It was in Exodus 24, that the Lord called Moses to meet with Him on top of Mt. Sinai.  We read in Exodus 24:12, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.”  Beginning in Exodus 25, the Lord began to give Moses intricate details about building the tabernacle and all its furnishings, as well as the courtyard of the tabernacle.

  • Exodus 25 concerns the freewill offering and the materials, the ark, the table of showbread, and the golden candlestick.
  • Exodus 26 concerns the curtains, the coverings, the boards, the vail, and the hangings for the door.
  • Exodus 27 concerns the altar of brass, the court of the tabernacle, and the oil for the lamp.
  • Exodus 28 concerns Aaron and his sons, garments of Aaron’s service as High Priest, the ephod, the breastplate, the robe of the ephod, and the mitre.
  • Exodus 29 concerns the consecration of Aaron and his sons as High Priest and priests.
  • Exodus 30 concerns the altar, the atonement money, the brazen laver and the incense.

The study of the tabernacle is so rich with types of Christ and the church. I encourage you to study this whole portion carefully and learn of Christ. In reference to the Old Testament, including this portion, the Lord Jesus said in John 5:39, “Search the scripturesthey are they which testify of me.”

To answer your specific question, Exodus 30:22-33 deals with the holy anointing oil that was used to anoint the articles inside the tabernacle and Aaron and his sons. The anointing oil is a type of the Holy Spirit who is needed for us to be able to truly serve the Lord. We then read in verse 32, “Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.The oil was not to be poured on anyone’s flesh. This speaks of how the things of the Lord are not for those who are not saved. The flesh, or the unsaved man, cannot appreciate the precious truths that we, as Christians, are able to learn and enjoy. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Also this oil was not to be duplicated. There was to be no counterfeit oil. This is a warning for us today that there are many who preach a ‘counterfeit’ Gospel. The Apostle Paul sternly warned in Galatians 1:8, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

In verses 34-38, we learn of the incense. Just like the anointing oil, it consisted of four fragrant ingredients. Exact instructions are given for the construction of the incense. This compound is called ‘most holy’ in verse 36. The incense represents the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in Him that the Lord finds His pleasure. The incense was continually burned before the Lord, thus continually bringing before Him the sweet smelling savor of His dear Son, in whom we have salvation. In verse 38, the Lord warned that this incense was not to be made ‘to smell thereto’. Worship is for the Lord. When we worship Him, we should not think to please ourselves. What is condemned here is making worship a mere pleasure to the natural man, whether sensuous, as in music to please the ear, or eloquence, merely to give delight to the natural mind. It is very possible to go through all the motions of worshipping the Lord, when in actuality; our thoughts are not to honor the Lord, but to please ourselves. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 15:8, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” May we not be guilty of such a great offense to the Lord. (181.3)