A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Exodus · Chapter 30 – Chapter 31
CHAP. XXX.
Verſ. 1. ANd thou shalt make an altar to burn incenſe upon, &c.]
Beſides that the Lord did hereby adorn the ſervice of the tabernacle, to work the greater reverence in the hearts of the people, and did teach them how carefull they ſhould be of defiling their ſervice with any unclean thing; it did alſo ſignifie that by Chriſt not onelyonly the whole legall ſervice, but particularly alſo the Saints prayers, are wondrous ſweet and pleaſing to God, Revel. 8. 3. And another Angel came 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 which was before the throne. Pſal. 141. 2. Let my prayer be ſet forth before thee as incenſe. Rev. 5. 8. And golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the Saints.
Verſ. 2. The horns thereof shall be of the ſame.]
See the notes upon Exod. 27. 2.
Verſ. 3. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, &c.]
Shadowing Chriſt in both his natures, his deity yielding glory to his humanity: hence it is called the golden altar, Numb. 4. 11. as the other is called the brazen altar, Exod. 38. 30.
And thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.]
Which ſerved as an edge to keep the coals and incenſe from ſlipping off, and was withall a type of Chriſts regall dignity.
Verſ. 4. And two golden rings shalt thou make to it, &c. by the two corners thereof, upon the two ſides of it shalt thou make it, &c.]
That is, two rings on each ſide, at each corner one.
Verſ. 6. And thou shalt put it before the vail, &c.]
That is, in the holy place, not in the moſt holy: for ſo it is expreſſely ſaid, Exod. 40. 26. And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail. And beſides into the moſt holy place the high prieſt entred but once a year; but upon this altar the inferiour prieſts burnt incenſe dayly, Luke 1. 8, 9. And it came to paſſe, that while he executed the prieſts office before God in the order of his courſe, according to the cuſtome of the priests office, his lot was to burn incenſe, &c. But though it were in the moſt holy place, yet it was cloſe before the mercy-ſeat; ſo that there was nothing between them but onelyonly the vail, that ſo the perfume might preſently paſſe as it were into the preſence of God: whereby was ſignified how near God is to them that call upon him in truth, Pſal. 145. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him; to all that call upon him in truth.
Verſ. 7. When he dreſſeth the lamps he ſhall burn incenſe upon it.]
That is, morning and evening. Some conceive that the lamp did burn both day and night in the tabernacle, becauſe it had no windows to let in the light of the ſunne, and ſo accordingly by dreſſing the lamps, here they underſtand the taking away any thing that did annoy them, and refreſhing of them with new oyl, that they might continue burning all the day af…er; and by lighting the lamps at even, the putting in of new lamps into the candleſticks, which accordingly were freſh and newly lighted. But the more generall and probable opinion of Expoſitours is, that the lamps burnt onelyonly in the night time (the light of the ſunne ſhining in by day at the Eaſt end of the tabernacle) and that therefore it is ſaid, Exod, 27. 21. that they ſhould be ordered by the prieſts from evening to morning; and accordingly they underſtand this place, to wit, that the lamps were cleanſed, and dreſſed, and made ready to be lighted in the morning, and then that they were lighted at even. However, it is evident that both morning and evening the prieſts were appointed to burn incenſe upon the golden altar; and hereby was ſignified how Gods people ſhould dayly and conſtantly pray unto the Lord, and perſevere in praying, according to that of the Apoſtle, Pray without ceaſing, 1. Theſſ. 5. 17. and eſpecially the never-failing conſtancy of Chriſts interceſſion, Heb. 6. 18. He is able alſo to ſave them to the uttermoſt that come unto God by him, ſeeing he ever liveth to make interceſſion for them. Yea to this may be added, that the offering of incenſe, when the lamps were lighted, ſignified alſo that we muſt pray as we are taught and inſtructed by the word, if we deſire to have our prayers accepted of God.
Verſ. 9. Ye ſhall offer no ſtrange incenſe thereon, &c.]
That is, no incenſe received of other perſons, or made of any other matter, or differing from that preſcribed, verſ. 34, 35, &c. figuring that our prayers muſt be ſuch as God preſcribes, or elſe he will not accept them: 1. John 5. 14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.
Verſ. 10. And Aaron ſhall make an attonement on the horns of it once in a year, &c.]
Which was on the tenth day of the ſeaventh monethmonth, the day of reconciliation. See Levit. 16. 18.
With the bloud of the ſinne-offering of attonement, &c.]
Signifying that the ſins and imperfections that cleave to the beſt prayers of the Saints have need of a ſacrifice of atonement, and that the incenſe of our prayers doth yield no ſweet ſavour unto God but by virtue of the ſacrifice of Chriſt once offered unto God.
Verſ. 12. When thou takest the ſumme of the children of Iſrael, &c.]
Many Expoſitours hold that this is here enjoyned not onelyonly for the preſent but for future times alſo; to wit, that whenſoever they numbred the people upon any occaſion, every man ſhould pay his tribute of half a ſhekel to the Lord, which was to be expended, as now towards the making of the tabernacle, ſo afterwards for the repair thereof, and other neceſſaries that were to b… provided for the publick ſervice of the ſanctuary: Yea from Joſephus and others they gather, that they were every year numbred, and ſo paid every year this tribute-money for the uſe of the tabernacle and temple, which when the Romanes had conquered them, they were compelled to pay to them, and ſo that this was the tribute-money which was required of our Saviour, Matth. 17. 24. But now others again conceive it to be the more probable opinion, that this was required to be done by Moſes onelyonly for the preſent, Firſt, becauſe there is no mention made of the perpetuity of this ordinance, as there is of other things that were to be for ever obſerved: Secondly, becauſe the Lord ſaith not here, Whenſoever the children of Iſrael are numbred, but, When thou takeſt the ſumme of the children of Iſrael after their number, as ſpeaking of a thing that was immediately to be done by Moſes: Thirdly, becauſe the end of this collection mentioned was extraordinary not perpetuall, namely for the building of the tabernacle, as is evident, Exod. 38. 25, 26, 27, 28. in regard whereof it is ſaid here verſ. 16. that it ſhould be a memoriall unto the children of Iſrael before the Lord: Fourthly, becauſe where there is mention made of Moſes numbring the Iſraelites at other times, as Numb. 1. 26. there is no mention made of the payment of this half ſhekel by every one that was numbred: Fifthly, becauſe there was another rate ſet by Nehemiah to be paid yearly by every one for the ſervice of the houſe of God, to wit, the third part of a ſhekel, Nehemiah 10. 33. The truth is, that neither of theſe can be demonſtratively proved: But yet evident it is that though they did not conſtantly pay this tribute-money in future times when they were numbred, yet at leaſt upon the like occaſion this poll-money was at other times raiſed, becauſe we reade, 2. King. 12. 4. that Jehoaſh king of Judah commanded the prieſts to gather of the people for the repair of the Temple, the money of every one that paſſeth the account, which is called in 2. Chron. 24. 6. the collection of Moſes the ſervant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Iſrael for the tabernacle of witneſſe.
Then ſhall they give every man a ranſome for his ſoul unto the Lord, &c.]
When they are numbred each payeth a ranſome for his ſoul: Firſt, by way of homage: Princes uſe to take tribute-money by poll, and to that end are wont to number their people; Iſrael therefore being numbred muſt pay this as a tribute-money, acknowledging thereby Gods dominion over them, and that by right of redemption, becauſe he had redeemed them out of the houſe of bondage, and ſo had bound them to be his ſervants: Secondly, by way of thankfull acknowledgement that it was of him that they were multiplied ſo exceedingly, according to his promiſe made to their fathers, that their ſeed ſhould be as the ſtarres for number; as likewiſe, that he did by his good providence keep an accompt as it were of every particular perſon amongſt them, and watch over them for their good and ſafety: thirdly, by way of expiation, becauſe when they came to be thus particularly viſited and looked into of God, they could not eſcape deſtruction by reaſon of their ſinnes, ſhould he deal with them according to juſtice; and therefore there muſt a ranſome be paid, the rather becauſe pride and preſumption and many other infirmities do uſually accompany the numbring of a people, as we ſee in the example of David, 2. Sam. 24. Yet we muſt not think that ſo ſmall a price as here was paid by every man for his ranſome was any meet ſatisfaction to Gods juſtice; but onelyonly hereby they were taught to judge themſelves, and to acknowledge a greater ranſome that was to be paid, whereof this was a kind of type, even the Lord Chriſt Jeſus, who was himſelf a ranſome for all to be testified in due time, 1. Tim. 2. 6.
Verſ. 13. Half a ſhekel, after the ſhekel of the Sanctuary; a ſhekel is twenty gerahs.]
This was that which every Iſraelite paid for his ranſome when they were numbred. The gerah is held to have been about a penny half penny, and by that eſtimate the ſhekel was two ſhillings and ſix pence, and half the ſhekel fifteen pence; and it is expreſſed that they ſhould give half a ſhekel after the ſhekel of the Sanctuary, either becauſe the ſhekel of the Sanctuary was twice as much as the common ſhekel, the common ſhekel being but ten gerahs, but the ſhekel of the Sanctuary twenty, as is here expreſſed▪ which is indeed the common opinion; or rather becauſe the ſtandard of all weights and meaſures was kept in the Sanctuary, and ſo the injoyning of them to give half a ſhekel after the ſhekel of the Sanctuary, was nothing elſe but that they ſhould give a true half ſhekel, of the full weight and value, after the ſtandard of the Sanctuary. And indeed Ezek. 45. 10, 11, 12. where the Prophet exhorts the Princes of Iſrael to uſe none but juſt weights and meaſures, ſpeaking of thoſe that were commonly uſed among the people, he gives direction as here, that the ſhekel ſhould contain twenty gerahs.
