Washing, Oil, and Incense - Exodus 30:17-38

30:17-21 - Next comes the instruction for the laver, which is I guess like a wash basin, it’s meant to be used for the ritual washing of the priests before they serve in the tabernacle. I don’t know if they climb into it like a bath tub or if they stand next to it, but the instructions are kind of weird if they just stand next to it. It doesn’t say explicitly in the scriptures but TB says that they are to “dip their right hands into the Laver washing their right hand first, and then their right foot. Then they washed their left hand and their left foot. Just so you don’t get the wrong picture, only their hands dipped into the water; they washed their feet WITH their hands.” Clean hands would have been important, and the feet thing makes sense too I guess because I think the people mostly wore sandals so their feet would have been dirty which is why in Jesus’ time washing feet was such a big deal.

30:22-33 - Next we come to the anointing oil that is used in the ceremonies. I don’t know if these are the same oils that were talked about previously, that were poured over the head and shoulders in such quantities that it dripped down to their beards or if they were meant for other purposes. The spices that were to be put into the olive oil were 500 shekels of “pure myrrh,” sweet cinnamon at 250 shekels, and sweet calamus at 250 shekels, 500 shekels or cassia. TB clarifies, “the most important ingredients had to be brought from long distances such as Arabia, India, and China. They were rare and difficult to manufacture… After blending my a specialist, it would be used to consecrate people and ritual implements into divine service. In fact, without this special concoction it was not possible to consecrate priests into service to the Lord.” This oil blend was meant to be used so specifically that the Lord says that anyone who misuses it “shall even be cut off from his people.”

30:34-38 – Finally, the Lord gives the instruction for the creation of the incense that is to be burned at the altar. TB says that there are 4 ingredients: balsam resin, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense.” This incense compound is ONLY to be used at the altar for burning incense inside the temple and nowhere else with the same punishment for those who disobey, being “cut off from his people.”