The LORD said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you. And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the LORD. Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.”
Comment: Yesterday they made an oil for anointing. These orders today are for an incense to be present and sensed before the Holiest of Holies, continually. This incense also represents Jesus and the wholeness of His glorious character making the presence of sinful priests acceptable as they (we) serve Him. He was the perfect sacrifice. We are supposed to be living sacrifices – offering our deeds, words and thinking to Him! It includes our daily job but much more as well!
1 The LORD said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, 8 the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.”
Comment: We often think that modern man is much cleverer than people living millenia before us. When I see pictures of archeological buildings and jewellery, I doubt our superiority! We can still do great things and some do. We have much more technology but often try to do things quickly and without effort, extending not the necessary attention to detail and we often don’t have preparedness to put aside our commitment to selfish pursuits to perform excellent time consuming detailed work. We’d rather buy a table in a box and assemble it in half an hour! What I have said is not true of everyone! If I’ve painted you incorrectly please forgive me! These guys, Bezalel and Oholiab and their co-workers, certainly did a magnificent job to glorify God. Are we to be His provision for our time?
Prayer: Keep me honest before You in all that I do and say, Lord Jesus!
As I read it! 