in our behalf. When the high-priest entered within the vail, immediately after burning the incense he sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice upon the mercy-seat and before the mercy-seat [Note: Lev 16:11-14.] ; intimating thereby, that all his hope of acceptance, whether for himself or others, was founded on the sacrifice which he had offered. And precisely thus does the Lord Jesus Christ prevail: for it is in consequence of his having offered his soul a sacrifice for sin, that he is authorized to expect a spiritual seed to be secured to him; and in consequence of his having borne the sins of many, that he confidently and with effect maketh intercession for the transgressors [Note: Isa 53:10; Isa 53:12.].]
I have observed, that we may yet further consider this ordinance,
II.
As an emblematic rite
In this view it marks,
1.
The privilege of Christians
[We have before said, that common priests were ordained to officiate at this altar. And are not we a royal priesthood [Note: 1Pe 2:9.] ? Are not we made kings and priests unto our God [Note: Rev 1:5-6.] ? Yes; and the prayers we present to God come up before him as incense; and the lifting up of our hands is as an evening sacrifice [Note: Psa 141:2.]. In this manner are we privileged to draw nigh to God. We, every one of us, have, through Christ, access by one Spirit unto the Father [Note: Eph 2:18.]: yea, we have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus [Note: Heb 10:19.], and to prostrate ourselves at the very footstool of God himself. Did God say to Aaron, I will meet thee there? so says he to us also: Draw nigh to me; and I will draw nigh to you [Note: Jam 4:8.]. Nor need we go to Jerusalem, or to his tabernacle to find him: for he has said, that in every place incense should be offered to him, and a pure offering [Note: Mal 1:11.]. And, that we may feel ourselves more at liberty to approach him, his altar under the Christian dispensation is represented as of wood, and not of gold, and as being four times the size of that which was made for his tabernacle [Note: Compare 5 with Eze 41:22.] ; to denote, I apprehend, the greater simplicity of Gospel worship, and the admission of all nations to the enjoyment of it.
We must indeed pay particular attention to that caution given to Aaron in the text: Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt-sacrifice, nor meat-offering; neither shall ye pour drink-offering thereon. The incense was to be that alone which God had appointed; and special care was taken to make no confusion between the offerings belonging to the altar of burnt-offering, which were for an atonement, and that which was proper to the altar of incense, which was for acceptance only. Thus, when drawing nigh to God in prayer, we must not bring the fervour of mere animal spirits, which are so often mistaken for true devotion; but a broken and contrite spirit, which alone sends forth an odour that is well pleasing to God [Note: Psa 51:17.]. Nor must we imagine that by our prayers, or by any thing else that we can bring to God, we can atone for sin, or contribute in the least degree towards the efficacy of Christs atonement: these must be kept quite distinct: and whilst our prayers are offered on the altar of incense, our pleas must be taken solely from the altar of burnt-offering, even from the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom alone our offerings can ascend to God [Note: Heb 13:15.], and through whom alone they can be acceptable in his sight [Note: 1Pe 2:5.].
In this manner we are to approach God, whilst we go in before him to trim our lamps, and to have them duly supplied with oil. Every morning and evening at the least must the odours of our incense ascend up before God; or, as the Apostle says, we must pray without ceasing [Note: 1Th 5:17.]: and we may be sure that God will meet with us, and bless us in all that we solicit at his hands: However wide we open our mouth, he will fill it [Note: Psa 81:10.] ; yea, he will do for us exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think [Note: Eph 3:20.].]
2.
The ground of their acceptance in the use of it
[This is strongly marked in the annual atonement made on this altar. Day and night was the priest to officiate there: yet, after he had presented incense on that altar for a whole year, he must make atonement on the altar with blood. And however much or devoutly we pray, we must trust, not in our prayers, but in the great Sacrifice that has been offered for us. Yea, our very prayers need that sacrifice: the very best service we ever offered, needed an atonement; nor could it come up with acceptance before God, if it were not washed in the Redeemers blood, and presented to God by him. Hear what St. John says, in the book of Revelation: Another angel came, (the Angel of the Covenant, the Lord Jesus,) 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 that was before the throne: and the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God, out of the angels hand [Note: Rev 8:3-4.]. Were God to call us into judgment for the very best prayer we ever offered, we could not answer him for one of a thousand [Note: Job 9:3.] ; no, nor for one during our whole lives: but when cleansed in the Redeemers blood, both our persons and our services shall be regarded by God as pure, even without spot or blemish [Note: Eph 5:25-27.].
