BLESSED INTERCESSION

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high—its horns of one piece with it. Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it. Make two gold rings for the altar below the molding—two on opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. Put the altar in front of the curtain that is before the ark of the Testimony—before the atonement cover that is over the Testimony—where I will meet with you. "Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come. Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the Lord." Exodus 30:1-10

Once the tabernacle and all its various components were built and after the high priest had been consecrated and ordained, God added one additional item to the place of worship. As we begin Exodus, Chapter 30, we see God giving instructions on the altar of incense. God tells Moses the incense altar was to be placed in the Holy Place, "in front of the curtain that is before the ark of the Testimony—before the atonement cover that is over the Testimony—where I will meet with you."
You’ll remember that the Ark and the atonement cover were located in the Holy of Holies.

Then God provided guidance on using the altar, telling Moses that "Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come." As the incense burned morning and night, the smoke rising from it symbolized the prayers of the people rising up to heaven to God as they shared fellowship with Him. Often, these prayers were offered at the altar by the high priest.

God also was very specific about the things that weren’t to be done on the altar, telling Moses, "Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it." These offerings were meant to be performed on the Altar of the Burnt Offering in the courtyard. Only once a year was blood to be placed on the horns of the incense altar and this was known as the Day of Atonement, an "annual atonement…made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come…an offering "most holy to the Lord." So many prayers had been said on the altar over a year’s time…so many sins confessed…that the altar needed cleansed and consecrated for another years worth of prayers and intercessions.

There are a few other places in scripture where incense and prayer are tied together.
In the 141st Psalm, David proclaims, "O Lord, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice." (Psalm 141:1-2)

In Luke, we find the story of Zechariah and his encounter with Gabriel while performing his priestly duties at the incense altar:

"Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time." Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak." (Luke 1:8-22)

You’ll recall this story ends up having a happy ending as Zechariah regains his ability to speak after he writes on a tablet, "His name is John" as John the Baptist was about to be circumcised (it was custom to name the baby eight days after birth at the circumcision ceremony). The overall story highlights that the incense burning ordered by God had continued through the years, at this point up to just before the birth of Jesus. Zechariah was the randomly, lot-selected high priest who was at the altar interceding and praying before God for the people who awaited him outside.

There’s one other connection between incense and prayer. The following passage comes from Revelation:

"Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" Revelation 5:6-8.

Here, we see the four living creatures and twenty four elders falling down before the Lamb that looked as if it had been slain and they aren’t before Him empty handed but with "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."

One things is certain as we look at these passages, God expects us to regularly lift up our prayers to Him. As we have studied in the Old Testament and even seen in the early stages of the New Testament, the high priests served as intercessors for the people, lifting up their prayers and performing the sacrifices to atone for their sins. But then God gave His only Son Jesus as a sin sacrifice, once and for all. There was no other need for further sacrificing after the Holy Lamb of God was slain on Calvary’s cross. There was also no real need for a worldly high priest anymore because mankind now had a heavenly, holy High Priest, Jesus Christ, who interceded and continues to intercede for the people of God as they lift up their prayers of confession and repentance. Hear these words from Hebrews:

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16

Question: Do you have a regular prayer regimen? Do you come before God daily and confess your sins? Do you know our High Priest, Jesus, who is not just your Intercessor but Savior?

Friends, what an assurance and comfort it is to know that we have a Savior, Redeemer and Friend in Christ Jesus who has taken away the need for burning incense and special altars, directly going before His Father on our behalf. All we need to do is repent and ask for Him to reconcile us to God, just as He did on the cross when He bore all our sins. If you are burdened by sin, why not fall down before the Lord in prayer right now. Lift up your voice to Him as David did, setting before Him your prayers like incense. For to God, this is a pleasing aroma as He sees you have a full reliance and trust in Him and Him alone for forgiveness…a forgiveness already mediated through the shed blood of His Son Jesus…our Intercessor…now and forever. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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