Time: March 1406 BC, 40 years after the Exodus.
Setting: The nation of Israel is encamped on the Plains of Moab, awaiting the order to enter the Promised Land.
Characters: Priest Elnathan, Trainee Priest Rueben, 10-year-old Jerusha, and her two parents, Baruch and Deborah.
Previous Episodes: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.
Jerusha loved her priest, Elnathan. Every week she looked forward to his Tabernacle Class. She especially liked the way he used simple words and also tried to make each of the lesson points start with the same letter. She enjoyed the challenge of memorizing the points on her way home so that she could tell them to her family after supper each Saturday evening.
But today she couldn’t believe her ears. Elnathan introduced his lesson on the golden altar of incense by saying, “I have seven points all beginning with P.” How would she ever remember seven P’s! Elnathan read her mind, and said, “I’m sure some of you are thinking, ‘How will I ever remember seven P’s?’ Come close my beloved children and I will give you the secret formula. Here it is: Seven P’s – the palace is positioned on propitiation so that prayer will be a perfume of perpetual power.” Jerusha scribbled down the secret formula and wondered what it could possibly mean.
“First,” said Elnathan, “think of the Tabernacle as a palace. As you know, we have passed by many nations in our wilderness wanderings. Most of those nations have royal palaces for their kings. And if you walked through their palaces you would find candles, incense sticks, and slow-burning oils, filling the rooms with various fresh fragrances. These sweet aromas are expressions of honor and homage to their kings.
“As Jehovah is Israel’s King and as the Tabernacle is His Royal palace, the place He resides in, it is fitting that we should express our honor and pay our homage in a similar manner. So, in our Tabernacle, we have the golden altar of incense.
“And, remember, this earthly Tabernacle is but an example and shadow of heavenly things. Just think how many expressions of honor and homage must fill the heavenly Tabernacle of our King.
“O children let us constantly raise our minds from the stench of this God-defying world, and let us think upon and look forward to the sweet fragrance of a God-honouring heaven.
“Second, consider the golden altar’s position. As you know it is made of acacia wood, covered in gold, and crowned with a gold rim and four gold horns. It is about 1.5 feet square and 3 feet high. It is located in the Holy Place just before the veil of the Most Holy Place and the Ark of the Covenant, Jehovah’s throne. So, in contrast to the brass altar of burnt offering, which is here in the outer court, the golden altar of incense is ‘before the Lord,’ or ‘before the throne.’[i]
“And, children, like every other piece of Tabernacle furniture, this altar is a picture of the promised Messiah’s person and work. In particular it tells us that the Messiah will not only have a work on earth before men (the suffering pictured by the brass altar), but He will also have a work in heaven before the throne. We will talk more about this later, but I must say it greatly comforts me to think that the Messiah will not only come to earth for us, but will also be in heaven before the Lord for us.
“Third, we see here propitiation. You’ve probably not heard that word before, have you? To propitiate means to turn away God’s anger by sacrifice. The golden altar reminds us of the need for propitiation in various ways. The fire on this golden altar is kindled with the coals taken from the brass altar of burnt offering, where the sin offering is consumed.[ii] Also, the High Priest makes an atonement for the golden altar once every year on the Day of Atonement to cleanse and reconsecrate it.[iii] Further, the blood of the sin offerings is put on the horns of it.[iv] So, there is a very close connection between the brass altar and the golden altar, the work of the former being the basis for the work of the latter.
“Do you remember how Aaron’s ungodly sons, Nadab and Abihu, were judged by God because they offered strange fire before the Lord?[v] Some think that this was because their incense was not burned on fiery coals taken from the brass altar of atonement.[vi]
“My dear children, learn from this that propitiation must come before anything and everything. We cannot offer anything acceptable to God that has not been cleansed by blood. I think that this also suggests that the Messiah’s sacrificing work on earth for us will be the foundation of His work in heaven for us.
“Fourth, the incense is an emblem of prayer. When it is my turn to burn incense on the golden altar in the holy place, what is happening outside the curtain? Yes, that’s right, the prayer meeting is going on. Children, prayer is the true incense. Just as the smoke of the incense ascends heavenwards and Godwards so prayer rises up to God – not just our prayers but also the Messiah’s. What an encouragement to prayer!
“Fifth, think a little of the perfume. How does God describe the incense. It is “sweet.” It is “tempered together” which means that the ingredients were broken up and beaten small so that it mixes together well. It is “pure.” It is “most holy.”[vii] That doesn’t sound like a description of our prayers does it, children? Most of us feel that our prayers are the exact opposite – sour, disorganized, unclean and unholy. That brings us again to our future Messiah. Can we not hope that He will be the incense altar, that His prayers will be sweet, perfectly put together, pure and holy. And not only that, but prayers offered in His name will also be sweet and acceptable to God? That is certainly my hope as I fall on my knees each night.
“Sixth, this daily offering of incense is perpetual.[viii] It goes on and on. When it is my turn to offer the incense on the altar, the sweet fragrance lingers on me for days. Also, when the Tabernacle moves on, the coals and incense are carried separately so that the incense can continue ascending to heaven. Again this teaches us that we are to pray without ceasing, that we should have the fragrance of prayer about us every day. But above all it encourages us to think that the Messiah will ever live to make intercession for us.
“Seventh, we see power in the golden altar – in two ways. There are the four golden horns (which are biblical symbols for power) pointing to the north, south, east, and west. And there is the golden crown or rim (signifying royal power). This encourages us to think of the power of prayer – yes even of our prayers – but especially of the Messiah’s prayers for His worldwide Church. The golden crown suggests that the Messiah will pray as a powerful king. Children, let His powerful royal prayers support your weak beggar prayers.
“Now, does the secret formula make more sense? Let us end our lesson with prayer: Covenant Lord, we thank you for the golden altar of incense and all it teaches us about prayer, especially the Messiah’s prayers. And, although these children cannot see the golden altar, may they live to see the Messiah and hear His prayers. Look on the face of your Anointed.[ix] Amen.”
Jerusha ran back to her family tent repeating the secret formula again and again. She burst in the front door and said triumphantly: “Seven P’s: the palace is positioned on propitiation so that prayer will be a perfume of perpetual power.” “What are you talking about Jerusha?” asked Deborah, her surprised mother. It was then that Jerusha realized, remembering the points was the easy bit. Explaining what they meant – that was another matter…
