Incense

Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 2min
 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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Incense Being Sold in Jerusalem
Precise instructions were given as to how the sweet incense was to be made that was burnt in the tabernacle. It was a compound of sweet spices: stacte, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense, an equal weight of each. It was to be compounded after the art of the apothecary, tempered together (or salted, margin), pure, and holy. No one was to make any like it for their private use: anyone who did so was to be cut off from God’s people (Ex. 30:34-3834And the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight: 35And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: 36And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. 37And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the Lord. 38Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people. (Exodus 30:34‑38)). This incense was to be burnt on the golden altar morning and evening: “a perpetual incense before the Lord” (Ex. 30:7-87And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 8And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. (Exodus 30:7‑8)). It expressed the fragrance of the perfections of Christ’s person for God’s delight. It also characterized the worship of the priestly company of those in the light, as Christians are.
Censer
The incense was also to be put on burning coals in a censer and carried by the high priest into the most holy place on the Day of Atonement, that the cloud of incense might cover the mercy seat that was upon the testimony, “that he die not.” It typified the personal perfection of Him who carried in the blood of atonement (Lev. 16:12-1312And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: 13And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not: (Leviticus 16:12‑13)). We find that while the high places remained, incense was burnt there as well as sacrifices offered (1 Kings 22:43,43And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places. (1 Kings 22:43) and more). The burning of incense to Baal and other false gods is also often spoken of (Jer. 1:1616And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands. (Jeremiah 1:16); Jer. 7:9,9Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; (Jeremiah 7:9) and more). Satan has his incense and perfume, and makes it a delight to his willing devotees.