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Post by alon on Mar 17, 2023 12:28:10 GMT -8
This Week’s Readings:
Parashah- Exodus 30:1-10
Haftara- Malachi 1:11-2:7
D’rash: Again we see instructions on making an adjunct to the Mishkan, along with instructions on placing it and using it. And again we ask ourselves “why?” Why focus an entire parashah on one item?
The item is an altar on which incense is to be burned. We are given a hint in the last verse in this short reading:
“It is most holy to the Lord.” Exodus 30:10c
This ties it all up in a kind of common theme, but there has to be more to this. Let’s look.
Moshe is on Mt. Sinai receiving detailed instructions on how we are to walk holy before a holy Elohim.
Exodus 30:1 “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.” You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.
So this is an altar for burning incense before YHVH-Tsidkenu, God Our Righteousness (Jer 23:6). It is קֹֽדֶשׁ־קָֽדָשִׁ֥ים kadosh kadoshim, holy to God; set apart solely unto YHVH Elohim, the Lord Our God (Gen 27:20). We get the impression here this is a very important item!
Exodus 30:10a,b Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations.
The making of atonement for the nations sins is extremely important to the stability and fortunes of Yisroel! This cannot be understated. This altar must therefore be purified by the blood of the sacrifice before the cohen ha’gadol enters the presence of the Almighty.
Exodus 30:2-3 A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it.
Exodus 30:7-8 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations.
We are given the instructions in both its construction and its use.
Exodus 30:4 And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it.
Exodus 30:5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
Exodus 30:6 And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you.
Now we are told how it will be carried and where it is to be placed. This placement is extremely important, which is evidenced by the fact it is part of the center of a chiasm:
v1
vss 2 & 3
v 4
v5
v 6
Vss 7-8
v10
Writing this as a chiasm emphasizes the importance of this altar, and its placement is also emphasized, its being carried to and placed directly in front of the veil covering the Holy of Holies. This was as close as one could get to God’s presence without going behind the veil; a thing forbidden to all but the cohen ha’gadol, and him only once a year on Yom Kippur.
Our haftara gives an idea how important this all is:
Malachi 1:11,2:1-4 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. … “And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts.
This is quite a statement, and warning. When we bring the incense of our prayers to God we need to make sure we have a pure heart; our sins repented and our minds on the things of God.
Revelation 5:8,8:3-4 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. … And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.
This incense represents all the prayers of the saints; the wants and needs of the people. It is those desires of our hearts which align with God’s plan and purpose. We owe this to ourselves as well as all who we intercede for.
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
This is what we are called to do, both spiritually and physically. We are to give to the needy, true. But we are also to carry their petitions before God. Both these require effort, and both accrue eternal dividends:
1 Timothy 6:18-19 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Mekorot: All scripture from the ESV unless otherwise specified; Pastor S Lundval; much of my own interpretation as prayerfully seen in the texts; my father and others
Next Week’s Readings:
Parashah- Ex 30:11-38
Haftara- 2Ki 12:1-16
* Apostolic references will be given in the darashot
Parashah- Exodus 30:1-10
Haftara- Malachi 1:11-2:7
D’rash: Again we see instructions on making an adjunct to the Mishkan, along with instructions on placing it and using it. And again we ask ourselves “why?” Why focus an entire parashah on one item?
The item is an altar on which incense is to be burned. We are given a hint in the last verse in this short reading:
“It is most holy to the Lord.” Exodus 30:10c
This ties it all up in a kind of common theme, but there has to be more to this. Let’s look.
Moshe is on Mt. Sinai receiving detailed instructions on how we are to walk holy before a holy Elohim.
Exodus 30:1 “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.” You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.
So this is an altar for burning incense before YHVH-Tsidkenu, God Our Righteousness (Jer 23:6). It is קֹֽדֶשׁ־קָֽדָשִׁ֥ים kadosh kadoshim, holy to God; set apart solely unto YHVH Elohim, the Lord Our God (Gen 27:20). We get the impression here this is a very important item!
Exodus 30:10a,b Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations.
The making of atonement for the nations sins is extremely important to the stability and fortunes of Yisroel! This cannot be understated. This altar must therefore be purified by the blood of the sacrifice before the cohen ha’gadol enters the presence of the Almighty.
Exodus 30:2-3 A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it.
Exodus 30:7-8 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations.
We are given the instructions in both its construction and its use.
Exodus 30:4 And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it.
Exodus 30:5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
Exodus 30:6 And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you.
Now we are told how it will be carried and where it is to be placed. This placement is extremely important, which is evidenced by the fact it is part of the center of a chiasm:
v1
vss 2 & 3
v 4
v5
v 6
Vss 7-8
v10
Writing this as a chiasm emphasizes the importance of this altar, and its placement is also emphasized, its being carried to and placed directly in front of the veil covering the Holy of Holies. This was as close as one could get to God’s presence without going behind the veil; a thing forbidden to all but the cohen ha’gadol, and him only once a year on Yom Kippur.
Our haftara gives an idea how important this all is:
Malachi 1:11,2:1-4 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. … “And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts.
This is quite a statement, and warning. When we bring the incense of our prayers to God we need to make sure we have a pure heart; our sins repented and our minds on the things of God.
Revelation 5:8,8:3-4 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. … And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.
This incense represents all the prayers of the saints; the wants and needs of the people. It is those desires of our hearts which align with God’s plan and purpose. We owe this to ourselves as well as all who we intercede for.
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
This is what we are called to do, both spiritually and physically. We are to give to the needy, true. But we are also to carry their petitions before God. Both these require effort, and both accrue eternal dividends:
1 Timothy 6:18-19 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Mekorot: All scripture from the ESV unless otherwise specified; Pastor S Lundval; much of my own interpretation as prayerfully seen in the texts; my father and others
Next Week’s Readings:
Parashah- Ex 30:11-38
Haftara- 2Ki 12:1-16
* Apostolic references will be given in the darashot
