Incense was an important element of Israelite worship. In fact, the LORD commanded Moses
to make a special altar for the burning of incense, about 18-inches wide, 18-inches deep and
36-inches high. The High Priest would carry burning coals from the altar of sacrifice outside
the Tent Tabernacle, to the incense altar inside the Tent Tabernacle to keep the incense burning
continuously. Like the anointing oil, God commanded that it was not to be replicated (V. 3 7 ). The incense of the Tabernacle was holy and designed to be set apart from ordinary life. Once a year, Aaron would purify the altar by anointing its horns with sacrificial blood from the burnt offering made to purify the sins of the people. Psalm 51 and Revelation reveal why this was important: a broken and contrite heart is a true sacrifice, holy and precious in the sight of the LORD, and incense represents the prayers of the saints (PSALM 51:17, REVELATION 5:8, 8:3-4). Holiness, then, is God hearing a pure and repentant prayer of faith. He will always hear your heart cry.
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Up Next in January 2026
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The Tabernacle; Exodus 26-29
The construction of the ancient Tent Tabernacle is both fascinating and, in many ways, supernatural. At this time, Israel was in the middle of nowhere, walking aimlessly in the
wilderness. Their central place of worship was constantly on the move. Now, when building
the Tabernacle and its items,... -
A Vision of God; Exodus 22-25
In ancient Israel, it was known that if you see the face of God Almighty, you will die. But there are
many accounts of peoples and prophets meeting with God in unique ways, called a theophany in
academic circles. Exodus 24 records one of these meetings. God chose to meet with the leaders of Israe... -
In the Beginning; Genesis 1-2
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth: This is how Genesis 1 opens the Bible. Everything that exists in the physical world begins here, and there are spiritual beginnings as well. The Scriptures tells us that God is the creator of everything; it wasn’t time or chance that author...
