22 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 23 And thou, take best spices—of liquid myrrh five hundred [shekels], and of sweet cinnamon the half—two hundred and fifty, and of sweet myrtle two hundred and fifty, 24 and of cassia five hundred, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin; 25 and make of it an oil of holy ointment, a perfume of perfumery after the work of the perfumer: it shall be the holy anointing oil. 26 And thou shalt anoint the tent of meeting with it, and the ark of the testimony, 27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lamp-stand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28 and the altar of burnt-offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand. 29 And thou shalt hallow them, that they may be most holy: whatever toucheth them shall be holy. 30 And Aaron and his sons thou shalt anoint, and shalt hallow them, that they may serve me as priests. 31 And thou shalt speak to the children of Israel, saying, A holy anointing oil shall this be unto me throughout your generations. 32 Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make [any] like it, after the preparation of it: it is holy—holy shall it be unto you. 33 Whoever compoundeth [any] like it, or whoever putteth [any] of it upon any strange thing, shall be cut off from his peoples. 34 And Jehovah said to Moses, Take fragrant drugs—stacte, and onycha, and galbanum—fragrant drugs and pure frankincense; in like proportions shall it be. 35 And thou shalt make it into incense, a perfume, after the work of the perfumer, salted, pure, holy. 36 And thou shalt beat [some] of it to powder, and put [some] of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. 37 And the incense that thou shalt make, ye shall not make for yourselves according to the proportions of it; it shall be unto thee holy to Jehovah. 38 Whoever maketh like unto it, to smell it, shall be cut off from his peoples.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 30:22-38
Commentary on Exodus 30:22-38
(Read Exodus 30:22-38)
Directions are here given for making the holy anointing oil, and the incense to be used in the service of the tabernacle. To show the excellency of holiness, there was this spiced oil in the tabernacle, which was grateful to the sight and to the smell. Christ's name is as ointment poured forth, Ecclesiastes 7:1. The incense burned upon the golden altar was prepared of sweet spices. When it was used, it was to be beaten very small; thus it pleased the Lord to bruise the Redeemer, when he offered himself for a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour. The like should not be made for any common use. Thus God would keep in the people's minds reverence for his own services, and teach us not to profane or abuse any thing whereby God makes himself known. It is a great affront to God to jest with sacred things, and to make sport with his word and ordinances. It is most dangerous and fatal to use professions of the gospel of Christ to forward wordly interests.