Spiritual Patterns part 13

Spiritual Patterns Part 13 The altar of incense

"Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense.

Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high, with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself.

Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar.

Make two gold rings, and attach them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles.

Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark's cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. I will meet with you there.

"Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar.

And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the LORD's presence. This must be done from generation to generation.

Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.

"Once a year Aaron must purify the altar by smearing its horns with blood from the offering made to purify the people from their sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the LORD's most holy altar."

INTRODUCTION

Good evening Southpointe!!1 We are in the 13 lessons on the Wilderness Tabernacle.

We have gone from the wilderness without to the presence of God within the holy of holies

This is what I want you to understand, there is seven steps or experiences:

Decision at the gate

Acceptance at the Altar

Cleansing at the laver

Intercession at the altar of incense

Fellowship at the table

Testimony at the candlestick

Faith turned into sight within the vail

The important thing to remember is that all this represent Jesus.

Tonight, I want to look at the altar of incense, this must not get confused with the altar of burnt offering.

On the altar of incense never was there a sacrifice offered.

Only incense could be put upon its ever burning coals.

The sacrifice must be made outside, at the door of entrance.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Gather fragrant spices—resin droplets, mollusk shell, and galbanum—and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed out in equal amounts.

Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and holy incense.

Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it in front of the Ark of the Covenant, where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle. You must treat this incense as most holy.

Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the LORD, and you must treat it as holy.

Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community."

The altar of incense is a foreshadow of the Name of Jesus, through which our requests are make known unto God.

The incense of this blood sprinkling altar speaks of the merit of the atoning blood that ascends up to God.

But I believe that it is also a foreshadow of the Name of Jesus, through which our requests are make known unto God.

You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.

Yes, ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it!

Let’s look at what this altar is made of. The altar is like the Brazen altar on the outside but it has two different materials. Not wood and brass but wood and gold.

In the altar of incense, the wood which is the human nature is glorified by the gold.

Christ was crucified in weakness, but raised in glory. Jesus who was the man of sorrows in now the man in the glory.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

This is a reminder that Jesus was human as you and I and still overcame.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Because the position of the altar of incense carry heavy weight. You see, The Altar of incense stood within the door, in the center of the holy place, and straight in line with the brazen altar, the laver and the ark of the mercy seat.

This is showing us the provision made for our approaching unto God.

The mercy seat is the throne of God, the altar of incense stood before it.

Look at:

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

How important is this for us to understand that Jesus is standing before the throne of the Father making intercession for us.

By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

You will see how all this point to Jesus:

A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.

This is what I want to look at: the Altar was two cubits high, for a special reason it was half a cubit higher than the other vessels.

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power

that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms.

Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.

God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church.

And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself.

Jesus Christ is now head over all to His Church.

We must appreciate the full value of Jesus’ death, God can and will bless us according to His own high estimate

Christ is interceding for us to the Father.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.

By His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house,

let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.