THE DEDICATORY OFFERINGS: verses 10, 11.
"And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar in the day that it was anointed.... And the Lord said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar."
The offerings recorded in the early verses of this chapter were given in connection with the setting up of the Tabernacle, and had reference to its transportation. But the offerings now to be considered had reference to the altar, and the sacrifices to be offered thereon. Their number, their character, and their value are full of significance; and the space accorded to their record by God shows the Divine estimation of the altar, and of those gifts which pertain to sacrifice to Him.
The altar points us to our incarnate Saviour, the Christ of God, and reminds us that without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. The altar sanctified the gift; the fire on the altar first came down from heaven; all fire that did not come from the altar was strange fire, and could only bring death to the offerer when used in worship, as in the case of Nadab and Abihu.
Do we not need to remember this in the present day, when false teachers deny the atoning character of the death of Christ, and vainly imagine that God can be served with the unhallowed fires of fleshly activity?