And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in
a year
On the day of atonement, as the Targum of Jonathan, and so Jarchi and Aben Ezra explain it; and the atonement here referred to seems to be an atonement for the altar itself, see ( Leviticus 16:18 Leviticus 16:19 ) and as the altar of burnt offering was first expiated and then used, ( Exodus 29:36 Exodus 29:37 ) so it seems the altar of incense had not only an atonement made on it, but for it: and this was done
with the blood of the sin offering of atonement;
by sprinkling the blood of that offering upon the horns of it, as we learn from the afore mentioned place; and this shows that Christ's mediation and intercession is founded upon the virtue of his blood, and the efficacy of his atoning sacrifice, see ( 1 John 2:1 1 John 2:2 )
once in the year shall he make atonement upon it, throughout your
generations;
which proves the insufficiency of all legal sacrifices of themselves to take away sin, since every year, as the apostle observes, there was a remembrance of it, ( Hebrews 10:3 Hebrews 10:4 )
it is most holy unto the Lord;
either the atonement made on the day of atonement, which was a most holy part of service, and pointed at the great atonement made by the most Holy One, the Son of God; or this altar thus expiated, and devoted to sacred use, was reckoned a most sacred one to the Lord, and so was to have nothing offered upon it but what he ordered; with which Jarchi agrees in his note,
``the altar is sanctified to these things only, and not to any other service.''