The Sweet Hour Of Prayer
The final piece of furniture to be fashioned and placed in the Tabernacle is the Altar of Incense.
Exodus 30:1 (ESV) “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
Exodus 30:6–8 (ESV) And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, 8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations.
The altar of incense was to be placed in front of the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. It was to burn continually, every day in every generation. It was to be tended by Aaron the High Priest and he was to make atonement for it every year.
What was this altar of incense for?
I would suggest it was a symbol of prayer. This is what Zechariah and the people were doing in the book of Luke concerning this altar when the angel announced to him the birth of John the Baptist.
Luke 1:8–11 (ESV) Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
Then the angel speaks to the priest and says,
Luke 1:13 (ESV) the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
That this altar was a place of prayer is most interesting and teaches us a few important facts about prayer.
First, it teaches us that for God to meet with us in prayer there must be a sacrifice for sins first. The location of the Incense altar teaches that. Outside the Holy Place was the Altar of Burnt Offering where sin sacrifices were made daily. We approach God only in the knowledge that our sins were atoned for by Jesus Christ, the final sacrifice.
Second, it teaches us that prayer is the pathway to God's most intimate presence. Again, the location just outside the Most Holy place reveals this. It is not worship singing or Bible teaching that brings us closest to God's presence. It is not small group or large corporate gatherings. Prayer is the path to God's most manifest presence.When we give ourselves to prayer, we draw close to God's most holy presence and life change happens.
Third, prayer is to be continual. We are told in the New Testament to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17). Our lives before God are lived with access to His presence continually in prayer because our Great High Priest has made the way for us.
Fourth, prayer is to be pleasant and memorable. I believe this is the reason for incense. The brain associates memories through smell. A certain fragrance can remind us of a time in our lives, a place, or a person we hold dear in our hearts. Prayers are often prayed, answers are then given, but the prayer was forgotten. How important it is to remember what you've asked of God to then give Him glory for His provision!
BUT...
The best news of all is this: In the Old Testament, the primary person responsible for the altar of incense representing continual prayers for God's people was the High Priest. In the New Testament, our Great High Priest does that for us at all times! Notice the wording of Paul:
Romans 8:33–34 (ESV) Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
I love how it speaks of Jesus being at the "right hand of God." If you look at the Tabernacle west to east as you would look at any other object on a map. The western part of the tabernacle (left side) is the Most Holy Place where God dwells. The very next object to the right of the Most Holy Place is the altar of incense representing the very position Christ occupies on our behalf before our Father.
Even if you're not that good at praying, you have a perfect intercessor operating in this regard for you!
Do you have ANYTHING to fear when you believe this??? NO.
Amen.
Exodus 30:1 (ESV) “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
Exodus 30:6–8 (ESV) And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, 8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations.
The altar of incense was to be placed in front of the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. It was to burn continually, every day in every generation. It was to be tended by Aaron the High Priest and he was to make atonement for it every year.
What was this altar of incense for?
I would suggest it was a symbol of prayer. This is what Zechariah and the people were doing in the book of Luke concerning this altar when the angel announced to him the birth of John the Baptist.
Luke 1:8–11 (ESV) Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
Then the angel speaks to the priest and says,
Luke 1:13 (ESV) the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
First, it teaches us that for God to meet with us in prayer there must be a sacrifice for sins first. The location of the Incense altar teaches that. Outside the Holy Place was the Altar of Burnt Offering where sin sacrifices were made daily. We approach God only in the knowledge that our sins were atoned for by Jesus Christ, the final sacrifice.
Second, it teaches us that prayer is the pathway to God's most intimate presence. Again, the location just outside the Most Holy place reveals this. It is not worship singing or Bible teaching that brings us closest to God's presence. It is not small group or large corporate gatherings. Prayer is the path to God's most manifest presence.When we give ourselves to prayer, we draw close to God's most holy presence and life change happens.
Third, prayer is to be continual. We are told in the New Testament to pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17). Our lives before God are lived with access to His presence continually in prayer because our Great High Priest has made the way for us.
Fourth, prayer is to be pleasant and memorable. I believe this is the reason for incense. The brain associates memories through smell. A certain fragrance can remind us of a time in our lives, a place, or a person we hold dear in our hearts. Prayers are often prayed, answers are then given, but the prayer was forgotten. How important it is to remember what you've asked of God to then give Him glory for His provision!
BUT...
The best news of all is this: In the Old Testament, the primary person responsible for the altar of incense representing continual prayers for God's people was the High Priest. In the New Testament, our Great High Priest does that for us at all times! Notice the wording of Paul:
Romans 8:33–34 (ESV) Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
I love how it speaks of Jesus being at the "right hand of God." If you look at the Tabernacle west to east as you would look at any other object on a map. The western part of the tabernacle (left side) is the Most Holy Place where God dwells. The very next object to the right of the Most Holy Place is the altar of incense representing the very position Christ occupies on our behalf before our Father.
Even if you're not that good at praying, you have a perfect intercessor operating in this regard for you!
Do you have ANYTHING to fear when you believe this??? NO.
Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment