Turn on the Tap Through Prayer - Exodus 37-40

 Exodus 37:25-29 (ESV)

Making the Altar of Incense

He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit, and its breadth was a cubit. It was square, and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And he made a molding of gold around it, and made two rings of gold on it under its molding, on two opposite sides of it, as holders for the poles with which to carry it. And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.

He made the holy anointing oil also, and the pure fragrant incense, blended as by the perfumer.

The alter of incense is first mentioned in Exodus 30.  Outside the measurements for construction, note what Moses is told about this small alter:

Exodus 30:7-10 (ESV)

And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the LORD throughout your generations. You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.”

The Alter of Incense is a picture of the prayers that intercede for God’s people.   It is a reminder to us that Jesus is seated at the right of God to make intercession for the saints in an on-going way.  Note what we can learn about the truths of prayer for the saints by the Son (and about our prayers for each other). 

1.  The incense flame was never to go out.  The flame source would be from the Mercy Seat, which indicates the power of the prayers for the saints (by Christ and us) is based in the sacrifice of Christ’s death. 

2. The Alter of Incense, once per year, was made holy by the blood of the Mercy Seat sacrifice.  This indicates we are to come to God in prayer in the holiness provided by Christ’s death for us, not in our own efforts to make ourselves holy. Our prayers, without His holiness on them, are simply uttered words. 

3. They were not to offer strange incense.  The incense was to be made in a particular way.  A defined way.  The nation was not to duplicate it for their own use.   This indicates to us that we are to follow the pattern of prayer that Jesus (and others in the Scriptures) has outlined for us.  This is why Jesus told us that when we pray, pray like this.   

4.  It is interesting that they were instructed not to offer a sacrifice on the Alter of Incense.   Remember, the sacrifice was to be on the Mercy Seat.   This is a clear picture that “prayers” don’t save us. It is not the act of praying that saves us.   We are saved by sacrifice of Christ on the Mercy Seat.   Our many prayers do not make us justified.  Our prayers are to access the privileges of what the Mercy Seat provides.    

Prayer is to be something we do each day, all day, all the minutes of the day, to access the privileges that God wants to provide us. Prayer is not the blessings. Prayer is the conduit that carriers the blessings.  Prayer is the pipeline God has chosen to pour out the benefits of the Mercy Seat.  Turn on the tap!!