Week 44, Day 1: The altar of incense

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 30:1-38

Some thoughts from the reading…

It seems interesting to me that after the instructions about the construction of the tent of meeting and the articles to go inside, we now have instruction given regarding the altar of incense and the laver for washing.  Whatever reason for mentioning these articles now, there are some points that stand out to me from this section of instructions.  First, God warned them to not offer any “strange” incense on this altar (verse 9).  Remember that Nadab and Abihu were killed because they offered strange fire upon the altar (Lev 10:1).  The Lord gave specific instruction on what incense to use on the altar (verses 34-38).  Strange incense is any other kind, type, variation of this specified incense.  Altering or subsituting another incense is what would make it strange incense.  In Nadab & Abihu’s case, the strange fire was fire that came from a different source (location) than where they were to take the fire. 

The second thing that I think is a good point to note is in verse 13-15.  Each person of Israel was to pay a half shekel to the Lord as a ransom for himself (vs. 12).  I note this because whether rich or poor, the same amount was to be paid by each person.  This indicates that each person was worth the same.  They each had to pay the same price for their ransom, no matter their riches.  The value of a person is not in their possessions.  When we stand before God on the day of judgment we will all answer for our own actions regardless of what we have accumulated during this lifetime.  And no matter how much we have, we will not be able to buy our way out of what is justly due.