Most Holy

DEVOTION

EXODUS

MOST HOLY

Ex 30:1-10

30:1 "Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. 2 It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high — its horns of one piece with it. 3 Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it. 4 Make two gold rings for the altar below the molding — two on opposite sides — to hold the poles used to carry it. 5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 Put the altar in front of the curtain that is before the ark of the Testimony — before the atonement cover that is over the Testimony — where I will meet with you. 7 "Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. 8 He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come. 9 Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the LORD."

NIV

Another item or fixture for inside the tabernacle. We now have the lampstand, with its seven lamps and the table with the showbread and now this golden altar for incense. We have looked at the significance of the lampstand and the table, but what does this altar for the burning of incense signify? Looking outside the tent of meeting we have the brazen altar for the sacrifices which are a type of Christ. He is our sacrifice for sin. He became the ultimate sacrifice. But this golden altar is to be set before the curtain which is before the Ark of the Covenant. It is to burn a fragrant offering before the LORD each morning and each evening. We could conclude there is always some incense burning, as it take time for this incense to burn. We can also conclude this altar is also a type of Christ. But here he is ever before the presence of the LORD making intercession for us. What would our life be like if Jesus was not making intercession for us? We usually consider his sacrifice, his shedding of blood for the remission of our sin and that if we accept him as our Savior we are saved. If we accept his sacrifice for us, then we are free from the bondage of the Law and we have also been set free from the bondage of sin. But after his resurrection and his ascension to the right hand of the Father, Jesus is still standing for us.

Rom 8:31-34

31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

NIV

Heb 7:23-25

23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

NIV

Our salvation was complete on the altar of sacrifice, the cross. It was there that Jesus said, “It is finished”. There is nothing more that needs to be done for our salvation. There is no extras that we can tack on to this act of Jesus. But when Jesus returned to heaven he did not take a break. He stands always before the Father interceding on our behalf. When we fail to be perfect, that is most often, if not always, which then can be considered sin, Jesus is there before the Father showing him his nail scared hands and feet and declaring he took that into account at Calvary, on the altar of sacrifice. So this golden altar shows the Israelites and us, Jesus before the LORD being a sweet aroma of incense. The act of Jesus on the cross and now before the LORD is most holy to him.