Day #272 - Incense
The Presence - A Devotional for Living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder
““You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood. And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you. “Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.”
Exodus 30:1, 6-8 NKJV
What is your favorite aroma?
I think my favorite smells are my wife’s perfume and the wonderful baking that she does. She makes our house smell great by keeping everything clean, lighting candles and did I already mention the wonderful smells of her baking? A smell has the power to bring you back to certain memories, change the atmosphere and bring you joy.
The altar of incense was a part of the tabernacle and it was to be offered to the Lord perpetually as a beautiful smelling aroma. The tabernacle was a full sensory experience for the worshippers in the place that God’s glory dwelt.
The book of Revelation gives us some insights into what the incense offered before the Lord represents:
“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints (Revelation 5:8 NKJV).”
“Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake (Revelation 8:3-5 NKJV).”
The incense offered to the Lord was a symbol of prayers that are to rise to the Lord in “the Presence” around the clock. Revelation records that God is storing our prayers as believers in bowls. These prayers are not only stored, they are released back to the earth in a major way. Our prayers when answered are likened to thundering, lighting and earthquakes. Our time ministering the Lord in our prayers rises as incense but then is released back to the earth in power.
This is the meaning of the popular worship song we sing:
Day and night, night and day, let incense arise
Day and night, night and day, let incense arise!1
Lord Jesus, you are worthy of perpetual prayer and worship. You are worthy of prayers that touch Your heart day and night, night and day. Let my prayers and the prayers of Your people rise as incense to Your throne. Show us the power of our prayers that You store in Your heavenly bowls and release the answers back into the earth. In Your powerful name, amen,.
1 From “Worthy of it All Lyrcis by David Brymer and Ryan Hall
Thank You Dear Lord God for hearing my prayers and sending the incredible responses beyond what I had hoped back to the earth to engulf myself and others with joy and thanksgiving!
Blessed be the Lord. 🙏🏻♥️