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One difficult aspect of Old Testament life to appreciate (at least in the Western world) is the use of animal sacrifices. The Israelites are first a nomadic people; later when they are settled, they become a shepherding people. For them to offer their best and dearest to God means most naturally an animal, one without blemish and young. These animals are the basis of their economy and provide them with food, clothing, shelter, and security. To offer God an animal sacrifice is to offer a piece of their lives. So offerings are very personal and differ based on what families can afford. In some cases, the sacrifices are completely consumed, but in others the priests and the people take some of the meat home to their own tables. This way the whole community shares in the bounty of the sacrifice.

Eternal One: 31 Take the meat of the ordination ram and boil it in a sacred place. 32 Aaron and his sons are to eat it and the bread from the basket at the entrance to the congregation tent. 33 Only they are allowed to eat the bread and meat which was part of their purification rite in the ordination ceremony. An outsider may not eat them because they are holy. 34 If any meat or bread is left over from the ordination ceremony the next morning, burn it completely. No one is allowed to eat it, for it is holy.

35 The ordination period is to last for seven days. Here is what you must do to ordain Aaron and his sons to My priestly service. 36 Offer a bull as an offering every day for seven days to purify them from sin. Cleanse the altar and consecrate it by anointing it with oil. 37 For seven days you must purify the altar and consecrate it. As a result of these rituals it will be most holy and anything that touches the altar will become holy.

38 Here are the sacrifices you are to offer on the altar: every day offer two one-year-old lambs. 39 Offer one lamb in the morning, and the other at twilight. 40 With the lamb offered in the morning bring two quarts of fine flour mixed together with one quart of beaten olive oil, and one quart of wine for the drink offering. 41 With the second lamb offered at twilight, bring the same gifts of grain and drink that you offered with the morning lamb. These offerings by fire presented to Me will give off a pleasing aroma. 42 From generation to generation, the ritual of the burnt offering is to begin daily at the entrance of the congregation tent in My presence. I will meet with you and talk with you there. 43 I will meet with My people Israel there, for My glory will make that place sacred. 44 I will sanctify the congregation tent and the altar. I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve as My priests. 45 I will live among the Israelites and be their God. 46 And they will know that I am the Eternal their God, who led them out of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Eternal One their God.

30 Eternal One: Make an altar out of acacia wood for burning incense in the shape of a square—18 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 36 inches high. Carve the horns and the top of the altar out of one piece of wood. Overlay the top, sides, and horns with pure gold, and attach gold trim around its edges. Fashion two gold rings, and attach them beneath the trim on the two opposite sides; the rings are to hold the poles so that the altar can be carried. Make the poles out of acacia wood as well and overlay them with gold. Place this altar just outside of the veil that conceals the covenant chest and the seat of mercy that sits on top of the covenant chest. I will meet with you there.

Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he trims the lamps’ wicks and every evening when he lights the lamps. Incense must be burned in My presence throughout all your generations. Do not burn any strange incense, burnt offerings, or grain offerings at this altar. Also, do not pour out any drink offerings on it. 10 Since this altar is sacred to Me, Aaron is to cleanse it once each year by smearing blood from the sin offering on its horns. Throughout all your generations, the high priests are to perform this ritual.

11 The Eternal One continued giving instructions to Moses.

Eternal One (to Moses): 12 When you take a census of the population of Israel, each person should pay a ransom to Me so that no disease will spread among them when you count them. 13 Everyone who is counted must bring ⅕ ounce of silver—a weight based on the sanctuary’s measure, where ⅖ ounce equals 20 gerahs[a]—and it is to be given to Me as an offering. 14 Everyone who is 20 years old and older will be counted and must give this offering to Me. 15 The rich will not pay more, and the poor will not pay less than ⅕ of an ounce. This money will go to Me in order to ransom your lives. 16 Take all the money collected from the people of Israel and use it to provide for the service of the congregation tent. This will serve as a constant reminder of My covenant with Israel and provide a way to atone for your lives.

Footnotes

  1. 30:13 A gerah is about 150 of an ounce or 0.6 grams.

31 “Take the ram(A) for the ordination and cook the meat in a sacred place.(B) 32 At the entrance to the tent of meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread(C) that is in the basket. 33 They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eat(D) them, because they are sacred. 34 And if any of the meat of the ordination ram or any bread is left over till morning,(E) burn it up. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred.

35 “Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. 36 Sacrifice a bull each day(F) as a sin offering to make atonement(G). Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate(H) it. 37 For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.(I)

38 “This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day:(J) two lambs a year old. 39 Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight.(K) 40 With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah[a] of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin[b] of oil(L) from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering.(M) 41 Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight(N) with the same grain offering(O) and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.

42 “For the generations to come(P) this burnt offering is to be made regularly(Q) at the entrance to the tent of meeting,(R) before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you;(S) 43 there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory.(T)

44 “So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests.(U) 45 Then I will dwell(V) among the Israelites and be their God.(W) 46 They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt(X) so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.(Y)

The Altar of Incense(Z)

30 “Make an altar(AA) of acacia wood for burning incense.(AB) It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high[c]—its horns(AC) of one piece with it. Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.(AD) Make two gold rings(AE) for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.(AF) Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover(AG) that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.

“Aaron must burn fragrant incense(AH) on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.(AI) Do not offer on this altar any other incense(AJ) or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Once a year(AK) Aaron shall make atonement(AL) on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering[d](AM) for the generations to come.(AN) It is most holy to the Lord.”

Atonement Money

11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take a census(AO) of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom(AP) for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague(AQ) will come on them when you number them. 13 Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,[e] according to the sanctuary shekel,(AR) which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. 14 All who cross over, those twenty years old or more,(AS) are to give an offering to the Lord. 15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less(AT) when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. 16 Receive the atonement(AU) money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting.(AV) It will be a memorial(AW) for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 29:40 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  2. Exodus 29:40 That is, probably about 1 quart or about 1 liter
  3. Exodus 30:2 That is, about 1 1/2 feet long and wide and 3 feet high or about 45 centimeters long and wide and 90 centimeters high
  4. Exodus 30:10 Or purification offering
  5. Exodus 30:13 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.8 grams; also in verse 15