Daily Scripture Reading Exodus 30:1-16
Christians often think of prayer as a time to tell God our concerns and requests. There is truth to that. However, since Yahweh knows in advance everything that will ever happen, prayer can sometimes feel pointless. The Mosaic Law contains a provision that gives us a different perspective on prayer.
The 25th chapter of Exodus contains instructions for building the furniture that was to be placed inside the tabernacle. The Israelites were to build the Ark of the Covenant, a table for the bread, and a lampstand.
Ex. 30:1 ¶ “Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
Note the words “altar” and “burning incense.” Previously, Yahweh had given instructions to build a lampstand to provide light. Now He was giving instructions regarding the smells within the tabernacle.
Ex. 30:2 Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit; it shall be square. And its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of the same piece.
Ex. 30:3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it.
Ex. 30:4 You shall make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make them on its two side walls—on opposite sides—and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it.
When the Israelites carried the incense altar, they were not to touch the altar itself. Instead, they were to carry it using the poles inserted into the rings.
Ex. 30:5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
Ex. 30:6 You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you.
When the priest walked into the tabernacle, the lampstand was on his left, the table with the bread was on his right, and the incense altar was straight ahead. Behind the incense altar was the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies.
Ex. 30:7 Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps.
Ex. 30:8 When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be continual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations.
Burning incense creates a pleasant aroma. That was the practical purpose of the incense altar. However, the incense altar also had a symbolic purpose. In Psalm 141:2, David wrote, “May my prayer be established as incense before You”. David desired that his prayers would be a pleasing aroma to Yahweh, just as the incense was.
We see the same concept in the book of Revelation. Revelation 5:8 tells us, “And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” The incense in heaven represents the prayers of the saints. The aroma created by the incense in the tabernacle was a picture of the pleasant aroma that rises when God’s people pray.
We often think of prayer as a time to ask God for the things we want. There is truth to that. However, since God knows the future and knows every deed that every person will ever do, prayer can sometimes feel pointless. We wonder why we should pray if all events are already “pre-determined.” The reason we should pray is because it creates a pleasing aroma before our Creator.
Ex. 30:9 You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar or burnt offering or grain offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it.
Ex. 30:10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to Yahweh.”
Ex. 30:11 ¶ Yahweh also spoke to Moses, saying,
Ex. 30:12 “When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a price of atonement for himself to Yahweh when you number them, so that there will be no plague among them when you number them.
Understand the requirement in this verse. Whenever there was a census, each person who was counted needed to atone for himself. Failure to do so would bring a plague.
2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 tell us that David numbered the people of Israel. Those passages tell us it was wrong for David to do that, but they don’t tell us why it was wrong. This command in Exodus may have been part of the problem. When David ordered the census, there was not a corresponding atonement for each person numbered; thus, Israel was struck.
Ex. 30:13 This is what everyone who is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to Yahweh.
Ex. 30:14 Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to Yahweh.
Ex. 30:15 The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel when you give the contribution to Yahweh to make atonement for your souls.
Ex. 30:16 And you shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may be a remembrance for the sons of Israel before Yahweh, to make atonement for your souls.”
We often think of prayer as a time to bring our requests before God. There is truth to that. However, since God knows every deed that every person will ever do, sometimes prayer can feel pointless. We wonder why we should pray if all events are “pre-determined”.
The altar for burning incense gives us a picture of how to view our prayers. Praying, even when God already knows what He is going to do, is a way to create a pleasing aroma before God.
How should you alter your prayer life in light of the fact that the prayers of the saints are incense?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”