THE SMELL OF THE HOLY PLACE
Exo 3034-38
Morning Meditations 6/27/17
I want to think for a little while about the special scent that God provided for the tabernacle and the priests experience of it daily.
Exo 30:34-38: “And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.. And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD. Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.”
In Exodus 30 and verse 1 God had given instructions to build an altar as a part of the Tabernacle furniture. It was to be used to burn incense every morning (30:7) and every evening (30:8).. It was to be a “perpetual incense before the LORD thoughout your generations.”
The words “Before the LORD” mean that the altar of incense sat outside the holiest up against the veil close to the Mercy Seat where God dwelled and the Shekinah resided. The relationship to the Holy of Holies is seen in its mention in Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 3-4.. It is like this alter and offering of the incense actually belonged in the Holy of Holies but was set outside the veil because the incense was to be offered daily and the Holy of Holies could only be entered once each year on the Day of Atonement.
Lets notice some things about this incense. It was a mixture created by the LORD. The LORD told Moses exactly what to put in the incense and how to make it (30:34). It was to be holy. It was a perfume. It’s composition could not be used outside the tabernacle. Anyone who copied the smell of it was to be cut off from Israel (30:38). It was made by beating the ingredients into fine power. When offered by the priest twice a day the smell of it filled the tabernacle.
The altar of incense is a type of prayer and praise. First, Jesus is typified in the golden altar and in the incense. It is the perfume of His life and sacrifice that filled the place of daily service and the scent of which went beyond the veil as a sweet odor to the LORD. Jesus is the unique incense. He is the only one acceptable. To copy Him and try to reproduce this smell meant to be cut off from his people. God put the ingredients of Christ (the incarnation, the holy life, His obedient service, His prayers and praise, and His substitutionary sacrifice and resurrection) together. This is the odor that filled the tabernacle. Second, our prayer and praise in His name are typified in this incense: Psalm 141:2: “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” In the Book of Revelation this is brought out: Rev. 8:3-4: “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. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.”
We are a kingdom of priests to offer up spiritual sacrifices to the Lord. 1 Peter 2:9: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
We are believer priests and as such we enter the Holiest: Hebrews 10:19: Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,” What do we do in the Holiest? We enter by the blood. We are there in the holy life of Jesus. It is His righteousness that we stand before God. It is in His praises that we praise Him. It is not a mixture of us and Him. That would add something foreign to the mixture. The incense must not be added to. We are totally in His life. He is our Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption. Let’s not say, “Lord we are hurting and deserve something.” Our righteousness and sufferings cannot be mixed with the incense. Yes, God is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. But this cannot be mixed with the pure incense of God’s creation. Human merit would enter the picture and that would cut us off and pervert the smell. It cannot be copied.
Our prayer and praise in His name is a sweet perfume that brings pleasure to God. When we pray, we come unto God by Him (Heb. 7:25). The incense fills the place of worship. When we worship in the holiest and come back to our families and friends we will have the scent of the Holy Place on our garments. When the priest went through his duties as priest in the holy place and came back to his family and others, he had on him a beautiful smell. When he walked down the street after his service in the Tabernacle, those who met him did not have to ask, “Where have you been?” They knew.
I think it would be good for us to ask ourselves what we smell like? Do we have on us the smell of the Holiest? There is a unique odor on those who enter. It cannot be copied. It is exclusive. You cannot get this smell by praying Baptist prayers or prayers in your own name. All that must be set aside. There can be no pride of service brought into this place of worship. It is only entered by the blood of Jesus. The fellowship while there is based on our identification with Christ in all His humility, faith and holiness. When this takes place, a beautiful odor attaches itself to the worshiper. And it will be immediately detected by those who get around him when comes away from that wonderful place.
Have you ever smelled someone who has been there? It is unique isn’t it. Have you ever found yourself trying to reproduce that scent in your own life? It didn’t work did it? You see God has the only ingredients that will work. And the only place it can be found is in the Holy Place over against the Mercy Seat! Glory to God. Excuse me please.
May we all make our way into the Holiest daily. And may we bring away the scent of the incense to entice others to enter.
In Christ