Verſ. 17. And the Lord ſpake unto Moſes, ſaying.]
By theſe tranſitions it ſeems very probable that the Lord did not deliver to Moſes all theſe directions at one time, or in one day but at ſeverall times, in the ſpace of fourty dayes.
Verſ. 18. Thou ſhalt make a laver of braſſe, and his foot of braſſe, &c.]
Which was made of the womens braſen looking-glaſſes, Exod. 38. 8. And he made the laver of braſſe, and the foot of it of braſſe, of the looking-glaſſes of the women, &c. Now the laver being lifted up upon his foot or baſe, the prieſts could not put their feet in it; whence it is inferred that it had ſpouts for the water to iſſue forth, and at the bottom ſome veſſel or other to receive the water.
Verſ. 26. And thou ſhalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, &c.]
All theſe things were anointed, firſt to conſecrate them to Gods ſervice, and to ſeparate them from all profane and common uſes; ſecondly, to ſignifie both that all excerciſes of piety uſed in the legall ſervice would not be at all profitable without the ſecret operation of the ſpirit (whereof the oyl was a type) as alſo that there comes no good to us by thoſe things, but onelyonly by the working and application of the ſpirit. See Heb. 9. 14. 1. Pet. 1. 2. Rom. 8. 15. Iſa. 61. 1. This was done, Levit. 8.
Verſ. 30. And thou ſhalt anoynt Aaron and his ſonnes, &c.]
See the note upon chap. 29. 7.
Verſ. 32. Upon mans fleſh ſhall it not be poured, &c.]
That is, not in any civill or profane uſe, whether for delight or otherwiſe: upon ſtrangers it might not be poured at all; but the prieſts might not uſe it in a civill way. And hereby the people were taught to look to the holy ſpirit, whereof it was a type, that nothing was to be done in Gods ſervice without authority from God, and that none of Gods holy things ought to be diverted to any profane uſe.
CHAP. XXXI.
Verſ. 2. SEe I have called by name Bezaleel, &c.]
Moſes might doubt how amongſt a people inured in Egypt onelyonly to baſe and ſervile imployments, he ſhould find workmen fit to undertake ſuch curious and cunning work, eſpecially becauſe it muſt be needs a very difficult task to make every thing exactly according to the pattern ſhown in the mount, though Moſes gave them the beſt directions he could; the Lord therefore prevents this fear, by letting him know that he had furniſhed men with an extraordinary ſpirit and skill for the performance of theſe things, and by name Bezaleel and Aholiab as the maſter workmen and directers of others not named.
Bezaleel the ſonne of Uri, the ſonne of Hur, &c.]
It is probable that this Hur, the grandfather of Bezaleel, was the ſame mentioned Exod. 17. 10. And Moſes and Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill; the ſame alſo whoſe Genealogy is ſet down 1. Chron. 2. 19. who was the ſonne of Caleb: ſo then Caleb was great grandfather to Bezaleel, but not that Caleb the ſonne of Jephunneh, 1. Chron. 4. 15. who was but fourty years old when he ſearched Canaan, but Caleb the ſonne of Hezron. 1. Chron. 2. 18.
Verſ. 10. And the clothes of ſervice, &c.]
Veils, clothes, coverings, which ſerved to wrap up the holy things in, when the hoſt was removed. See Numb. 4. 5, 9, 11, 12.
Verſ. 13. Verily my Sabbaths ye ſhall keep▪ &c.]
This precept of the Sabbath is here repeated, firſt, to let them know that though the work of the tabernacle were ſtudiouſly and ſpeedily to be done, yet God would not have any of it done on the Sabbath; ſecondly, to teach them the right uſe of the tabernacle, which was in their coming together there eſpecially on the Sabbaths to ſerve the Lord.
For it is a ſigne between me and you, &c.]
Namely, that God had taken them to be a peculiar people to himſelf, and that they had taken him to be their God, their Creatour, Redeemer and Sanctifier.
Verſ. 14. For whoſoever doth any work therein, that ſoul ſhall be cut off from among his people.]
This includes not onelyonly death inflicted by the Magiſtrate, whereof ſee Numb. 15. but alſo the immediate ſtroke of God when that was neglected, and eſpecially Gods caſting him off from being one of his people both here and hereafter.
Verſ. 17. And on the ſeventh day he rested and was refreſhed.]
This is ſpoken of God after the manner of men.
Verſ. 18. And he gave to Moſes, when he had made an end, two tables of testimony, &c.]
That is, when the fourty dayes were expired.
Tables of ſtone written with the finger of God.]
Whereby was ſignified, firſt the ſtability of the Law; ſecondly the ſtonineſſe of mans heart for the receiving of ſpirituall things; thirdly the difference betwixt the Law and the Goſpel, which is written by the finger of Gods ſpirit, not in tables of ſtone but in the ſleſhy tables of mens hearts, 2. Cor. 3. 2.