The LORD said to Moses, “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the LORD, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”
Comment: My mother used to teach me that cleanliness is next to Godliness. A very good lesson for a child but I wonder, speaking in a broader sense, to include morality (our living pattern – principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour) if cleanliness isn’t a part of Godliness!
The LORD said to Moses, “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin and its stand. You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy. You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”
Comment: The whole of the things done in and around the tabernacle, even its whole structure, were a foretaste of what God was planning to do for His people when the Messiah came! When Jesus had paid the full price to obtain reconciliation for those who trusted and followed Him (and the same still applies today!) He anointed them with His righteousness and sent (sends) the Holy Spirit upon them (us)! Jesus is the One who covers our humanity with His divine righteousness and His sacrifice covering us makes it possible for those who follow Him to become priests before both God and the watching world. We must remember that whilst only the priests were to be anointed, God calls believers in 1 Peter 2v5 ‘to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.’ The anointing oil represents all that Jesus has done for us, It covers our deficiencies and is very pleasing to God!
Prayer: Thank You , our Holy God, for the high honour that You bestow on those who trust Jesus, and are thus reconciled with You.
As I read it! 