Grace For The Journey

In today’s blog, I want to continue the through of living a sacrificial and surrendered life.  I want to look at what the Bible teaches about the place of “frankincense” in the offerings.

The Bible says in Leviticus 2:2, “He shall bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests, one of whom shall take from it his handful of fine flour and oil with all the frankincense.  And the priest shall burn it as a memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.”

Nearly forty times in the Old Testament, God declares how pleasing the aroma of a burnt offering is.

This positive imagery of scent represents

God’s satisfaction in experiencing

The proper worship of Him.

In the meal offering, frankincense contributes to His satisfaction because it always accompanies the burnt offering.

Frankincense has a sweet fragrance, and honey a sweet taste, but the effect of heat – representing the pressure of trials – on them is vastly different.  Heat corrupts, breaks down, and eventually destroys honey.  This characteristic is probably why God did not permit its use in the sacrifices (Leviticus 2:11).  However, frankincense does not release its greatest fragrance until heat is applied.

Incense has a long history of use in offerings to God.  The priests used it daily on the incense altar, which stood directly in front of the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holies of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant, representing God’s throne, stood.  The incense billowed up in a smoky cloud, filling the rooms with a fragrant odor. On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest burned incense in the Holy of Holies itself before the Ark.

Isaiah 6:1, 4 describes the vision Isaiah saw of God’s heavenly dwelling place: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. . . . And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.”

The imagery of the smoke of incense and its fragrance, representing the prayers of the saints is well known.  For instance, the Bible says in Psalm 141:2, “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”  And the Bible says in Revelation 5:8, “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.”

However, in the context of the meal offering, incense carries additional significance because of its overall meaning of dedication in service to man.  Notice Jesus’ words in Matthew 13:20-21, “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation of persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.”

Incense portrays a person’s attitude during his trials endured in service to fellow man.  A person might be all sweetness and light until the hardship of service hits him, and he grows bitter and turns aside.

Frequently, a Christian’s trials involve people, often those close to him: relatives, business coworkers, or social acquaintances.  Nothing is more consistently difficult than interpersonal relationships.  The Bible says in Philippians 2:14-15, “Do all things without murmuring and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”  Again, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:10, “. . . nor murmur, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer” (1 Corinthians 10:10).  Finally, the Bible says in 1 Peter 4:9, “Be hospitable to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9).

Frankincense represents the pleasant satisfaction God experiences when His children endure without grumbling the hardships of sacrificial, and surrendered service, especially to their brethren.

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”