Of course, it is here supposed that we harbour no wilful sin within us: for, if we regard iniquity in our hearts, God will not hear us [Note: Psa 66:18.]: our very incense will be an abomination to him [Note: Isa 1:13.] ; and, in offering it, we shall be as though we offered swines blood, or blessed an idol [Note: Isa 66:3.]. But, if we draw nigh to God with a true heart, we may also approach him with full assurance of faith [Note: Heb 10:22.].]
Let us see here,
1.
How highly we are privileged under the Christian dispensation
[The Jews were privileged, and highly too, in comparison of all the nations of the earth, in that they had ordinances of divine appointment, in the due observance of which they might find favour with God. But how infinitely are we distinguished above the Jews themselves! We have not to seek the intervention of a man, a sinful man, yea, and a dying man, who must soon leave his office to another, and be followed by an endless succession of sinners like himself. We have an High-Priest, who is Emmanuel, God with us; who needed not to offer first for his own sins, and then for the peoples; and who, having an unchangeable priesthood, continueth for ever, and is consecrated for evermore [Note: Heb 7:23-28.]. Moreover, we are not like the Jews, to whom all access to God in their own persons was prohibited; and who, if they had presumed to invade the priestly office, would have been made monuments of Gods vengeance on the very spot. No: we may draw nigh to God, every one of us for himself: even to Gods throne may we go, and offer him our sacrifices with a certainty of acceptance. The way prepared for us is a new and living way; and whilst going to him in that way, we may ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us; yea, even before we ask, he will answer; and whilst we are yet speaking, he will hear [Note: Isa 65:24.]. Reflect on these privileges, Brethren, and be thankful for them; and improve them diligently in the way prescribed ]
2.
What a holy people we should be unto the Lord
[What the priests were in their attendance on the altar, yea, what the Lord Jesus Christ himself is before the throne of God, that should we be, to the utmost of our power. We should be ever delighting ourselves in the exercise of prayer and praise, and dedicating our whole selves to the service of our God. Let our lamps be ever kept burning bright before the Lord. Let us obtain from the sacred olive branches fresh supplies of golden oil through the golden pipes of his word and ordinances [Note: Zec 4:11-12.] ; and let our whole deportment shew, that we correspond with the description given us, a people near unto the Lord [Note: Psa 148:14.] ]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Doth not this suggest to us the Lord Jesus in his perpetual advocacy? And doth it not also imply the morning offering of his people? While the Jewish priest was burning sweet incense, the people were praying. Luk 1:10 ; Rev 5:8 , with Rev 8:5 . The lamps, perhaps, refer to the word of God, which should always be made, in the perusal of it, part of our morning as well as evening devotions. Psa 119:103 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 30:7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
Ver. 7. Shall burn thereon sweet incense. ] Faciunt et vespae favos. The heathens had the like custom –
“Verbenasque adole pingues, et mascula thura.”
– Virgil.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
burn : with fire taken from the brasen altar of atonement, implying that there could be no acceptable worship except on the ground of atonement made. All other fire was “strange fire”, and all other worship strange worship, and therefore unacceptable.
sweet incense. Heb, incense of spices.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
sweet incense: Heb. incense of spices, Exo 30:34-38
dresseth: Exo 27:20, Exo 27:21, 1Sa 2:28, 1Sa 3:3, 1Ch 23:13, Luk 1:9, Act 6:4
Reciprocal: Exo 30:1 – an altar Exo 39:38 – sweet incense Exo 40:27 – General Lev 16:13 – And he Num 7:14 – incense Num 16:46 – an atonement Num 18:5 – And ye Deu 33:10 – they shall put incense 1Ki 9:25 – he burnt 2Ch 2:4 – to burn 2Ch 26:18 – to the priests Psa 141:2 – as incense Isa 43:24 – no sweet Heb 9:6 – the priests
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 30:7-8. Aaron was to burn sweet incense upon this altar every morning and every evening, which was intended not only to take away the ill smell of the flesh that was burned daily on the brazen altar, but for the honour of God, and to show the acceptableness of his peoples services to him. As by the offerings on the brazen altar satisfaction was made for what had been done displeasing to God, so by the offering on this, what they did well was, as it were, recommended to the divine acceptance.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
30:7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he {d} dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
(d) Meaning, when he trims them, and refreshes the oil.