Introduction & Prayer

In Exodus 30, God reveals the importance of the anointing oil and the altar of incense. We discover the continuous thread between offering and sacrifice and how our obedience is part of worship

• What are the 7 pieces of Tabernacle furniture?

• What are the 2 parts of the Sacred Tent?

• Pray

Key Concept:

God is holy and set apart. Our lives become holy when we have a relationship with Jesus. When we live in submission to the Presence of God, then others see the holiness of God in our lives and are drawn to Messiah,

Read Exodus 30:6-8

Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. I will meet with you there. 7 “Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar. 8 And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the Lord’s presence. This must be done from generation to generation.

• Why was it important to have a curtain shielding the Ark of the Covenant?

• What was used to fuel the lamps in the tabernacle?

• What does oil often represent in the NT? [Holy Spirit/Presence of God]

Read Psalm 141:1-2

O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry! Listen when I cry to you for help! Accept my prayer as incense offered to you, and my upraised hands as an evening offering.

• What does the Psalmist associate with incense?

• What are the different actions that the Psalmist self-identifies in these two verses? [calling, crying, offering, raising]

• What does worship look like in your life? Does it involve some of the same verbs that the Psalmist identified?

Read Exodus 30:9

Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.

• What was the purpose of a burnt offering? [atonement]

Read Leviticus 10:1-3

1Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over them. In this way, they disobeyed the Lord by burning before him the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. 2So fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the Lord. 3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when he said, ‘I will display my holiness through those who come near me. I will display my glory before all the people.’ ” And Aaron was silent.

• Why were Nadab and Abihu killed?

• Why does God seem so harsh?

• How does God say His holiness will be seen?

• Is there a difference in the holiness of God and the glory of God?

Read Exodus 30:13-16

13 Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the Lord. (This payment is half a shekel, based on the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.) 14 All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this sacred offering to the Lord. 15 When this offering is given to the Lord to purify your lives, making you right with him, the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less.16 Receive this ransom money from the Israelites, and use it for the care of the Tabernacle. It will bring the Israelites to the Lord’s attention, and it will purify your lives.”

• Why was this called a ransom?

• What was the purpose of this ransom?

• Re-read verse 15. Why were the amounts to be the same whether the individual was rich or poor?

Read Exodus 30:17-21

17 Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water. 19 Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there. 20 They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the Lord and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the Lord—or they will die! 21 They must always wash their hands and feet, or they will die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants, to be observed from generation to generation.”

• What is justification vs sanctification? [Justification is the process of being made right with God. It happens when we accept the finished sacrifice of Christ. Sanctification is the process of submitting our lives to the Spirit of God so that we become more like Christ.]

• What is God showing us by having the priests wash with water every time they went into the Tabernacle?

• What are common sins that cause many to repeatedly fall back into bad patterns? What are some of the more hidden or less noticeable sins that can easily sneak into our lives?

• Why did the priests have to wash every time they appeared before the Lord?

• When we come before God in prayer, is there anything we can do?

• Read Psalm 100:1–5 1Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! 2Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. 3Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. 5For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Read Exodus 30:25-29

25 Like a skilled incense maker, blend these ingredients to make a holy anointing oil. 26 Use this sacred oil to anoint the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, 27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its accessories, the incense altar, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the washbasin with its stand. 29 Consecrate them to make them absolutely holy. After this, whatever touches them will also become holy.

• Why were they instructed to sprinkle this oil on the furniture and utensils?

• What does the word consecrate mean?

• If you grew up in a home where your mom had special china or drink ware, what was it that made the plates or glasses special? Who got to use these plates/dishes?

• How did you feel when you first were allowed to use those plates and glasses?

• Why does God want us to see our lives as holy or set apart?

Action Step:

Following God is a life of daily obedience through sacrifice and offering. It’s not coming to God our way—It’s coming to God His way! And this is what sets us apart as different. This is what makes us holy. This holiness is not meant to be contained. The holiness of God is meant to impact every area of our lives. And then God’s holiness when seen by others, will draw them to Messiah. This week take a step to eliminate one activity/behavior from your life that seems to regularly draw you into a direction away from God.

What can we do as Bethel to reveal the holiness of God?