Exodus 30:1-10
The altar of incense stands before the veil as the place where Aaron offers regular fragrant incense before the Lord and makes annual atonement on its horns.
1 “You shall make an altar to burn incense on. You shall make it of acacia wood.
2 Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit. It shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.
3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding around it.
4 You shall make two golden rings for it under its molding; on its two ribs, on its two sides you shall make them; and they shall be for places for poles with which to bear it.
5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
6 You shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the covenant, before the mercy seat that is over the covenant, where I will meet with you.
7 Aaron shall burn incense of sweet spices on it every morning. When he tends the lamps, he shall burn it.
8 When Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations.
9 You shall offer no strange incense on it, nor burnt offering, nor meal offering; and you shall pour no drink offering on it.
10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once in the year; with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once in the year he shall make atonement for it throughout your generations. It is most holy to Yahweh.”
The altar of incense stands before the veil as the place where Aaron offers regular fragrant incense before the LORD and makes annual atonement on its horns.
To command the making and use of the altar of incense, placed before the veil near the ark of the testimony, where Aaron is to burn fragrant incense regularly and make annual atonement on its horns.
Exodus 30 follows the instructions for the continual burnt offering and the LORD's promise to meet, speak, sanctify, and dwell among Israel. After the altar of burnt offering, priestly garments, consecration rites, and daily offerings have been described, the incense altar is placed inside the sanctuary order as a regular priestly ministry before the veil. The passage anticipates the broader tabernacle service by showing that nearness to God is ordered, mediated, fragrant, holy, and guarded by atonement.
After the daily burnt offering and the LORD’s promise to meet, speak, consecrate, and dwell among Israel, the LORD commands the incense altar. This altar stands inside the tent before the veil, closely associated with the ark of the testimony and the mercy seat behind the veil.
Incense, Atonement Money, Washing, Anointing Oil, and Holy Incense
The LORD’s presence among Israel requires holy incense, ransom, cleansing, anointing, and consecrated fragrance, because everything connected with His dwelling must be treated as holy to Him.