34 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. 35 “With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36 “You shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. 37 “The incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the LORD. 38“Whoever shall make any like it, to use as perfume, shall be cut off from his people.”
God was serious about not using those things which were holy for common purposes. They were special, because they were used in service to God. It should be a reminder to us to not take lightly those things used for God’s service today. We may not be able to avoid using them for other purposes, but remember they also have a higher purpose.