Altar of Incense

Bura

Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

Exodus 30:34–38

Exodus 37:25–29

Exodus 30:1–21

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Lets talk about the Alter of Incense

No part of the Furniture of the Tabernacle has been the subject of so much controversy in recent years as the “Altar of Incense” Ex 30:1-5 ““Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. “Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit, it shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of one piece with it. “You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it. “You shall make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make them on its two side walls—on opposite sides—and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. “You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.” (Exodus 30:1–5, NASB95)

Sometimes called the “Golden Alter”

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised B. Tabernacle Altars

Speculation about whether it stood just inside the Holy of Holies (He. 9:4) or just before the veil (Ex. 40:26) separating the two inner rooms is useless. What is clear is that the altar was accessible to the priests who were commanded to burn daily upon it the sweet incense so that a cloud of smoke might rise to fill the inner chamber at the moment when the sacrificial blood was sprinkled.

“having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant;” (Hebrews 9:4, NASB95)

“Then he placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil;” (Exodus 40:26, NASB95)

It occupies the place of honor in front of the Veil Exodus 30:6 ““You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you.” (Exodus 30:6, NASB95)

Hebrews says this “Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot now speak in detail.” (Hebrews 9:3–5, NASB95)

Serves as a Symbol and foreshadow of Christ

As an example for Believers

It’s Shape was like to the alter of Burnt Offering;

Square one cubit by one cubit

Two cubits tall making it look like a podium

4 horns

The Incense was made of 4 spices in all equal quantities blended and perfumed as would and expert perfume maker, salted pure and holy. Exodus 30:34-38

Balsam Resin

Sweet Onycharoot

Bitter Galbanum gum

Spices along with Frankincense

Like the Bread of Presence It was salted Exodus 30:35

What is the significance of salt?

“‘Every grain offering of yours, moreover, you shall season with salt, so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.” (Leviticus 2:13, NASB95)

““All the offerings of the holy gifts, which the sons of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a perpetual allotment. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord to you and your descendants with you.”” (Numbers 18:19, NASB95)

““Do you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?” (2 Chronicles 13:5, NASB95)

Later one Jesus would say: ““You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” (Matthew 5:13, NASB95)

Any soldier worth his salt should be antiwar. And still there are things worth fighting for. Norman Schwarzkopf

In a crisis, the man worth his salt is the man who meets the needs of the situation in whatever way is necessary. Theodore Roosevelt

In revelation we see incense associated with the Prayer’s of the Saints:

“When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” (Revelation 5:8, NASB95)

“Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” (Revelation 8:3–5, NASB95)

This is consistent with what we see in Leviticus 16:12-14

““He shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil. “He shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die. “Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.” (Leviticus 16:12–14, NASB95)

4 Types of Incense

Scholars believe the 4 ingredients or “types” of incense represent 4 types of Prayer

Balsam Resin

a type of Murrh or Rosenum

Bitter

A Sowerful Prayer

“In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.” (Hebrews 5:7, NASB95)

A comfort to those in anxiety as God comes near to those who are broken

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18, NASB95)

Sweet Onycharoot

A trusting Prayer

The thought how Christ broke his own spirit in subjection to Gods Will

How 3 Times Christ Stated not my will but your will be done.

“And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”” (Matthew 26:39, NASB95)

“He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.”” (Matthew 26:42, NASB95)

“And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.” (Matthew 26:44, NASB95)

Bitter Galbanum gum

Gum Resin, Morrow, Fat

Has a Strong strong aromatic fragrance

Grown from flowers in what is now Iran

Produces shiny red lumps like beads of sweat.

Fervent Prayer

“And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.” (Luke 22:44, NASB95)

Spices along with Frankincense

Meaning “White or Moral Purity”

We must pray this way / completely devoid of human greed.

Once a year the on the day of Atonement the High Priest would have to go the people of God and burn incense

““Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”” (Exodus 30:10, NASB95)

He was to be pure as he represented the people before God. If not God would strike him dead.

We see and example of this in Leviticus 10:1-7 “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.’ ” So Aaron, therefore, kept silent. Moses called also to Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come forward, carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to the outside of the camp.” So they came forward and carried them still in their tunics to the outside of the camp, as Moses had said. Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, so that you will not die and that He will not become wrathful against all the congregation. But your kinsmen, the whole house of Israel, shall bewail the burning which the Lord has brought about. “You shall not even go out from the doorway of the tent of meeting, or you will die; for the Lord’s anointing oil is upon you.” So they did according to the word of Moses.” (Leviticus 10:1–7, NASB95)

We see this in Leviticus 16:13 ““He shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die.” (Leviticus 16:13, NASB95)

He did this as an intercessor to make Atonement on the anniversary of the day that Moses returned from the mountain with the commandments for the Second Time.

Hebrews Said of Christ “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25, NASB95)

In Romans: “who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” (Romans 8:34, NASB95)

The Alter of Incense and the Incense itself show the intercessory prayer of Jesus:

As a nation of Priest we must take on Jesus’s ministry of intercessory prayer

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” (1 Peter 2:9, NASB95)

we need to prayer earnestly and with faith leaning only on Gods Word

Praying for not just our family and friends but for our communities, government, for unbelievers hearts to be opened, for revival of the Church, the Body of Christ.

““Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.” (1 Samuel 12:23, NASB95)

The Alter of Incense: ““Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. “Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit, it shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of one piece with it. “You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it. “You shall make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make them on its two side walls—on opposite sides—and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. “You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.” (Exodus 30:1–5, NASB95)

Later God instructs Moses on a recipe for the Incense: “And the Lord said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each. You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord. Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”” (Exodus 30:34–38, NKJV)

The Complete Jewish Bible says it this way: “Adonai said to Moshe, “Take aromatic plant substances—balsam resin, sweet onycha root and bitter galbanum gum—these spices along with frankincense, all in equal quantities; and make incense, blended and perfumed as would an expert perfume-maker, salted, pure and holy. You are to grind up some of it very finely and put it in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; you are to regard it as especially holy. You are not to make for your own use any incense like it, with the same composition of ingredients—you are to treat it as holy, for Adonai. Whoever makes up any like it to use as perfume is to be cut off from his people.”” (Exodus 30:34–38, CJB)

It is interesting in english

Incense means

Concise Oxford English Dictionary Incense

■ noun a gum, spice, or other substance that is burned for the sweet smell it produces.

■ verb perfume with incense or a similar fragrance.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary Incense

incense2 /ɪnˈsɛns/

■ verb make very angry.

—ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘inflame or excite with a strong feeling’): from Old French incenser, from Latin incendere ‘set fire to’.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary Incentive

incentive

■ noun a thing that motivates or encourages someone to do something.