And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense
upon
The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan call it incense of spices,
properly enough, for it was made of various spices; of which see
( Exodus
30:34 ) and this was necessary on a natural and civil
account, to remove those ill smells from the sanctuary,
occasioned by the number of beasts continually slain in it; but
chiefly on a religions account, to denote the acceptableness of
the service of the sanctuary to God:
of shittim wood shall thou make it:
of the same that the altar of burnt offering was made, which was
covered with brass, but this with gold, as after related; of this
sort of wood, (See Gill on Exodus
25:5) as this altar was a type of Christ, the shittim
wood may respect his human nature; which wood, though it sprung
out of the earth, was not common, but choice and excellent, and
very strong durable, and incorruptible; and so Christ, though he
was man made of an earthly woman in his human nature, yet was
chosen out of the people, is the chiefest among ten thousand, and
excellent as the cedars, the man of God's right hand, whom he
made strong for himself; and though he died in it, he saw no
corruption, he now lives, and will live for evermore; in which
nature he acts the part of a Mediator, and intercedes for his
people, and offers up their prayers, perfumed with the much
incense of his mediation, to which this altar has a special
respect.