The incense altar was positioned directly in front of the
veil leading to the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle.
The
priests were not allowed to tend to the lamp in the tabernacle
unless the incense was burning on the altar. These are joint
ministries. God's light comes with prayer.
We shine best before men when are hearts burn most before
God.
"Put this altar outside the
curtain which hangs in front of the Covenant Box. That is the place
where I will meet you. Every morning when Aaron comes to take care
of the lamps, he is to burn sweet-smelling incense on it." (Exo
30:6-7)
The
incense in the tabernacle speaks of the prayers of God's
people.
"Receive my prayer as
incense, my uplifted hands as an evening sacrifice." (Psa
141:2)
"Another angel, who had a
gold incense container, came and stood at the altar. He was given a
lot of incense to add to the prayers of all God's people and to
offer it on the gold altar that stands before the throne. The smoke
of the burning incense went up with the prayers of God's people
from the hands of the angel standing before God." (Rev
8:3-4)
The
incense altar was the smallest piece of furniture in the
tabernacle.
It is not the size or length of our prayers that
count.
"The effectual fervent prayer
of a righteous one avails much." (Jam 5:16 MKJ)
The
incense altar of the tabernacle was made
of wood and gold, the earthly and the divine.
Christ,
fully God and fully man, is always interceding for us at the Father
in heaven.
"Who will accuse God's chosen
people? God himself declares them not guilty! Who, then, will
condemn them? Not Christ Jesus, who died, or rather, who was raised
to life and is at the right side of God, pleading with him for us!"
(Rom 8:33-34)
"And so he is able, now and
always, to save those who come to God through him,
because he lives forever to plead with God for them." (Heb
7:25)
Carrying
rings and staves were attached to the incense
altar of the tabernacle so that it could be
carried.
"Make two gold carrying rings
for it and attach them below the border on
two sides to hold the poles with which it is to be carried." (Exo
30:4)
This
implies that prayer and intercession is not limited to time and
place.
"The time will come when
people will not worship the Father either on this mountain or in
Jerusalem.
But the time is coming and is already here, when by the power of
God's Spirit people will worship the Father as he really is,
offering him the true worship that he wants." (Joh
4:21,23)
A border or crown round the edge of the incense altar in
the tabernacle kept the coals from falling to the
ground.
"Cover its top, all four
sides, and its projections with pure gold,
and put a gold border around it." (Exo 30:3)
The
purpose of the fire is to let the incense rise towards God. Because
the coals
are kept inside the incense altar, we know that the prayers of
Christ will never fail.
"In the same way the Spirit
also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we
ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans
that words cannot express. "(Rom 8:26)
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"Fools
rush in where angels fear to tread!"
It may be
true that there is no need of man when God ordains, but some people
think that there is no need of God when man ordains.
King
Uzziah was such a man.
"But when King Uzziah became
strong, he grew arrogant, and that led to
his downfall. He defied the LORD his God by going into the Temple
to burn incense on the incense altar." (2Ch 26:16)
"Uzziah was standing there in the Temple beside the incense altar
and was holding an incense burner. He became angry with the
priests, and immediately a dreaded skin disease broke out on his
forehead." (2Ch 26:19)
"For the rest of his life King Uzziah was ritually unclean because
of his disease. Unable to enter the Temple again, he lived in his
own house, relieved of all duties, while his son Jotham governed
the country." (2Ch 26:21)
Intercession is only for priests. In the New Testament,
all of God's children are kings and priests and can therefore offer
up petitions unto God. Non-believers does not have this right nor
privilege.
First come to Christ, then He can intercede for you.
- Pieter de
Waal
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Dare to
make a difference!
Great
things can happen at the hour of prayer when incense is being
offered.
At the hour of the afternoon
sacrifice the prophet Elijah approached the altar and prayed.
The LORD sent fire down, and it burned up the sacrifice, the wood,
and the stones, scorched
the earth and dried up the water in the trench. (1Ki
18:36,38)
The four aspects of Christ's redemption - His life, His
death,
His resurrection and His ascension, are symbolized by the four
different spices used in the incense altar of the tabernacle
.
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