I. The Altar of Incense: The Symbol of the Prayers and Communion of God’s People Ascending to God, 30:1-10
(Ex.30:1-10) God answers prayer. When we face severe problems, trouble, or crises, God answers prayer. When we face terrible trial or temptation, God answers prayer. When we face sickness, disease, or accident, God answers prayer. When we face pain, suffering, terminal illness, or death, God answers prayer. When we face the difficult times of life—if we pray, cry out to God from the depths of our heart—God hears and answers our prayers. When we need comfort, guidance, assurance, security, companionship, friendship—God hears and answers our prayers. He meets our need always. This is the significance and purpose of the Altar of Incense. The Altar was used to offer up the most pleasing and acceptable aroma that can be imagined. This symbolized the pleasure and acceptance of God, that He was pleased with the aroma and accepted the offering being made. What was the offering? Prayer, the prayers of His dear people. The Altar of Incense symbolized the prayers of God’s dear people ascending up to God. This is the subject of this important portion of Scripture: The Altar of Incense: The Symbol of the Prayers and Communion of God’s People Ascending to God, Exodus 30:1-10 1. The design and materials of the altar (v.1-6).
2. The purpose of the altar (v.7-8).
3. The holiness of the altar (v.9-10).
1. (Ex.30:1-6) Tabernacle of Moses— Altar of Incense— Prayer— Intercession: there was the design and the materials of the Altar of Incense. The incense on the altar was to burn continuously, symbolizing two significant things:
the unbroken intercession of Jesus Christ for us
the prayers and communion of God’s people ascending to God
Note again: God Himself is the One who designed this altar. The altar was to be made like every other piece of furniture in the Tabernacle, made according to God’s perfect plan and design. These are the details for its construction:
1.The Altar of Incense was to be made of acacia wood (Exodus 30:1).
1.Pray in the name of Jesus Christ
I have sometimes thought of this little piece of furniture standing before the veil as an electric plug such as we use to tap the electric power laid behind our walls. Behind the veil of the tabernacle was the Shekinah Glory of the presence of the Lord, and behind the veil of the sky are all the resources of the great triune God. By putting in the plug of prayer with the hand of faith, we are able to tap those resources and find that “prayer changes things.” Great things happen at the hour of prayer when incense is being offered.
We have already noted the quality of acacia wood and how it speaks of incorruptibility, the incorruption and perfection of Jesus Christ (see note—Exodus 25:5). Jesus Christ is the One who intercedes for us, who stands between God and us and makes us acceptable to God. The intercession of Christ is not corrupt in any way; His intercession is perfect. He makes us acceptable to God.
The Altar of Incense was to be square: 18 inches by 18 inches by 3 feet high (Exodus 30:2).
2. Pray according to the word of God (Jesus in Gethsemane)
The Altar of Incense was to have horns on each corner, carved from the same piece of wood (Exodus 30:2). Horns are symbolic of God’s power and strength, God’s salvation, protection, security, sanctuary, and help.
The Altar of Incense reminds us that God has the power and strength to deliver us through all trials, no matter how terrible.
The Altar of Incense was to be overlaid with gold and have a gold molding (Exodus 30:3).
3. Pray with Faith – it is very easy to believe in God. He never fails. He do not make mistake. Canaanite woman came to Jesus and said your church folks do not want any blessing they are throwing id down under the table let me have it. (great faith)
Just like the other holy pieces of furniture in the sanctuary, the altar was covered with pure gold. The most precious of metals was God’s choice for building this altar of intercession. Remember, gold is a symbol of deity, a symbol of the most precious possession, God Himself. The golden Altar of Incense points to the LORD Jesus Christ...
Who is the most precious possession a person can have
Who is the Perfect Intercessor, the One who lives forever to make intercession, to passionately pray for the people of God
The purpose for the gold molding was to keep the burning coals from falling off the altar and burning out on the desert floor. What was the origin of the fire that was kept in the altar? The live coals came from the altar of burnt offerings, the altar which symbolized the need for atonement with God. No effectual prayers can be offered to God unless a sacrifice has been offered to satisfy the righteous and just nature of a holy God. As the priests ministered at the Altar of Incense, the gold molding and hot coals reminded them of several things:
They were reminded of God’s righteous and just nature and of His blazing judgment against sin.
They clearly saw the hot coals that burned red with heat.
They were reminded of God’s wonderful mercy and grace that invited them to approach His holy throne.
They were reminded of their reason for being at the altar: to intercede for the desperate needs of a sinful people who needed the help of God.
Our prayers should always be fervent, hot as the coals on the altar. Prayer is not an occasion for complacency and lethargy but for the deep cry of the human spirit to touch the living God!
The Altar of Incense was to have two gold rings attached to each side. The rings were to hold the two poles used in carrying the altar (Exodus 30:4).
