◄ Exodus 30:37 ►
You are never to use this formula to make incense for yourselves; you shall regard it as holy to the LORD.
Study Bible
You must not make
This phrase is a direct command, emphasizing the exclusivity and sanctity of the incense formula. The Hebrew root here is "lo ta'asu," which conveys a prohibition. This command underscores the importance of obedience to God's specific instructions, reflecting a broader biblical theme that God's people are to be set apart, adhering to His statutes without deviation.

any incense with this formula
The incense formula was unique and sacred, intended solely for worship in the tabernacle. The Hebrew word for "formula" is "k'mo," indicating a specific recipe or composition. This exclusivity highlights the importance of maintaining the purity of worship practices, ensuring that what is offered to God is distinct from common or profane use. Historically, incense was a valuable commodity in ancient cultures, often used in religious and royal settings, further emphasizing its significance in the worship of the LORD.

for yourselves
This phrase indicates personal use, which is strictly forbidden in this context. The Hebrew "lachem" implies ownership or personal possession. The prohibition against using the sacred incense for personal purposes serves as a reminder that certain aspects of worship are reserved solely for God, reinforcing the idea of holiness and separation from the mundane.

you are to regard it
The instruction to "regard" the incense as holy is a call to recognize and respect its sanctity. The Hebrew root "tih'yeh" suggests an ongoing state of being or acknowledgment. This reflects a broader biblical principle that God's people are to continually honor and uphold what He has declared sacred, maintaining a posture of reverence and awe.

as holy
The term "holy" comes from the Hebrew "kodesh," meaning set apart or consecrated. This designation signifies that the incense is dedicated exclusively to the LORD, not to be used for any other purpose. The concept of holiness is central to the biblical narrative, representing God's nature and the calling of His people to be distinct from the world.

to the LORD
This phrase identifies the ultimate recipient of the incense, the LORD, or "Yahweh" in Hebrew. It emphasizes that the purpose of the incense is to honor and glorify God alone. In the broader scriptural context, offerings and sacrifices are acts of worship directed solely to God, reflecting His sovereignty and the covenant relationship between Him and His people. This underscores the importance of directing all acts of worship and devotion to the LORD, acknowledging His rightful place as the object of our reverence and adoration.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who received the law and instructions from God on Mount Sinai, including the formula for the sacred incense.

2. The Israelites
The chosen people of God, who were given specific instructions on worship and the use of sacred items, including the incense.

3. The Tabernacle
The portable dwelling place for the divine presence among the Israelites, where the incense was to be used.

4. The LORD (Yahweh)
The God of Israel, who provided the commandments and instructions for worship, emphasizing His holiness and the sanctity of worship practices.

5. Mount Sinai
The place where Moses received the law and instructions from God, including the formula for the sacred incense.
Teaching Points
Holiness in Worship
The specific formula for the incense and the command not to replicate it for personal use underscores the holiness required in worship. Worship is not a casual activity but a sacred encounter with God.

Obedience to God's Instructions
The command to not make the incense for personal use teaches the importance of obedience to God's specific instructions. Our worship and lives should align with God's commands.

The Uniqueness of God
The incense being holy to the LORD signifies the uniqueness and set-apart nature of God. Our worship should reflect His uniqueness and not be mixed with secular or personal preferences.

Symbolism of Incense
Incense in the Bible often symbolizes prayer and the presence of God. This teaches us to approach God with reverence and purity in our prayers and worship.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the command to not replicate the incense for personal use reflect the holiness of God, and how can we apply this principle in our worship today?

2. In what ways does the account of Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-2 serve as a warning for us regarding obedience in worship?

3. How can we ensure that our worship practices today reflect the uniqueness and holiness of God, as emphasized in Exodus 30:37?

4. What are some modern-day "incenses" or practices that we might be tempted to use for personal gain rather than for God's glory, and how can we guard against this?

5. How does the symbolism of incense as prayer in Revelation 8:3-4 encourage us in our prayer life, and what practical steps can we take to make our prayers more reverent and aligned with God's will?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 10:1-2
This passage describes the consequences of offering unauthorized incense, highlighting the importance of following God's specific instructions for worship.

Isaiah 6:3
This verse emphasizes the holiness of God, which is a central theme in the instructions for the sacred incense.

1 Peter 1:15-16
This New Testament passage calls believers to be holy in all their conduct, reflecting the holiness required in worship practices.

