“May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2)
Dear People Who Keep Company with God,
The Tabernacle of Moses, also known as the tent of meeting, was the place where God met with the Israelites during the 40 years they wandered in the wilderness. It was where the people came together to worship, pray, offer sacrifices and hear from God. When the Tabernacle was set up, they placed it in the center of the camp. When Israel broke camp, even then the Tabernacle was carried in the midst of the people. That reveals that we are the apple of God’s eye, and He desires to live in the midst of us. The Tabernacle also gives us a glimpse of the throne room in heaven. “For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24). God told Moses, “Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you” (Exodus 25:9). The dimensions, material, floor plan and all the furnishings reveal the heart of the Father to us.
In the Tabernacle, there was a prayer altar, the golden altar of incense. It sat in front of the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. It reveals the Father’s intent for His house to be a place where people could approach Him and pray to Him. “…for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7). The priests would burn incense on the golden altar every morning and evening. The incense was left burning continually throughout the day and night as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. The incense is symbolic of the prayers and intercession of the people going up to God as a sweet fragrance. The Apostle John saw prayers wafting up to heaven like incense in his vision in Revelations. “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand” (Revelations 8:3-4).
The golden altar is also symbolic of Christ Himself, who is our intercessor before God the Father. During His days on earth, Jesus prayed for His followers on many occasions. He was like the high priest of the Tabernacle, who bore the names of each of the Israelite tribes on his breastplate. God’s people are always on His heart. Today, Jesus is still our High Priest. “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” (Romans 8:34). And we, as children of God, are the spiritual priesthood on earth. We are a holy and a royal priesthood. We are the tabernacle of God and in the center of His heart, and because of this, our prayers are a sweet fragrance rising before the throne of God. Our prayers will indeed move Him to action.
Many Blessings, BW