In the deaths of the sinners: and let him beat them into plates, and fasten them to the altar, because incense hath been offered in them to the Lord, and they are sanctified, that the children of Israel may see them for a sign and a memorial.
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
To ensure that future generations would not overlook this significant act of God, Moses instructed that the censers be displayed near the altar. Just as the rod conveyed its message silently through its appearance, so too should these censers serve as a reminder to all descendants, urging them to avoid the reckless behavior of their forebears, lest they face similar consequences. Are you aware of how priests were appointed in ancient times?
God spoke to St. Moses and Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saying, 'Let him collect the censers of those who have perished in the fire and discard the ashes, for the censers of these transgressors have been consecrated through their demise. Break them into sheets for the altar, for they have been offered to the Lord and made holy; they shall serve as a symbol for the children of Israel.' This was God's message at that time. In the book of Exodus, it is recorded about Bezaleel, son of Uriah from the tribe of Dan, who was responsible for all the sacred arrangements: 'This man crafted the bronze altar from the brass censers created by those who had stood with Korah' (Ex. 38:1).
What does this signify? It greatly benefits our understanding to note that the altar, which represents Christ, along with other sacred items like the lampstand, the purification basin, and the showbread, were all made from the contributions the people brought, each dedicated to God from what they possessed. It brings joy to the glory of God and the Father when they bear fruit for Christ by offering spiritual gifts symbolized by these items. Yet, the altar, serving the law, signifies in a mysterious and deliberate manner the irritation and opposition associated with the conspiracy against the great High Priest. Does this imagery resonate with you? Aaron stands as a foreshadowing of Christ. The Jews, however, contested Christ's glory, and their dispute centers around the lawful altar: for the ministry has seemingly ceased within the shadows, while in Christ, we offer a spiritual aroma to the Father. He has also provided us with a model, as if it were a reflection, saying, ‘And thou shalt make an altar of incense; of shittim wood shall thou make it: the length thereof shall be a cubit, and the breadth thereof a cubit; it shall be four-sided, and the height thereof shall be two cubits; and the horns thereof shall come out of it; and thou shalt cover it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about’ (Ex. 30:1-3).
If the censers belonging to those who had provoked God's wrath were “sanctified ... in their souls” and utilized as adornments for the altar, how much more shall the bodies of the confessors, “in their souls,” be made holy.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS