“Aaron shall burn thereon [the golden
altar of incense] sweet incense every morning:
when he dresseth the lamps, lie shall
burn incense upon it.”
Exodus 30:7
It was necessary to dress the lamps of the tabernacle from time to time to keep them burning brightly. The word "dress" in the original is used with the meaning: to make something good, right and beautiful. But before dressing the lamps, Aaron was to burn incense on the golden altar in the holy place. The sweet savor of that incense was to fill the holy place when those lamps were dressed.
Since "whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning," we find beautiful instruction here. Often in the history of God's people, the lamp of testimony needs to be dressed to keep it burning brightly. How important when such dressing is necessary to make sure that the sweet savor of Christ's Person fills the place. (See Sol. 1:3.) After all, it is not dressing according to our thoughts or desires, but Christ must be the pattern and measure before our souls. How often it happens that when we undertake dressing the lamp (seeking to correct some matter out of order in our brother) without the sweet savor of Christ filling the place, the results are negative.
Paul kept the correct order in his Epistle to the Philippians. In every chapter, Christ is set forward so that He could correct the differences that were arising among those dear saints. It is especially evident in chapter 2. How beautifully and passionately he pleads with them to "be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." v. 2. What filled the Apostle's soul to make him plead in this way? Was it not the sweet savor of that incense that we have in verses 5 to 8, where we have the Highest (the eternal Son of God) taking the lowest place?
May God graciously grant that care be used that the incense might be burning when dressing the lamps is necessary.
R. Thonney
“Set a watch, O Lord,.
before my mouth;
keep the door of my lips:”
Psalm 141:3