Exodus 30 and 31 Good evening and once again thank you for joining us. Would you please turn in your bibles to Exodus chapter 30? We’re continuing our study as God gives final instructions to Moses on the building plans of the tabernacle. We’ll study both chapters 30 and 31 tonight and the title of tonight’s message is CONCLUDING THE BLUEPRINTS Would you please stand as we read the 1st 2 verses together? 1 “You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width—it shall be square—and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. Let’s pray We talked last week about the alter where sacrifices were to be made. But tonight, we see instructions from God for an additional altar-an altar of incense. 1-5 1 “You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width—it shall be square—and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around, and its horns with pure gold; and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around. 4 Two gold rings you shall make for it, under the molding on both its sides. You shall place them on its two sides, and they will be holders for the poles with which to bear it. 5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. SHOW PIC1 The alter of incense was small– 1½’ long, by 1½’ wide, by 3’ tall. And it was also carried by the system of rings and poles, just like the Ark of the Covenant, the table of showbread, and the brazen altar with its grate. CLOSE PIC 1 6 And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you. God clearly states that the altar of incense was placed before the veil, yet in Hebrews 9 it says the altar of incense was behind the veil with the Ark. So, do we have a contradiction? No. SHOW PIC 2 The altar itself was in front of the veil, but the incense would waft or drift through the air behind the veil into the presence of God. CLOSE PIC 2 The altar of incense is a model for every believer. We’re also in two places. Physically we’re on earth, but spiritually we’re in Christ. Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus 7 “Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. 8 And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. A sweet smell always came from the Tabernacle. Remember, all the pieces of Tabernacle furniture speak of Jesus, and the altar of incense is no exception. The table of showbread reminds us Jesus is the bread of life. The Menorah displays that Jesus is the light of the world. And the altar of incense speaks of the priesthood of Jesus. Hebrews 7:23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 9 You shall not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it. Priests were not permitted to offer God whatever they wanted on the altar of incense. 10 And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; (atonement is the covering over, or reconciliation) once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.” Once a year the altar of incense received the blood of atonement, but it was a place where atonement was remembered and enjoyed, not made. 11 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 12 “When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them. Later on in the book of Numbers, two significant censuses were recorded of the nation of Israel. Now these verses seem a bit odd at first- God told Israel to make a census, but when they do there must be a price for each person so they wouldn’t being plagued. In our western culture this seems foreign to us. But a census would put Israel at risk of a plague because a census (a numbering) signified ownership. If I said to you, take a census in your house of all your electronic devices, you would count each of those devices as yours. But who owned Israel-not the people? God did. So why did God demand ransom money? Well if a count was made without receiving the ransom money, a census communicated the idea that a king or a human leader owned Israel, when God alone did. Israel didn’t belong to Israel; Israel belonged to God. This was David’s problem in 2 Samuel 24 when David took a census without the ransom money and God plagued Israel. 13 This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half-shekel shall be an offering to the LORD. 14 Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the LORD. 15 The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves. This was like a flat tax. No deductions for the poor and no penalties for the rich. Why was it the same amount for everyone? Because this ransom money marked the ones who were atoned. We are all equal in the sight of God, for we have all sinned in the sight of God. Notice everyone had to pay their own redemption money. No lump sum for every member of the tribe or family could satisfy this obligation. Everyone had to make atonement for themselves. So this census was to include everyone aged twenty and over, or full adulthood. And again this ransom money spoke clearly: everyone owes God; everyone is obligated to Him. It was to remind them they deserved to die for their sins, that they were in debt to God. And this money would be a picture of the great redemption which would be paid for the sin of the world. 16 And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves.” So what would happen with this money from each adult Hebrew? It would go to funding the tabernacle. The sacrifices, oils, and incense needed all cost money. Now starting in verse 17 we come upon the Bronze Laver 17-21 17 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 18 “You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it, 19 for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it. 20 When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die. 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a statute forever to them—to him and his descendants throughout their generations.” SHOW PIC 3 In the outer court – between the bronze altar and Holy Place – was a bronze laver, or washing bowl. Here the priests washed-up before entering the tent. Why would they have to wash up? Because of the blood that was shed during the sacrifices we studied last week. CLOSE PIC 3 The bronze laver speaks of the washing that is necessary for anyone who would come into the presence God. Psalm 24:3-4 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. So again the "laver" was a large reservoir for holding the "water" that the priests used to wash as they performed their duties.