You know how clean and special a chemist’s shop usually smells? God’s house, and God’s priests had to smell special, too. But God’s recipe for the anointing oil, and the holy perfume was to be unique. Israel would therefore only associate "that smell" with the Holy Place, and the Holy Priests.

Exo 30:15  Rich or poor, all paid the same price. Christ our atonement (sin covering) paid tribute money. Matt 17:24-27  Christ speaking to Peter."For me and thee"  

30         A pre determined amount of  anointing oil had to be made (30:23) but there is no specific amount of incense that had to be made.  This indicates that whereas the Mosaic order was for a limited period but the prayers of the saints (Rev 8:4) were not to be limited.

30:34 Notice the contrast with the anointing oil. Whilst a specific quantity of anointing oil was to be made there is no such instruction for the incense which represents prayer. There was no limit to how much prayer could be offered.

30:13 This ‘half shekel payment is the basis for – Matt 17:27 - where, in response to the question as to whether Jesus paid taxes Peter found a coin in the fish’s mouth. The coin was equivalent to one shekel – ‘for thee and me’ Jesus said.

Vs.23,24 500 shekels = 48lbs. 4oz (22kg.); a hin = approx. 5 quarts (5.7 liters).

30:15 Redemption is according to need not ability to pay. No man could give a ransom to God to redeem himself - Psa 49:7 - so this fixed amount marks the point that no matter how wealthy one was redemption was at God’s decree.

Why did they have to atone for themselves with money each time they were counted (v11-16)? Was it because God had promised to make them as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and therefore to count them would be to doubt the promise?

Whatever the answer, when it came to David numbering Israel it appears Joab didn't obtain all the ransom money, which is possibly why the plague warned about in v12 happened (see 1Chron 20:6-8).

88:10 Whilst we might use this verse to prove that death end consciousness this is not why the Psalmist says this. Rather he is telling God that if he dies then his ability to praise Him will end. He sees death as the destruction of the fellowship that he has with his God and the enc, therefore, of his praise of Him. By contrast continuing to live will enable him to praise God. Is this how we view our lives? As an opportunity to praise Him - not just in hymns but in the way that we live.

87:2 It is clear that Zion is the 'place' of God's choosing. It was David's desire to bring the ark there (Psalm 132:4-5) Is the concept of God dwelling in Zion the driving force in our lives?

88:1, 9, 13 On three occasions the Psalmist says that he has called upon God - but this is not 'vain repetition. The Psalmist is desperate for God to work. Notice it is three times (2 Corinthians 12:8)

87 - Those who are ;in Christ’ are the children of Zion for ‘ Jerusalem … is the mother of us all.’ (Gal 4:26) so we are amongst those who are ‘born there’ (Psa 87:4-5)

88:8 There were times when David’s friends forsook him. When Saul sought to kill him and the time he was fleeing from Absalom are two. Notice David sees these times as being when God turned his acquaintances from him.

Psalm 87  This Psalm extols Jerusalem and her spiritual citizens.

Psalm 88  This Psalm is a prayer depicting great personal affliction. (V.15)  and pleading for an answer from God. (V.1;9;13.)

87:4 Rahab is descriptive of Egypt in the same way as Ephraim is descriptive of Israel.
 
In the spiritual sense Jerusalem is the city of our birth.
We are sojourners here and look forward to our permanent home which is the New Jerusalem (Heb 13:14, Rev 3:12).
 
88:2 continues yesterday's observation of the merciful ear of Yahweh.

87:3    ‘Glorious things are spoken’ of the city of God.  Isa 60 – the whole of the chapter – speaks of glorious things that will be done in Jerusalem which is the ‘city of God’ Isaiah Isa 60:14.

In Ps. 88, the psalmist expresses anguish at his troubled state.  The heading gives the understanding of the nature of this psalm.  Mahalath Leannoth means concerning sickness.  Perhaps the psalmist is speaking of a person shut away because of leprosy (v.18). However, the psalm is not just intended as a complaining tale of woe.  Maschil signifies that the psalm is intended as a lesson to its readers or hearers.  Usually that lesson is one of wisdom or piety.

88:14-16 The early part of the Psalm how David lamenting the loss of his friends but not his bigger concern is that his God is afflicting him.

14:61 15:2, 5 'answered nothing' should remind us of the prophecy of Isaiah - 'as a sheep … so he opened not his mouth' [Isa 53:7]
:16 'led' continues to echo the sacrifice language.
:39 Consider how often in the New Testament centurions are cast in a good light. How many centurions were impressed by the gospel? How many responded to the gospel? May it be that we are being introduced to one centurion in different locations who eventually accepted the gospel?

16:9, 12, 14 present a threefold 'appeared' 'that in the mouth of two or three witnesses …' [Deuteronomy 19:15]. This powerful testimony to the resurrection of Jesus is developed [1 Corinthians 15:3-8]. We should not underestimate the power of these eye witness accounts. The fact that we are now 2,000 years on from the event does not make the testimony of eyewitnesses any less credible.

16:15 In commanding the disciples to preach to 'every creature' we have the origins of the language [Colossians 1:23] where Paul informs us that the words of Jesus actually have been fulfilled. So, without wishing to say that we no longer need to preach, the work has been done. It is not as if our preaching is doing a work that the apostles did not do. They completed the job in their day and we are repeating the work, as far as we are able without the Spirit gifts. Therefore we cannot reason that Christ will not come until Christadelphians have praached in'all the world'.

15:36 The way in which 'one ran …' is quite different from the mocking which had occurred earlier in the crucifixion. Maybe the fact that it was now dark - a most unexpected event at mid day - caused the change in attitudes and response to Jesus' situation.

