Exodus 30: 1-10
The Brazen Altar was made of shittim wood and was covered with pure gold. The golden altar typifies Christ as He entered into heaven. He is the altar of sacrifice and we as believers are the holy priesthood. We are to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. The Altar of Incense represents true heavenly worship. (1Peter 2:5-12).

There is a warning not to offer strange incense. In Leviticus 10: 1-7, there is an additional warning against strange fire. Strange incense is essentially ritualistic worship, or a mere outward form of worship that glorifies man not God. Strange fire is a soulish, emotional worship that is destitute of the Holy Spirit’s presence. He alone gives the power of true worship. See vs 34-38 about the sweet spices for the incense.

Exodus 30:11-16
And all those who come as true worshippers must be redeemed. Here is a confession of the fact that all are lost, all on equal footing, and ALL need redemption.

And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, “When you take the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then will they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, then you number them; that there be no plague among them, when you number them. The rich will not give more, and the poor will not give less than half a shekel when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make atonement for your souls. And you will take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and will appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.”

Exodus 30: 22-33

The holy anointing oil is the type of the Holy Spirit. He is needed for worship in the Spirit. Notice that in these verses that the oil was not to be poured upon man’s flesh. The flesh is so corrupt that the Holy Spirit can have nothing to do with it. Even today the Holy Spirit and His real work is counterfeited in these days. The ingredients of the incense are also given. It is typical of the sweet fragrance Christ is to God. His life on earth, His obedience, His death on the cross, His presence in Glory, all He is and all He does is an unspeakable fragrance and of great value to God.

Exodus 30: 17-21
The Brazen Laver was for the washing of the hands and the feet and were symbolical of the washing of the water by the Word, or the daily the cleansing from daily defilement. We must be cleansed, self-judged, self-denied and be separated from evil, if we are to be true worshippers before the altar of incense. No real communion with God is possible save on the ground of personal holiness. The Word of God is the true looking glass of our spiritual condition and thus we can go to our laver for cleansing.

Exodus 38: 1-7
Bezaleel made the burnt offering altar of acacia wood; its top was five cubits square, and it was three cubits high. He made its horns on the four corners of it; the horns were of one piece with it; and he overlaid it with bronze. He made all the utensils and vessels of the altar, the pots, shovels, basins, forks or fleshhooks and firepans; all its utensils and vessels he made of bronze. And he made for the altar a bronze grate of network under its ledge, extending half way down it. He cast four rings for the four corners for the bronze grating, to be places for the poles with which to carry it. And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with bronze. And he put the poles through the rings on the altar’s sides, with which to carry it; he made it hollow with planks.