O Lord, I call upon You. Hasten to hear me! Give ear to my voice when I call to You! Let my prayer be counted as incense before You, and the lifting of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
(Verses 1-2)
Ever had a morning when you woke up with a heavy heart? This is one of those for me. I was praying before I even opened my eyes today. So much I can't control. So much I yearn to see my Father do. Bill was up and at work. The room was quiet. So I cried out. For our nation. For my kids. For all our hearts and lives. Prayed that our Father would equip us for these times, and my children and grandchildren for their journey on what appears to be the Titanic, nationally and internationally. I read yesterday of the seven bowls the seven angels will pour out (Revelation 16) in the end times. How the Middle East will be central and (verse 19) the cities of the nations will fall. Doom. Yet in my praying, I couldn't escape the fact that since my Father knows our times--and the end of them seen from the beginning of them--it is for me to trust and hang on. I was not surprised, in light of my early morning conversation with God, that this is the verse I should come to. Be quick, my Father, to hear me. To know that in this clamoring, fighting, unsettled world noisy with dissent and hate, I am heard.
The altar of incense was set right in front of the veil that hid the Most Holy Place from view. It was to be lit morning and night, never to go out. And ONLY with fire from the sacrificial altar. Coals splattered with the blood of the sacrifices, smoldering before the dwelling place of God in sweet aroma. The incense was a very specific blend of spices and perfume that could only be used on the altar. When one walked into the Holy Place, it was to smell like God. The aroma of our Lord. Our aroma to Him. It is our prayers, this incense (Revelation 5). Fueled by the coals taken from the altar of our Lamb. Precious to the Lord. Can you see Him breathe it in when we come to sit with Him in prayer? The sweet aroma of a child of His coming near. How much sweeter still our privilege to be heard.
Two lambs, perfect, without blemish, were sacrificed each day on the altar outside of the tent of meeting. One in the morning; one at twilight. A continual offering up for the atonement of our sins. The offering also included grain, salt, oil and grape juice (wine). Both offerings were an acknowledgment that God's people needed Him, His forgiveness and love. It was a picture of God's ability to preserve us, the power of the Holy Spirit and a constant reminder of the fact that our sin is costly to the point of shed blood. I understand this morning why David asked the Father to see his lifted hands, surrendering to Yahweh, the Almighty, as an evening sacrifice. I need the atonement offered by the sacrificial Lamb of God in order to be forgiven and heard.
It was the presence of the incense and the sacrifices that made a way for us to meet with God. "It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you to speak with you there (Exodus 29)." There are no more sacrifices being offered in the tabernacle today. There is no tabernacle. Destroy in 70 A.D., the temple no longer exists. The sacrifice of the Lamb was enough. Once for all. God tore down the earthly dwelling place. He now dwells within all who lift their hands and hearts to Him as they inhale the fragrant sacrifice of the His Son. Little tabernacles alit with holy fire, ignited by the coals taken from the bowl outside the Tent of Meeting. God speaks with me in this holy place where His Spirit dwells. The incense of my prayers reaching His nostrils; the lifting of my surrendered heart a precious reminder of the Lamb. I am heard.
(Verses 1-2)
Ever had a morning when you woke up with a heavy heart? This is one of those for me. I was praying before I even opened my eyes today. So much I can't control. So much I yearn to see my Father do. Bill was up and at work. The room was quiet. So I cried out. For our nation. For my kids. For all our hearts and lives. Prayed that our Father would equip us for these times, and my children and grandchildren for their journey on what appears to be the Titanic, nationally and internationally. I read yesterday of the seven bowls the seven angels will pour out (Revelation 16) in the end times. How the Middle East will be central and (verse 19) the cities of the nations will fall. Doom. Yet in my praying, I couldn't escape the fact that since my Father knows our times--and the end of them seen from the beginning of them--it is for me to trust and hang on. I was not surprised, in light of my early morning conversation with God, that this is the verse I should come to. Be quick, my Father, to hear me. To know that in this clamoring, fighting, unsettled world noisy with dissent and hate, I am heard.
The altar of incense was set right in front of the veil that hid the Most Holy Place from view. It was to be lit morning and night, never to go out. And ONLY with fire from the sacrificial altar. Coals splattered with the blood of the sacrifices, smoldering before the dwelling place of God in sweet aroma. The incense was a very specific blend of spices and perfume that could only be used on the altar. When one walked into the Holy Place, it was to smell like God. The aroma of our Lord. Our aroma to Him. It is our prayers, this incense (Revelation 5). Fueled by the coals taken from the altar of our Lamb. Precious to the Lord. Can you see Him breathe it in when we come to sit with Him in prayer? The sweet aroma of a child of His coming near. How much sweeter still our privilege to be heard.
Two lambs, perfect, without blemish, were sacrificed each day on the altar outside of the tent of meeting. One in the morning; one at twilight. A continual offering up for the atonement of our sins. The offering also included grain, salt, oil and grape juice (wine). Both offerings were an acknowledgment that God's people needed Him, His forgiveness and love. It was a picture of God's ability to preserve us, the power of the Holy Spirit and a constant reminder of the fact that our sin is costly to the point of shed blood. I understand this morning why David asked the Father to see his lifted hands, surrendering to Yahweh, the Almighty, as an evening sacrifice. I need the atonement offered by the sacrificial Lamb of God in order to be forgiven and heard.
It was the presence of the incense and the sacrifices that made a way for us to meet with God. "It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you to speak with you there (Exodus 29)." There are no more sacrifices being offered in the tabernacle today. There is no tabernacle. Destroy in 70 A.D., the temple no longer exists. The sacrifice of the Lamb was enough. Once for all. God tore down the earthly dwelling place. He now dwells within all who lift their hands and hearts to Him as they inhale the fragrant sacrifice of the His Son. Little tabernacles alit with holy fire, ignited by the coals taken from the bowl outside the Tent of Meeting. God speaks with me in this holy place where His Spirit dwells. The incense of my prayers reaching His nostrils; the lifting of my surrendered heart a precious reminder of the Lamb. I am heard.
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