16 - With respect to the resurrection of Jesus the emphasis is on 'very early in the morning on the first day of the week (:2, 9). Jesus is the second Adam - so does this give some indication as to the time of day that Adam was made from the dust of the ground?

15:15 Pilate had Jesus scourged. Scourging was a procedure whereby a prisoner was lashed with a whip containing several long tails.  These tails were embedded with jagged pieces of metal or bone.  The whipped tails would strike, wrapping themselves around the body while they ripped the flesh. 

The purpose of scourging was to elicit a confession of guilt from the prisoner.  A Roman official would be close to the prisoner being scourged ready to record the confession when it came.
 
15:39 I wonder if the centurion who confessed Christ was Cornelius.
 
15:43 Joseph of Arimathaea was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council. Members of the Sanhedrin comprised a very rich and powerful club.  Joseph's taking of Christ's body publicly proclaimed him as his follower (15:44,45).  As such, he would be alleviated of his position in the Sanhedrin together with the wealth and connections which accompanied it. Joseph was willing to forfeit his worldly status for something greater (Mark 10:29,30).

Pilate was not convinced that Jesus was a threat to either the Jewish or Roman powers.  But, as a Roman administrator, he had to be politically expedient.  Thus, he acceded to the wishes of his Jewish subjects for the sake of political peace.  And if that meant sending an innocent man to be crucified, so be it.  To absolve himself of the obvious injustice of this act, he publicly proclaimed his virtue over the matter (Matt 27:24).  Is it not ironic that Pilate means firm in Latin.  By his actions, he showed anything but firmness in moral conviction.  

15:38    The rending of the veil of the temple would mean that when the  priest went into the temple to trim the lampstand he would have been able to see into the most holy place.

15:28 is a quote from Isa 53:12 and is included in the KJV. Modern versions either do not include v.28 or include it with a qualification that the verse is not found in many manuscripts.

15:39  In saying ‘truly this man was the Son of God’ the centurion is demonstrating that the words that were spoken at Jesus baptism – Mark 1:11 – were in fact true. Jesus’ mission to declare God to the people had been successful, despite the fact that he was dead.

V.17 In the Diaglot, the crown of thorns is described as an acanthine wreath.  The acanthus is a plant with large thistle-like leaves.

15:2-5 That Jesus answered Pilate ‘nothing’ is significant. Charges had been laid at Jesus feet by the religious leaders. Pilate was trying to establish the veracity of those charges in order to decide whether the trial should proceed. If Jesus had said anything he would have had to highlight the falsity of the charges and so the trial would not have progressed and Jesus would not have been found guiltless by Pilate on the basis of his own understanding of the matter.

Baptism

I. belief, baptism and obedience are necessary steps toward eternal life.

II. the prerequisite for baptism is belief (Mark 16:16) which in the Grk denoted understanding.

     A. "baptize(d)", Grk "baptizo" (907) or immersion (burial with Christ) for the remission of sins - Acts 2:37-38,41; Col 2:12;Acts 16:30,31,33.

     B. we are to worship the Lord in the proper spirit and in truth - John 4:24;John 17:17;1Thess 5:21;2Tim 2:15;Acts 8:12.

     C. dangers of lack of knowledge and distortion of truth - Hos 4:6;Gal 1:6-9;Rom 10:2.

III. baptized into a union with Christ, his death and his resurrection - Gal 3:27,29;Rom 6:3-6;Col 2:10-13.

IV. only one type of baptism is valid - Eph 4:5-6;Acts 19:1-5;Acts 8:26-39 (came out of the water implies complete immersion).

V. baptism is essential - John 3:3-5;1Pet 3:20-21 (baptism is a symbolic but necessary step like marriage vs unmarried relationships and remembering Christ and his sacrifice in the appointed manner by taking the bread with wine); Eph 2:12-13;Acts 9:17-19.

VI. baptism wshes away sins - Acts 22:12-16.

VII. Jesus was baptized, shouldn't we be? - Mark 1:9.

VIII. can't willfully sin without restraint - Heb 3:12-14;Heb 6:4-8;Heb 10:26-29.

     A. importance of obedience: 1.) faith w/o works is dead James 2:17.  2.) many are called but few are chosen Matt 22:14.  3.) truth will set you free John 8:32.  4.) obedience 2Pet 2:20-21;James 4:17.  5.) endure till the end Matt 10:22;Gal 6:7-9.

IX. in the first century even if they received the Holy Spirit they still had a water baptism - Acts 10:44-48; Acts 9:17-19.

15:15  It is ironic that it was Barabbas who was released in exchange for Jesus, the Son of God.  Barabbas means son of the father. 

15:21 Was Simon known to the apostles, and did he later preach to the Greeks (Acts 11:20)?  Were Simon's sons also mentioned in later writings (Acts 19:33; Rom 16:13)? 

In Amos 8 we have a prophecy fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in the 1st century. There was a dreadful loss of life, and thereafter there was not again a nation of Israel until its miraculous appearance last century. When we personally struggle with the magnitude of God's punishment on the Jews, it is worth looking at the Biblical context of Jesus' death. Reading 15:29-32 gives us an idea of the evil minds behind Jesus' death, borne of envy. Who would mock and scorn an innocent man in his death throes while his loved ones looked on? Had they no pity?

Verse 29 is phrased "those who passed by blasphemed him" and in Amos 8:2 God says "The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more". In other words, this was the last provocation God was willing to endure. God would not forget what these did to his son (Amos 8:7) and the darkness over the land signalled the start of His time of mourning (2Sam 19:4, Amos 8:10, Mark 15:33)

15:17-18In clothing Jesus in purple and saluting him there is an enactment of the events in Dan 5:29where Daniel was honoured. Whilst it is unlikely that the Roman soldiers knew the book of Daniel it is a macabre irony.