Chapter XXIX
"Ver. 1-35. Consecrating the Priests and the Altar, —1. hallow them, to minister nnto me in the priest's ofllce—The act of inaugurating the priests was accompanied by ceremonial solemnities well calculated not only to lead the people to entertain exalted views of the
office, but to Impress those functionaries themselves with a profound sense of its magnitude and importance. In short, they were taught to know that the service was for them as well as for the people; and every time they engaged in a new performance of their duties, they were reminded of their personal interest In the worship, by being obliged tootTer for themselves, before they were qualified to oiler as the representatives of the people, this is the thing that thou shalt do—Steps are taken at the beginning of a society, which would not be repeated when the
art in Egypt, and the amount of their skill in cutting, polishing, and setting precious stones, may be Judged of by the diamond forming one of the engraved ornaments on this breastplate. A ring was attached to each corner, through wlilch the golden chains were passed to fasten
8o<;lal machine was in full motion; and Moses, at the opening of the tabernacle, was employed to dLschargo functions which In later periods would have been regarded as sacrilege, laying an vtnhuUowed hand on the ark, and punished with instant death. Hut he acted under the special directions of Uod. 4-10. Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring nnto tite door of tite tnlwrnacle—As occupying the intermediate space between the court where the people stood, and the dwelling-place of Israel's king, and therefore the fittest spot for the prleBla being duly prepared for entrance, and the people witnessing the ceremony of inauguration, wasli tliem with water. And . . , take the garments—The manner lu which these parts of the ceremonial was jierformed Is minutely described, and In discovering their symbolliutl Import, which indeed, is sufficiently plain and obvioua, we have Inspired authority to guide us. It signified the
tills brilliant piece of Jewelry at the top and bottom tightly on Mie breast of the epliod. 30. thou Hhalt put Inlhe breastplate of Judgment the Urlm and Thummlra—Tlie words signify "liglits" and " perfccUons;" and nothing more Is meant than the precious stones of the breastplate alremiy described (cf. ch. 89. 8-'.!l ; Leviticus
8. 8). Tliey received the name because the bearing of them quallMed the high priest to consult the Divine oracle on
all public or national fmergencies, by going Into the holy
place—standing close before the veil and putting his hand upon tlie Urlm and Thummlm, conveyed a petition from the people and asked counsel of Oo<l, who, as the Sovereign of Israel, gave response from the midst of His
glory. LI Hie, ho<wever. Is known about them. But It may be rcjiiarked that Egyptian Judges wore on the
br'iast of ihe'r oinctal robes a representatloji of Justice, and ilie IiIkIi prlevt lu Israel long officiated also us a
EXODUS XXX-
The Altar of Incense,
Consecration of the Altar,
necessity and Importance of moral purity or holiness (Isaiah 52. 11 ; John 13. 10; 2 Corinthians 7. 1; 1 Peter 3. 21). In like manner, the investiture with the holy garments
of which Is not that it was to be entirely of a cubical form, but that upon its upper and under surface, it showed four equal sides. It was twice as hlgli as it was bi'oad, being twenty-one inches broad and three feet six Inches liigh. It laad " horns;" its top or flat surface was surmounted by an ornamental ledge or rim, called a crown, and it was furnished at the sides with rings for carriage. Its only accompanying piece of furniture was a golden censer or pan, in wliicli tlie incense was set fire to upon the altar. Hence it was called the altar of incense, or the "golden altar," from tlie profuse degree in whicli it was gilded or overlaid with tlie precious metal. This splendour was adapted to the early age of the church, but in later times, when the worship was to be more spiritual, the altar ol incense is prophetically described as not of gold but of wood, and double the size of tliat in tlie tabernacle, because the church should be vastly extended (Malachi 1. 11), 6. thou shalt put It before the veil that Is by the ark of the testimony—which separated tlie holy from tlie most holy place. The altar was in the middle, between the tiible of showbread and the candlestick next the holy of holies, at equal distances from the nortli and south walls; in other words, it occupied a spot on the outside of the great partition veil, but directly in front of the mercy-seat, which was witliin that sacred enclosure; so that although the priest who ministered at this altar could not behold the mercy-seat, he was to look towards it, and present his incense in that direction. This was a special arrangement, and it was designed to teach the important lesson, that though we cannot witli the eye of sense, see the throne of grace, we must " direct our prayer to it and look up" (cf. 2 Corinthians 3. 14 ; Hebrews 10. 20 ; Revelation 4. 1). 7. Aaron sliall I>ni-n thereon sweet Incense tU., incense of spices—strong aromatic substances were burnt upon this altar to counteract by their odoriferous fragrance the oft'ensive fumes of the
BignLfled their being clothed with righteousness (Revelation 19. 8), and equipped as men active and well prepared
for the service of God; the anointing tlie high priest with oil denoted that he was to be filled with tlie influences of the Spirit, for the edification and delight of the church (Leviticus 10. 7 ; Psalm 4.5. 7 ; Isaiah 61. 1 ; 1 John 2.
