Day: January 27, 2026

Day 27 – A Year in the Bible – Exodus 30-31

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EXODUS 30 – COMMANDS

An Altar to Burn Incense Upon
And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. – Exodus 30:1

Fifteen Commands–the Altar of Incense
1. Make an altar to burn incense upon.
2. Make it of shittim wood.
3. Make it 25 in. square (Ex. 30:2).
4. Height: 4 ft. 2 in.
5. Make four horns of the same size and shape for the four corners.
6. Overlay it with pure gold–the top, sides, and horns (Ex. 30:3).
7. Make a crown of gold around it.
8. Make four gold rings for the four corners to be placed under the crown for staves to carry it (Ex. 30:4).
9. Make two staves of shittim wood (Ex. 30:5).
10. Overlay them with gold.
11. Put the altar before the veil in the holy place opposite the ark of the testimony on the other side of the veil (Ex. 30:6).
12. Aaron shall burn sweet incense upon it every morning and evening when he prepares the lamps (Ex. 30:7-8).
13. The incense shall burn perpetually like the lamps, day and night.
14. Do not offer strange incense, any burnt sacrifice, or meat offering upon it; do not pour any drink offering on it (Ex. 30:9).
15. Aaron shall make an atonement upon its four horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering (Ex. 30:10).
(Taken from Dake Study Bible Notes)

The Ransom for Souls (Atonement Money)
When thou tamest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them. – Exodus 30:12

Five commands–atonement money:
1. Charge every man a ransom.
2. When he registers each shall give an half shekel as an offering to God (Ex. 30:13).
3. Every man twenty years old and older shall pay the registration tax (Ex. 30:14).
4. The rich shall not give more; the poor shall not give less than an half shekel (Ex. 30:15).
5. Use the money in the tabernacle service (Ex. 30:16).
(Taken from Dake Study Bible Notes)

The Brasen Laver
Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. – Exodus 30:18

‬Five Commands–the Laver of Brass
1. Make a laver and its base of brass.
2. Put it between the tabernacle door and the brazen altar.
3. Put water in it so Aaron and his sons can wash their hands and feet when they minister in the tabernacle and offer sacrifices (Ex. 30:19-20).
4. If they fail to wash their hands and feet while ministering they shall die (Ex. 30:20-21).
5. This shall be a statute forever for all priests (Ex. 30:21).
(Taken from Dake Study Bible Notes)

The Holy Anointing Oil
and thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. – Exodus‬ ‭30‬:‭25

Five Commands–the Holy Anointing Oil
1. Make holy anointing oil of: pure myrrh, 19 1/2 lbs.; sweet cinnamon, 9 3/4 lbs.; sweet calamus, 9 3/4 lbs.; cassia, 19 1/2 lbs.; and olive oil, 6 qts. (Ex. 30:22-25).
2. Anoint the tabernacle, ark, table of showbread and its vessels, the candlestick and its vessels, altar of incense, the brazen altar and its vessels, the laver and its foot, and sanctify them to be most holy (Ex. 30:26-29).
3. Anoint Aaron and sons and consecrate them to be ministers (Ex. 30:30).
4. The holy anointing oil is not to be poured on the flesh of any man (other than priests, Ex. 30:30; Ps. 133:2),
5. No man is to make any oil like it to be used in Israel (Ex. 30:31-32). Whoever makes any like it or puts it on a stranger shall die (Ex. 30:33).
(Taken from Dake Study Bible Notes)

The Holy Incense
And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: – Exodus 30:34-35

Four Commands–the Holy Incense
1. Take four sweet spices: stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense, of equal weight to make incense or holy perfume (Ex. 30:34-35)
2. Beat some of it very small and put on the altar of incense before the ark of the testimony (Ex. 30:36)
3. Do not make any like it for your own use (Ex. 30:37)
4. Anyone making any like it for his own use shall die (Ex. 30:38)(Taken from Dake Study Bible Notes)
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EXODUS 31 – COMMANDED TO REST

Filled with the Spirit of God
And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee. – Exodus 31:3-6

This is another scripture where the Spirit of God fills the people with wisdom, understanding, knowledge and ability. The scripture says to devise cunning works and do all kinds of crafts and “workmanship.”

Cunning – skill employed in a shrewd or sly manner, craftiness; showing or made with ingenuity. Artfully subtle.

The Sabbath
Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. Exodus 31:13-16

God instituted observing the Sabbath as a sign between Himself and each child. It is a part of His never-ending covenant, and we should honor our part of that perpetual covenant.

Perpetual – continuing or enduring forever; everlasting
Covenant – a solemn agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons to do or not do something. In the Bible a covenant is the conditional promises made to humanity by God, as revealed in Scripture. The agreement between God and the ancient Israelites, in which God promised to protect them if they kept His law and were faithful to Him.

It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. – Exodus 31:17

God created us in His likeness. He was busy with creation for six days and on the seventh He rested. Why? For rest and refreshment. If God had a need for rest and refreshment, and His Son Jesus had a need for rest and refreshment – shouldn’t we? Lord, help us to understand this command to rest!

The Finger of God
And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tablets of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. – Exodus 31:18