Be Ye Cleansed Exodus 30

 

Exodus 30 Be Ye Cleansed

 

The Altar of Incense in the tabernacle was a small altar. It was placed right by the veil, and the ark and mercy seat were on the other side of the veil.  It stood in the Holy Place, the place of worship. This was not an altar of sacrifice. Only incense, and only a certain kind of incense, was to be placed upon this altar.  The priests would go in and burn incense every time they would light the lamps of the lampstand.  This altar speaks of prayer.  Incense, therefore, is a figure of the Lord Jesus Christ, our intercessor.  When we come to God in prayer, we must come through the Lord Jesus Christ.  It was wonderful for the children of Israel to know that their high priest was in the tabernacle, at the altar of incense, praying for them.  It is wonderful for us to know that Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, is praying for us. Christ does not pray for the world. Why? Because Jesus died for the world.  The Holy Spirit is here to make the offer of Christ real to those who will receive Him.  Christ is in heaven praying for those who have received Him as Savior.  In verse 8, it says “there is to be a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.”  There is to be continual praise in God. “To pray without ceasing” The incense was to be upon the altar in the morning and evening.  When the high priest went inside and offered incense, the incense stayed upon his garments and when he came outside, the people could smell him.  Let your prayers ascend before God as sweet incense, and it will permeate your garments. 

There will be no plague among the Israelites because they are going to be redeemed.  Silver is the metal of redemption and a type of redemption.  Everyone that worshipped had to be redeemed. Not only that, but they must also be cleansed.  The laver is in the outer court and is made of brass.  The brazen laver is where God deals with our sins as saints. The priest could not come into the tabernacle to serve unless he had first washed. If they were going to the brazen altar, they washed before and after. We cannot worship Him, serve Him, or be of use to Him unless we have been cleaned up. The laver of brass pictures our sanctification. The pure water is the Word of God. The women brought their highly polished brass mirrors to make the laver. They did not have mirrors then.  The mirrors revealed dirt and that was the purpose of the laver.  The laver cleansed the priest, and the laver pictures the Word of God.  The Bible is a mirror and when we read it, our sin is revealed.  We then need to confess that sin and be cleansed. The Holy Spirit is the one who can open our mind and heart when we go to work with God to understand His Word.