The Altar of Incense was to have two poles made of acacia wood overlaid with gold (Exodus 30:5). The altar, like the rest of the Tabernacle, was designed to be moved. The Altar of Incense, of prayer, was to go with God’s people whenever and wherever they traveled. This points to a beautiful, meaningful fact about prayer. Prayer is not limited to a single geographical location on the earth.
4. Persevere in prayer (Moses and amalikites)- until you get an answer
God’s people are to pray wherever they go, anyplace, anywhere, all the time.
Persevere in prayer – pray until you receive the answer- Church prayed for Peter in Acts 12. They did not stop the prayer. They continue in prayer.
God told Moses to place the altar just outside the inner curtain. It was to be opposite the Ark of the Covenant and its cover, the Mercy Seat (Exodus 30:6). The location of the altar is significant. How close to the inner curtain was the altar placed? No one knows, but what is known is that the altar was just outside the curtain. It was very, very close to the presence of God. This is the great blessing of intercessory prayer: intercessory prayer...
is close to the veil
is close to the very throne of God
is close to the glory of God
is close to the place where God’s eternal mercy and grace reside
is close to the door of answered prayer
is close to the most intimate fellowship and communion with God imaginable
. The one thing we are to seek above all else is to be near God, to fellowship and commune with Him in an unbroken sense of His presence.
This the power outlet to tap the power from the moist holy place where the presence of God is.
The inner curtain that had once separated the Altar of Incense and the Ark of God’s presence was torn down, torn from top to bottom by God Himself. God ripped it open through the death of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The way into God’s presence is now open. We are now invited to come boldly and worship God at the Throne of Grace.
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).
1. The altar was to be the place where sweet incense was offered up to the LORD every morning and evening. The High Priest burned incense every morning when he tended the lamps and every evening when he lit them (Exodus 30:7). This symbolized the critical importance of praying every morning and evening.
2.The Altar of Incense was to be the place where a permanent incense ascended up to the LORD (Exodus 30:8). This symbolized two things.
The fire for burning the incense came from the brazen altar where the sacrifices were offered to God (Lev. 16:12-13; Num. 16:46). This suggests that true prayer must be based on the work of Christ on the cross and on our complete dedication to God.
a. There is the symbol of the permanent intercession of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is living forever—in the very presence of God—to make intercession for us. He died and arose from the dead for us for this very purpose: to stand before God as the great Intercessor for us. Jesus Christ intercedes for sinners
Jesus Christ intercedes for weak believers, Jesus Christ intercedes for His enemies, Jesus Christ intercedes for the church, Jesus Christ intercedes for God to accept us
Jesus Christ intercedes for our salvation, Jesus Christ intercedes for the Holy Spirit to abide with us
There is the symbol that believers are to pray morning and evening, to pray always, to develop an unbroken communion with God, to never cease being in a spirit of prayer.
5. Pray in spirit. Jude 20
we do not what to pray. Holy spirit will help us to pray
Tamil nadu – Jayalalitha –chief minister anti conversion bill
But church prayed – Sree snkara charyar was arrensted –
God is moving in India. (You have the power to pray)
God is waiting on us to pray so he can build the Kingdom in this earth. (thy kingdom come)
In 1967 – Israel was under attack – they declared fasting and prayer – God did the battle for them.
6. Pray always
: the holiness of the Altar of Incense set it apart as a very special piece of furniture. Note how forcefully God stressed the holiness of the altar.
1. The priests were never to allow the altar to be desecrated nor misused (Exodus 30:9). Any foreign thing that was placed on the altar was a direct affront to God. Prayer is holy to God. It is more intimate than any physical relationship experienced by people. Adding anything to His ordained plan for intercession and prayer was sin.
2. Once a year Aaron was to purify the altar by placing on its horns some blood from the atoning sacrifice (the blood of the sin offering) (Exodus 30:10). For the Altar of Incense to have any lasting significance, it had to be directly connected to the blood that was shed on the altar of burnt offerings. Why? Because the prayers of believers have to be directly connected to the shed blood of Christ. In the same sermon on the mount Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy will be done in Earth, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN" (Matt. 6:10). Is it God’s will for men to be sick and sinful when they get to Heaven? Is it God’s will for men to be defeated and poverty-stricken and unhappy in Heaven? Is it God’s will for men to be tormented by demons and to carry about forever in Heaven the works of the devil in their bodies, souls, and spirits? Is it God’s will in Heaven for men to be abandoned by God and forsaken by Him after He once gets them there? You know full well the answer to these questions. If these things are not God’s will in Heaven, they are not God’s will on Earth. One can have freedom from these things on Earth just as much as be will be free from them in Heaven if he will but ASK AND RECEIVE, according to the will of God, here and now. Now is the time we need to ask and receive and not in the next life. Here and now we need the will of God done and not only in Heaven, for we are not yet there.
