(Exodus) Exodus 30:1-6 — J. Vernon McGee

The Altar of Incense and the Requirements for Worship

We've come now to the great worship chapter, in chapter 30, and we have instructions now for the altar of incense. That's prayer. And then we will see who can worship, that they must be redeemed. And not only the redeemed, why, we're going to see the instructions for the leva.

Cleansing for Service to God

You have to be cleansed. These are requirements for us if we are going to be serviceable to God. Now let's come and take the altar of incense. That altar is in the holy place. I hope you have our chart.

The Tabernacle’s Articles of Furniture

You'll find it very helpful if you do. And you find here that inside the holy place, the main part of the tabernacle, see in the outer court, there are two articles of furniture. The brazen altar, the brazen leva.

We've had the brazen altar, not the brazen leva. The brazen altar speaks of the cross of Christ, his death for our sins. Now, when you step in the main compartment, you have three articles of furniture.

Worship in Spirit and Truth

All speak of worship. The lampstand, the table of showbread, and we've had both of those now. We must worship God in spirit and in truth. And it's where God's people meet together and have fellowship.

And fellowship doesn't mean a banquet in a church. It's not where you meet together and gossip. It's where you meet and feed on the person of Christ. That's the banquet. That's worship. But there's also another altar there, and that's the altar of incense.

The Construction and Dimensions of the Incense Altar

Now let's come to this because this is very important, and I'll read. Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon. Of chitim wood thou shalt make it. Now this is very important for us to see. A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof.

Now you notice how that is given to us, the size. Very small, by the way. And four square shall it be. And two cubits shall be the height thereof. The horns thereof shall be of the same. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof, and thou shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

Carrying the Tabernacle Furniture

And the golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it by the two corners thereof. Upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it. And they shall be for the places for the staves to bury it. Now see, all the articles of furniture had rings put there so the staves could be put there, so they could be carried on the shoulders of the priests.

Now when we get to the book of Numbers, we're going to see when they began the wilderness march that the priests, that is the Levites, carried the articles of furniture through the wilderness. Now we are told in verse 6, thou shalt put it before the veil, that is by the ark of the testimony before the mercy seat that is over the testimony where I'll meet with thee.

The Altar’s Place Before the Veil

Now you see the place where this altar went was right by the veil. And right on the other side of it, there was the ark and the mercy seat. And it was in the holy place. It was the part of worship.