The Incense Altar
Open Your Bible
Exodus 30:1-38, 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, 1 John 2:24-27
BY Claire Gibson
For years now, my mother has worn patchouli.
It smells like the woods, with a tinge of smoke and a hint of something floral. Even days after she’s visited Nashville, her invisible signature lingers on the pillow where she slept, on the scarf she borrowed, on the blanket on the couch—reminding me that we were together. I’m not sure if I love the fragrance or if I love that it reminds me of her. But I know this: when I smell patchouli in a store, it doesn’t smell the same as when it’s on my mom.
In Exodus 30, the Lord outlines a series of rich, holy, and sacred instructions for the altar of the tabernacle. He includes a recipe for anointing oil and a recipe for incense. I don’t know about you, but in the age of essential oil popularity, the thought occurred to me that I could probably whip up a batch, just to see what it smelled like. But it’s clear through His instructions that these items are meant to be special. They’re exclusive and not to be shared far and wide; they are recipes never to be mixed outside of the church. “As for the incense you are making, you must not make any for yourselves using its formula. It is to be regarded by you as holy—belonging to the LORD” (Exodus 30:37). God is ensuring that the only time His people will smell these rich fragrances is in His presence.
Psychologists have found that our sense of smell is closely linked with memory. Perhaps that’s why, when I think of my grandmother, I can still remember the tart scent of her cold cream that she’d pat on her face every night. It’s why at Christmas, I stock up on Balsam Fir candles, to extend the season just a bit longer. Fragrance is a powerful force. It helps us remember. It activates emotion. It recalls stories. It brings us back. It transports us. It slows us down. It comforts.
God knows this. He knows our spiritual as well as our physiological needs—because He created every part of us, including our sense of smell. Isn’t it beautiful to consider that God wants to activate all of our senses as we interact with Him? He isn’t limited to the spiritual realm, but wants our physical bodies to experience His presence, too.
Just like my mother’s patchouli oil leaves a trace, as followers of Jesus Christ, we carry the fragrance of Christ with us everywhere we go. “For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2Corinthians 2:15). Priests no longer have to whip up a batch of something sacred; because of Christ’s work on the cross, now we ourselves are sacred.
As you go about your day, pay attention to the sweet smell of that apple, the bitter fragrance of coffee, the grassy scent of sweat on your children. Even in life’s mundane moments, our sense of smell can remind us of our God and His extravagance.
34 thoughts on "The Incense Altar"
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Lord You are so good.
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❤️
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When reflecting on this devotional, I thought of the art of hosting. And I’m certainly not making a 1:1 comparison to the tabernacle and a dinner party, but I see hosting as somewhat of a holy act: bringing people together to commune, gather, eat, drink… often lighting candles, creating a space where people feel loved, welcomed, like they belong and can linger. Maybe a space to be able to experience Jesus? Happy Friday, all. Grateful for this community. ❤️
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My constant prayer is that I would be so filled with the Spirit of God in such a way that is so obvious to people. Just as strong perfume lingers much longer after someone has left, I want my fragrance of being God’s child—a fragrance of life—to linger for others that I’m in contact with. I want to reflect and radiate Christ in my life so that others can sense it even after I’m gone. I pray that my life would be a fragrance of life that is pointing others to Christ and the gospel.
Also, I love seeing how God uses all our senses to draw us closer to Him! Earlier we saw how He uses beauty to point us to Him and now smell. He is the Almighty Creator and has designed each part of our bodies for a specific purpose to glorify Him and to point us to Him! -
“…our God and His extravagance”- I LOVE this! I love this reminder that God uses our physical senses to stir our spirits to worship and remembrance.
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Amen
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Gold (covering the altar), frankincense (in the insence), and myrrh (in the annointing oil). Now where have we seen that combo before? :-)
Debbie -Pursued by Him – thanks for the info on the spices
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I found the oil and incense details very interesting! I looked up some of the oils and it seems to me they might have smelled like a warm cinnamon bun!!! How comforting to me! The incense ingredients seemed to me to be sweet also but refreshing!
I found this interesting interpretation about the incense:
“ a) Stacte – the sap of the Acacia tree which oozed through the bark in the spring in blood-red drops. After congealing, it was ground into powder. The Greek word used in Luke 22:44 for drops is “THROMBOS” which means to thicken, a lump or a dot of blood. In this spice the spiritual anguish of the Lord Jesus is brought before us.
b) Onycha – the ground-up crusts of a shellfish, native to the Red Sea. One meaning given for onycha is “to peel off by percussion of sound.” This would refer to the pounding of the waves which resulted in the breaking of the amber-like outer crusts of the onycha. Here we have the physical sufferings and death of the Lord Jesus brought before us.
c) Galbanum – this was the sap of the shrub called “ferula.” The bark of the tree was cut, and the sap which flowed out as a result was caught in basins. After hardening, it was ground into perfume. One characteristic of the tree was the manner in which the sap still ran even after the wound was healed. Christ’s wounds received on the Cross continue even today to send forth blessings to mankind. Here we have His resurrection and glorification brought before us.
These were combined with frankincense in equal parts to form the incense which is called “sweet” (v 7), “pure” (v 35), and “most holy” (v 36). And this is the incense which was placed upon the golden altar every morning and again every evening in fulfillment of the words of Exodus 30:7, 8, 36. Here the fire which had consumed the sacrifice on the brazen altar was now used to release the sweet savor to Jehovah. The figure is very clear: the blood put on the horns of the altar presents the full value of the work of Christ viewed in God’s presence (Heb 9:11-12, 24-26). The value of that blood in all its freshness and fragrance is ever before the Throne as our Great High Priest appears there. The presence and power of Christ in the glory for us are the results of His finished work on the Cross.”
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