“Moreover, you shall
make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia
wood.” Ex. 30:1
“Let our voices rise
like incense, Let them be as sweet perfume. Let our praises fill the temple,
Hallelujah's ringing ever new.” –song by Linda Whitmer-Bell
So universal is the perfumer’s craft that it should not
surprise us to find incense offerings in a great many of the world’s
religions. In the ancient world, a world
without loads of public sanitation and a definitive lack of bathing facilities,
incense and perfumes were a practical, valued, and widely traded
commodity. The incense that was used in
the tabernacle was a special formulation given by the Lord that was not to be
copied or used outside the tent upon pain of death. Two of the elements in this compound,
frankincense and myrrh, are well-known to us because of their presence in the
birth narratives of Christ. The other
two elements, Onycha and Galbanum, are well-known to the world of
perfuming. Onycha comes from the
membrane of a particular sea snail that was used in making many types of
perfumes in the orient. Galbanum is the
sap of a wild fennel plant which is believed to have healing properties. Many have undertaken to find spiritual
significance in each of these elements and rightly so, but I would focus the
one thing they all share in common: to create them living things must be
crushed, bled, and lose their life. Does
this remind you of anyone? “But He was
pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the
chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed
(Is. 53:5).” Also this incense is of the
non-combustible type meaning it doesn’t burn of its own, but rather is placed
on a fire to be consumed. This should
remind us that the power, privilege, and prerequisite of prayer is not founded
in our great faith and eloquence, but rather because of our relationship to the
Savior whose sacrifice reconciles us to God.
Next time: The Brazen Altar
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