“And
the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended
up before God.” Revelation 8:4 KJV
Have you ever smelled something
really nasty and wanted to get that smell out of your nose as quickly as
possible? I spend a lot of time in rural Iowa and am very familiar with the
sweet aroma of hog manure. In Iowa we say, “That’s the smell of money.” But I
don’t like the fragrance sticking to my clothes so that I always smell that
way. Walking into the kitchen and smelling a fresh baked pie is a pleasant change.
The priests who came into the
tabernacle had just been in the outer court where animals were constantly being
slaughtered. The smell of death is unpleasant. In the tabernacle there was an
altar of incense that refreshed the senses of the priests. But that wasn’t the
real purpose for the altar. It was placed right in front of the second area of
the tabernacle, the holy of holies. This veiled off area was where the shekinah
glory of God dwelt. The incense altar in front of the veil pictures a place to
offer up praise and prayer to God.
Our prayers are still a fragrant
aroma to God. They are the incense offering that we make to Him. As the incense
was to be constantly refreshed we are to constantly be in communication with
God. It is pleasing to Him to hear the prayers and praise of His children.
Dear
Father, Thank You for hearing us when we pray and for loving to hear us pray.
Amen.
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