The Fragrance of Access
Introduction: The Atmosphere of Heaven
We live in an age that has domesticated prayer. For many modern Christians, prayer is a casual, convenient, and entirely informal affair. It is a running conversation with the Man Upstairs, a celestial suggestion box, or a spiritual emergency broadcast system. We have made it comfortable, but in the process, we have stripped it of its majesty, its gravity, and its holiness. We have forgotten that prayer is an entry into the throne room of the cosmos, an audience with the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth.
The book of Exodus, and particularly these detailed instructions for the tabernacle, serves as a potent corrective to our sentimental sloppiness. God is not giving Moses interior design tips. He is providing a gospel schematic, a detailed blueprint of how sinful man can possibly approach a holy God and live. Each piece of furniture, from the brazen altar in the courtyard to the Ark of the Covenant behind the veil, is a typological portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation He accomplishes. And right at the heart of this divine architecture, standing as the last station before the immediate, terrifying presence of God, we find the Altar of Incense.
Its placement is everything. It stood in the Holy Place, just before the massive curtain that separated sinful man from the glory of God. To approach God, a priest had to pass the altar of sacrifice, be washed at the bronze laver, and only then could he come to this golden altar to offer up incense. This tells us that prayer is not the first step in our relationship with God; atonement is. And it tells us that prayer is absolutely central to our ongoing communion with God. It is the very atmosphere of the Holy Place. What God is describing here is the fragrance of acceptable worship, the aroma of fellowship, the sweet smell of heaven itself.
The Text
"Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit; it shall be square. And its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of the same piece. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it. You shall make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make them on its two side walls on opposite sides and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you. Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be continual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations. You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar or burnt offering or grain offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it. Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to Yahweh."
(Exodus 30:1-10 LSB)
The Altar of the God-Man (vv. 1-5)
The construction of this altar is dense with theological meaning.
"Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood... You shall overlay it with pure gold..." (Exodus 30:1, 3)
Here we see the now familiar pattern of the tabernacle's most holy furniture: acacia wood overlaid with pure gold. This is a picture of the two natures of Jesus Christ. The acacia wood, a common desert wood, speaks of His true humanity. He was a man, born of a woman, who grew weary and hungry. But this was not mere humanity; it was incorruptible humanity, perfectly obedient to the Father. This wood is then completely covered in pure gold, which in Scripture consistently represents deity, glory, and divine perfection. This is the glory of Christ's divine nature. Our prayers ascend to God through a Mediator who is both fully man, able to represent us, and fully God, able to save us. He is the God-man, and He is Himself the altar upon which our prayers are made acceptable.
The altar is square, a cubit by a cubit. This symmetry speaks of the perfect balance and stability of Christ's work. It is a firm foundation. And it has horns, which are "of the same piece." Horns in the Bible are symbols of power and authority. The power of our prayer is not found in our eloquence or our passion, but in the authority of the one to whom we pray and through whom we pray. The power of prayer is the power of Christ.
Like the other furniture, it has rings and poles for carrying. This signifies that prayer is not a static, location-based activity. The people of God are a pilgrim people, and communion with God goes with them. Wherever the ark went, the altar of incense went before it. We are to "pray without ceasing" as we march through the wilderness of this world, following our King.
The Placement of Prayer (v. 6)
The location of this altar is of paramount importance.
"You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you." (Exodus 30:6 LSB)
This is as close as one could get. It stood directly before the veil, that thick curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. On the other side of that fabric was the Ark of the Covenant, the very throne of God on earth. God says this is "where I will meet with you." Prayer, then, is our designated meeting place with God. It is standing at the very threshold of His presence. When Christ died, that veil was torn in two from top to bottom, signifying that through His flesh, the way into the true Holy of Holies was thrown open for all His people. The Altar of Incense, in effect, has been moved inside the veil. We now have bold access to the throne of grace, but we must never forget that this access is always by way of this altar, through the mediation of Christ.
The Rhythm of Prayer (vv. 7-8)
The offering of incense was not a haphazard affair; it was woven into the daily life of the covenant community.
"Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be continual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations." (Exodus 30:7-8 LSB)
The incense was offered twice a day, every day, morning and evening. This was to be a "continual incense." This points to the constant intercession of Christ for His saints (Hebrews 7:25) and our corresponding call to be a people of constant prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The life of the church is to be saturated with the aroma of prayer.
Notice the connection to another activity: the trimming of the lamps. The golden lampstand represented the light of God's Word, His testimony in the midst of His people. The lamps had to be trimmed and refueled to keep burning brightly. This was done at the same time the incense was offered. The lesson is plain: the Word and prayer are inseparable. A prayer life unmoored from Scripture descends into sentimental mysticism. A study of Scripture without prayer becomes dry, academic, and dead. The Word fuels our prayers, and prayer illuminates the Word. They are the twin activities that keep the spiritual life of the church vibrant and bright.
The Purity of Prayer (v. 9)
God is not only concerned with the frequency of prayer, but also its content and character. He gives a stern warning.
"You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar or burnt offering or grain offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it." (Exodus 30:9 LSB)
"Strange incense" refers to any concoction other than the specific recipe God Himself would provide later in this chapter. It represents man-made worship, attempts to approach God on our own terms, with our own methods. This is the sin of Nadab and Abihu, who offered "strange fire" and were consumed. God is particular about how He is to be worshiped. We do not get to invent our own spirituality. Our prayers must be offered according to His will, in the name of His Son, and for His glory. To pray for something contrary to His revealed will is to offer strange incense.
Furthermore, no other kind of offering was permitted here. The brazen altar outside was for burnt offerings, for atonement. This golden altar was for communion. This distinction is vital. We do not pray in order to be saved. We pray because we have been saved. Atonement is the foundation; prayer is the fellowship that is built upon it. To confuse the two is to create a religion of works, where we try to appease God with our prayers. But the price has been paid. Now, because the price has been paid, we are invited to draw near and speak with our Father.
The Foundation of Prayer (v. 10)
This final verse is the theological anchor for the entire passage. It tells us what makes our prayers acceptable.
"Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to Yahweh." (Exodus 30:10 LSB)
Once a year, on the great Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Holy Place carrying the blood of the sacrificed bull and goat. And he would daub that blood on the four horns of this golden altar. Why? To purify it. This is a staggering thought. Even the holiest acts of worship performed by God's people, even their prayers, are stained with sin and in need of cleansing. Our best prayers are offered with mixed motives. Our most fervent intercessions are tainted with selfishness and unbelief.
This annual atonement demonstrated forcefully that the power of prayer is not in the prayer itself, but in the blood that stands behind it. The blood of the sacrifice is what makes the incense of prayer a sweet-smelling aroma to God. Without the blood, our prayers are just so much offensive smoke. But when our prayers are offered on an altar consecrated by the blood of the Lamb, they rise to the very throne of God. This is why we pray "in Jesus' name." It is not a magical formula tacked on to the end of a prayer. It is a conscious appeal to the blood-spattered horns of the altar. It is a declaration that we come with no merit of our own, but stand solely on the finished work of atonement accomplished by our High Priest.
Conclusion: The Prayers of the Saints
This altar, then, is a profound portrait of true, Christian prayer. It is offered through the mediator, Jesus Christ, the God-man. It is offered continually, fueled by the Word of God. It is offered purely, according to the will of God. And most importantly, it is offered on the basis of shed blood.
The Apostle John saw the reality of which this altar was only a shadow. In the book of Revelation, he sees the heavenly throne room and "another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand" (Revelation 8:3-4).
This is what happens when you pray. Your faltering, weak, and imperfect prayers are gathered up by our great High Priest. He takes them and mingles them with the "much incense" of His own perfect righteousness and powerful intercession. And He presents them before the Father on the golden altar, and because of Him, they are a fragrant and pleasing aroma. Your prayers are heard, not because you are worthy, but because your altar has been sprinkled with blood.