Revelation 8:3-4
This passage describes the incense in heaven, symbolizing the prayers of the saints, connecting the earthly practice to a heavenly reality.
Sermons
The Golden Altar and the PerfumeJ. Orr Exodus 30:1-11, 34-38
The IncenseE. F. Willis, M. A.Exodus 30:34-38
People
Aaron, Israelites, Moses
Places
Mount Sinai
Topics
Composition, Consider, Formula, Holy, Incense, Kept, Makest, Perfume, Proper, Proportion, Proportions, Thereof, Yourselves
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 30:34-38

     5183   smell
     8270   holiness, set apart

Library
The Altar of Incense
'Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon.' --EXODUS xxx. 1. Ceremonies are embodied thoughts. Religious ceremonies are moulded by, and seek to express, the worshipper's conception of his God, and his own relation to Him; his aspirations and his need. Of late years scholars have been busy studying the religions of the more backward races, and explaining rude and repulsive rites by pointing to the often profound and sometimes beautiful ideas underlying them. When that process is applied to Australian …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ransom for Souls --I.
Then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul.' --EXODUS xxx. 12. This remarkable provision had a religious intention. Connect it with the tax-money which Peter found in the fish's mouth. I. Its meaning. Try to realise an Israelite's thoughts at the census. 'I am enrolled among the people and army of God: am I worthy? What am I, to serve so holy a God?' The payment was meant-- (a) To excite the sense of sin. This should be present in all approach to God, in all service; accompanying the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ransom for Souls --ii.
'The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel....'--EXODUS xxx. 15. This tax was exacted on numbering the people. It was a very small amount, about fifteen pence, so it was clearly symbolical in its significance. Notice-- I. The broad principle of equality of all souls in the sight of God. Contrast the reign of caste and class in heathendom with the democracy of Judaism and of Christianity. II. The universal sinfulness. Payment of the tax was a confession that …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

"Whereby we Cry, Abba, Father. "
Rom. viii. 15.--"Whereby we cry, Abba, Father." As there is a light of grace in bestowing such incomparably high dignities and excellent gifts on poor sinners, such as, to make them the sons of God who were the children of the devil, and heirs of a kingdom who were heirs of wrath; so there is a depth of wisdom in the Lord's allowance and manner of dispensing his love and grace in this life. For though the love be wonderful, that we should be called the sons of God; yet, as that apostle speaks, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Jesus Pays the Tribute Money.
(Capernaum, Autumn, a.d. 29) ^A Matt. XVII. 24-27. ^a 24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received the half-shekel came to Peter, and said, Doth not your teacher pay the half-shekel? [The law of Moses required from every male of twenty years and upward the payment of a tax of half a shekel for the support of the temple (Ex. xxx. 12-16; II. Chron. xxiv. 5, 6). This tax was collected annually. We are told that a dispute existed between the Pharisees and Sadducees as to whether the payment …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

How a Private Man must Begin the Morning with Piety.
As soon as ever thou awakest in the morning, keep the door of thy heart fast shut, that no earthly thought may enter, before that God come in first; and let him, before all others, have the first place there. So all evil thoughts either will not dare to come in, or shall the easier be kept out; and the heart will more savour of piety and godliness all the day after; but if thy heart be not, at thy first waking, filled with some meditations of God and his word, and dressed, like the lamp in the tabernacle …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Copies of Things in the Heavens
'And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2. On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. 3. And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail. 4. And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof. 5. And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision A. Jesus Cleanses the Temple. ^D John II. 13-25. ^d 13 And the passover of the Jews was at hand [We get our information as to the length of our Lord's ministry from John's Gospel. He groups his narrative around six Jewish festivals: 1, He here mentions the first passover; 2, another feast, which we take to have been also a passover (v. 1); 3, another passover (vi. 4); 4, the feast of tabernacles (vii. 2); 5, dedication (x. 22); 6, passover (xi. 55). This …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
(at Jerusalem. Probably b.c. 6.) ^C Luke I. 5-25. ^c 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa from b.c. 40 to a.d. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Last Events in Galilee - the Tribute-Money, the Dispute by the Way, the Forbidding of Him who could not Follow with the Disciples, and The
Now that the Lord's retreat in the utmost borders of the land, at Cæsarea Philippi, was known to the Scribes, and that He was again surrounded and followed by the multitude, there could be no further object in His retirement. Indeed, the time was coming that He should meet that for which He had been, and was still, preparing the minds of His disciples - His Decease at Jerusalem. Accordingly, we find Him once more with His disciples in Galilee - not to abide there, [3743] nor to traverse it …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Epistle xxviii. To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli .
To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli [136] . Gregory to Augustine, &c. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke ii. 14); because a grain of wheat, falling into the earth, has died, that it might not reign in heaven alone; even He by whose death we live, by whose weakness we are made strong, by whose suffering we are rescued from suffering, through whose love we seek in Britain for brethren whom we knew not, by whose gift we find those whom without knowing them we sought. …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Prayer
But I give myself unto prayer.' Psa 109: 4. I shall not here expatiate upon prayer, as it will be considered more fully in the Lord's prayer. It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer: he who prays frequently, is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the soul's trading with heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer. What is prayer? It is an offering …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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