◄ Exodus 30:38 ►
Anyone who makes something like it to enjoy its fragrance shall be cut off from his people."
Study Bible
Anyone who makes
This phrase emphasizes the universality of the command. The Hebrew word used here is "כָּל" (kol), meaning "any" or "every." It underscores that the directive is not limited to a specific group but applies to all individuals within the community. This universality reflects the holiness and exclusivity of the sacred incense, which was meant solely for worship and not personal enjoyment.

something like it
The phrase "something like it" refers to the sacred incense described earlier in Exodus 30. The Hebrew word "כָּמֹהוּ" (kamohu) implies an imitation or replication. This highlights the importance of maintaining the sanctity and uniqueness of the incense, which was consecrated for divine purposes. The replication for personal use would diminish its sacredness and blur the lines between the holy and the common.

to enjoy its fragrance
The enjoyment of the fragrance signifies a personal, sensual pleasure derived from something meant for worship. The Hebrew root "רֵיחַ" (reyach) for "fragrance" is often associated with offerings pleasing to God. This phrase warns against misappropriating what is holy for personal gratification, which would be a misuse of what is intended to honor God.

shall be cut off
The consequence of being "cut off" is severe. The Hebrew term "נִכְרַת" (nikrat) can mean being excommunicated or even facing death. This reflects the gravity of the offense. In the context of ancient Israel, being cut off from the community was not only a social and religious penalty but also a loss of identity and protection, emphasizing the seriousness of maintaining the sanctity of worship practices.

from his people
This phrase indicates the communal aspect of the punishment. The Hebrew "מֵעַמָּיו" (me'ammav) suggests a separation from the covenant community of Israel. It underscores the collective responsibility of the Israelites to uphold God's commands and the importance of communal purity. The community's holiness is paramount, and any individual action that threatens this sanctity is met with severe consequences to preserve the integrity of the people as a whole.

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

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who were given specific laws and instructions to follow as part of their covenant relationship with Him.

3. Tabernacle
The portable sanctuary where God dwelled among His people and where the incense was to be used.

4. Priests
The descendants of Aaron, who were responsible for performing the rituals and offerings in the Tabernacle, including the burning of incense.

5. Incense
A sacred mixture of spices used in the Tabernacle, symbolizing the prayers of the people ascending to God.
Teaching Points
Reverence for God's Instructions
The specific instructions regarding the incense highlight the importance of reverence and obedience to God's commands. We must approach God with respect and follow His guidelines for worship.

Holiness and Set-Apartness
The incense was holy and set apart for God’s use. As believers, we are called to be holy and set apart, living lives that honor God and reflect His character.

The Danger of Presumption
The warning against making incense for personal enjoyment serves as a reminder of the danger of presumption in our relationship with God. We must not take His holiness lightly or treat sacred things as common.

Symbolism of Prayer
Incense symbolizes prayer, reminding us of the importance of maintaining a vibrant prayer life. Our prayers are a pleasing aroma to God, and we should offer them regularly and sincerely.

Community and Accountability
Being "cut off from his people" underscores the communal aspect of faith and the importance of accountability within the body of believers. We are responsible for upholding God's standards together.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the specific instruction about incense in Exodus 30:38 reflect the broader theme of holiness in the Bible?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our worship remains reverent and aligned with God's instructions today?

3. How does the symbolism of incense as prayer challenge or encourage you in your personal prayer life?

4. What are some modern-day examples of treating sacred things as common, and how can we guard against this in our lives?

5. How can we foster a sense of community and accountability within our church or small group to help each other live set-apart lives?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 10
The account of Nadab and Abihu, who offered unauthorized fire before the Lord and were consumed by fire, illustrating the seriousness of following God's instructions.

Psalm 141
David's prayer likening his prayers to incense, showing the symbolic nature of incense as a representation of prayer.

Revelation 8
The imagery of incense in the heavenly temple, symbolizing the prayers of the saints, connecting the Old Testament practice to New Testament worship.
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
Cut, Enjoy, Fragrance, Makes, Maketh, Peoples, Perfume, Refreshed, Smell, Sweet, Thereof, Thereto
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 30:38

     5846   enjoyment

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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