The Altar Of Incense The Altar Of Incense.
Exo_30:1-10; Exo_30:34-38; Luk_1:9-13; Rev_8:3-4.
From the wilderness without to the presence of God within the holy of holies there were seven steps or experiences. 1. Decision at the gate. 2. Acceptance at the altar. 3. Cleansing at the laver. 4. Intercession at the altar of incense. 5. Fellowship at the table. 6. Testimony at the candlestick. 7. Faith turned into sight within the vail.
I. Its Purpose. The altar of incense must not be confounded with the altar of burnt offering. No sacrifice was ever offered upon this altar. Only incense could be put upon its ever burning coals. The sacrifice must be made outside, at the door of entrance. The incense of this blood-sprinkling altar speaks of the merit of the atoning blood ascending up unto God, and may also be a foreshadowing of that precious Name through which we make our requests known unto God. "If ye ask anything in My Name, I will do it" (Joh_14:14). "His Name is as ointment poured forth" (Son_1:3).
II. Its Materials. Like the great altar outside, this one was also made of two different materials. Not wood and brass, but wood and gold. Here again the divine and human character of Christ is brought before us. In the brazen altar the wood was strengthened by the brass. In the altar of incense the wood (human nature) is glorified by the gold. Christ was crucified in weakness, but raised in glory. He who was the "Man of Sorrows" is now the Man in the glory. He took upon Him the likeness of sinful flesh. Now the likeness has been glorified in Him. What an encouragement to prayer and faith when we remember that the Lord of the glory is still truly human! "Consider Him" (Heb_12:3).
III. Its Position. It stood within the door, in the centre of the holy place, and straight with the brazen altar, the laver, and the ark of the mercy-seat. Those vessels which stood in line with the great altar and the mercy-seat seem to indicate the provision made for our approaching unto God. The mercy-seat was the throne of God, the altar of incense stood before it. This is the position of it in Rev_8:3. How significant of Him who is our Great High Priest, now before the throne making intercession for us.
IV. Its Height. It was "two cubits" high. For some special reason it was half a cubit higher than the other vessels. He who humbled Himself unto death has now been "highly exalted." God raised Him from the dead and set Him "far above all" (Eph_1:20-21). He is now Head over all to His Church. In the estimate of God the merit of His Son’s death is far above all. Praise His Name, although we may not be able to appreciate the full value of the Saviour’s death, God can-and God does. He can and will bless us, according to His own high estimate of the worth of Christ’s atoning work.
V. Its Staves. The staves or shafts by which it was to be carried were not to be removed. They were to be ever present with the altar. Thus the altar was ever ready for the march. May we not learn here that the value of Christ’s intercession may be ours, in every place or circumstance, and that continually. "Lo, I am with you alway" (Mat_28:20). Always ready! What a privilege! Always near! What a blessing! Are we living in the power of it? When we offer our petitions unto God, mingled with the sweet incense of the precious Name of Jesus, do we realise that we are standing between the staves of His faithfulness and power?
VI. Its Horns. At each corner of the altar was a golden horn. The horn is the symbol of power. Here they speak of the power of His intercession. The number four may have reference to the four camps of Israel, and would indicate power sufficient for all. "Able to save to the uttermost, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession" (Heb_7:25). The power of Christ’s intercession does not lie in His persuasiveness, but in the fact of His presence before God as the glorified Son of Man. That God has exalted Him to His own right hand in human form is the guarantee to every believer of every temporal and spiritual blessing. The wounds of Christ never heal in the eye of our gracious God. He is always "the Lamb as it had been slain" (Rev_5:6). He has power to put away sin, power to keep us from falling, and if we wish to grow in the knowledge of God let us not forget that He has also "power to open the book" (Rev_5:5).
VII. Its Crown. Around the top was a ridge or crown, to keep the coals from falling off the altar. The coals of fire were protected by a crown of gold. Christ’s priestly power is preserved and assured, in that He is now "crowned with glory and honour" (Heb_2:9). It was doubtless a comforting thought to the pilgrim Israelite while carrying the altar over the rough desert that God had made provision against the falling of the coals of fire. Their feet might stumble, but the burning coals were still preserved by the crown of gold. Precious truth, although Peter stumbled and fell, the coals of Christ’s prayer failed not. "I have prayed for thee" (Luk_22:32). We may fail, but the incense of His merits still ascends. Read the 17th chapter of John while standing at this altar.
VIII. The Incense. The value of this altar lay in the incense. As we might expect, that which typifies the merit of God’s sin-atoning Son will have something peculiar and mysterious about it. It was made by the mingling of three spices, each part was to be equal weight (Exo_30:34-38). What these spices were no man can tell. The merit of the Lord Jesus Christ as our Redeemer consists of three parts-
1. The merit of His Life.
2. Of His Death.
3. Of His Resurrection.
These parts are all of equal weight in the sight of God. No one or two of them could avail without the other. It is a mysterious compound which only God can fully understand. He knows the value of each sweet spice.
No man was to make anything like it for his own use. It must not be imitated. Who can make a substitute for the merit of Jesus Christ? Alas, there are still many proud enough to make the attempt. The savour of our own righteousness is an abomination to God. Only the sweet incense of God’s own appointing will be pleasing to Him. The righteousness of God, which is unto all and upon all them that believe. When the priest put the spices on the altar the "coals of fire" lifted it up in sweet perfume before God. We need both the incense and the fire. Both come to us through Christ. When the preciousness of Christ is realised by one whose afflictions are like burning coals, adoration and praise will rise like a fragrant cloud. Prayers to be sweet and fragrant to the heart of God must come from a burning heart. "I would that ye were cold or hot" (Rev_3:15).
It is also suggested that the incense was put on the altar "while he trimmed the lamps." The incense of prayer and the lamp of testimony must always go together. We shine best before men while our heart’s affections are burning toward God. "The love of Christ constraineth us" (2Co_5:14). In the experience of Isaiah the "live coal" and the great commission were very closely associated (Isa_6:5-8). "I will put my Spirit within you, then the heathen shall know" (Eze_36:27-36). "Ye shall be baptised with the Holy Ghost and with fire, then ye shall be witnesses unto Me."
This altar, like the other vessels, had to be sprinkled on the great day of atonement with the blood of the sacrifice, teaching us that the blessings signified here comes to us through the death of Christ on the Cross, and are all ours in Him. Have we entered into them? Do we enjoy them now? They may be ours at this present moment. We are reminded of this by the fact that the priest, while ministering in the holy place, was still treading on the sands of the desert. He was in "heavenly places," though yet on the earth. There was no seat here. The priest never sat down, because his work was never finished. Our Great High Priest has entered in, and is set on the right hand of the throne. Hallelujah!
Autor: James Smith