17), and as he was officially a type of Clirist (Hebrews 7.
86; John 3. Si; also Matthew 3. 16; 11. 29). Thoit shall cause a bullock to be brouj$Iit before the tabernacle This part of the ceremonial consisted of tliree sacrifices.
(1.) The sacrifice of a bullock, as a sin offering ; and in rendering it, the priest was directed to put his liand upon the head of his sacrifice, expressing by that act a consciousness of personal guilt, and a wish that it might be accepted as a vicarious satisfaction. (2.) The sacrifice of a ram as a burnt offering—(f. 15-18)—the rani was to be wholly burnt, in token of the priest's dedication of him-
self to God and His service. The sin offering was first to be presented, and «Aen the burnt offering; for until guilt be removed, no acceptable service can be performed. (3.) There was to be a peace offering, called the ram of consecration (t). 19-22). And there was a marked peculiarity in
tlie manner in which this other ram was to be disposed
of. The former was for the glory of God—this was for the comfort of the priest himself; and as a sign of a mutual covenant being ratified, the blood of the sacrifice was divided—part sprinkled on the altar round about, and part upon the persons and garments of the priests. Nay, the blood was, by a singular act, directed to be put upon the extremities of the body, thereby signifying that the bene-
fits of the atonement would be applietl to the whole nature of man. Moreover, the flesh of this sacrifice was to be divided, as it were, between God and the priest—part of it to be put into his hand to be waved up and down, in token of its being offered to God, and then it was to be burnt upon tlie altar; the other part was to be eaten by the priests at the door of the tabernacle—tliat feast being a symbol of communion or fellowship with God. These ceremonies, performed in the order described, showed the qualifications necessary for the priests. (See Hebrews 7.
sacrifices; or the incense was employed in an offering of tributary homage which the Orientals used to make as a mark of honour to kings ; and as God was Theocratic Ruler of Israel, His palace was not to be wanting in a usage of such significancy. Both these ends were served by this altar—that of fumigating the apartments of the sacred edifice, while the pure lambent fiame, according to Oriental notions, was an honorary tribute to the majesty of Israel's king. But there was a far higher meaning in
26, 27; 10. 14.) 35. seven days shalt thou consecrate them—The renewal of these ceremonies on the return of every day in the seven, with the intervention of a Sabbath, was a wise preparatory arrangement, in order to afford a sufficient interval for calm and devout reflection (Hebrews 9. 1; 10. 1).
it still ; for as the tabernacle was not only a palace for
Israel's King, but a place of worship for Israel's God, this altar was immediately connected witli a religious pur-
pose. In the style of the sacred writers, incense was a symbol or emblem of prayer (Psalm 141.2; Revelation
36, S7. Consecration of the Altar. 36. thou shalt
cleaitse the altar—The phrase, " when tliou hast made an atonement for it," should be, upon it; and the purport of the direction is, that during all the time they were engaged as above from day to day, in offering the appointed
5. 8 ; 8. 3). From the uniform combination of the two ser-
vices, it is evident that the incense was an emblem of the prayers of sincere worshippers ascending to heaven in the cloud of perfume; and, accordingly, the priest who of-
sacrifices, the greatest care was to be taken to keep the
ficiated at this altar typified the intercessory office of Christ (Luke 1. 10; Hebrews 7. 25). 8. Aaron shall burn Incense—seemingly limiting the privilege of officiating at the altar of incense to the high priest alone, and there
altar properly cleansed—to remove the ashes, and sprinkle it with the prescribed unction, that at the conclusion
of the whole ceremonial tlie altar itself should be consecrated as much as the ministers who were to officiate at
Is no doubt that he and his successors exclusively attended tliis altar on the great religious festivals. But "Aaron" is frequently used for the wliole priestly order and In later times, any of the priests might have officiated
U (Matthew H. 19). It was thenceforth associated with the services of religion.
38-46. Institution OF Daily Service. 38. ttvo lambs of the first year day by day continually-Tiie sacred preliminaries being completed, Moses was instructed in the end or design to which these preparations were subservient, viz., the worship of God ; and hence the institution of the morning and evening sacrifice. Tlie institu-
at this altar in rotation (Luke 1. 9). every morning . . . at even—In every period of the national history this daily worship was scrupulously observed. 9. Ye shall offei no strange Incense—i. e., of a different composition from that of which the ingredients are described so minutely. 11-16. When thou takest the snm of the children of
tion was so Imperative, that in no circumstances was this dally oblation to be dispensed with ; and the due observ-
Israel, &c.—Moses did so twice, and doubtless observed the law here prescribed. The tax was not levied from women, minors, old men (Numbers 1.42, 45), and the Le-
ftnce of it would secure tlie oft-promised grace and blessing of their heavenly King.
veies (Numbers 1. 47), they being not numbered. Assuming the shekel of the sanctuary to be about half an ounce trov though nothing certain Is known about it, the sum payable by each indivi<lual was two and fourpcnce. This was not a voluntary contribution, but a ransom for tiie soul