Exodus 30:1–10
The Altar of Incense
1. How the Altar was to be Made (30:1-5)
30 “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it. 4 And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
As we examine this section, we should ask why is this placed where it is in Exodus? The furniture found in the Tabernacle was given back in Chapter 25. It seems at first glance that perhaps it belongs back in 25 with the rest of the furniture contained within the Tabernacle.
Once we discover the purpose of the altar of incense, we will see it’s exactly where it should be in order for right worship of God to take place as He ordains.
Now, once the Tabernacle is constructed, the furniture placed within and the priests made ready, now it’s time to begin to worship God. The first item in place is the altar of incense.
How was the altar made?
It was small, only about 18” square and 3’ tall. Made of acacia wood and overlayed with gold. It had a gold rim around its outer edge.
It was covered with gold because of its close vicinity to the Holy of Holies, where God’s throne and presence on earth were.
It contained four rings which two poles could go through to carry it. Everything overlayed with Gold. The rings were there to make the altar of incense portable as the Israelites traveled through the wilderness.
At the end of Chapter 30 we see how the incense was to be made…
Exodus 30:34–38 (ESV)
34 The Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), 35 and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36 You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you. 37 And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.”
It is clear that this mixture of spices to be burned were for God alone. This is not something that the Hebrews were to mix up and burn in their tents or houses to make them smell good. This was strictly for God alone.
2. Where the Altar of Incense was Located (30:6-10)
6 And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, 8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”
The altar was place in front of the veil of the Holy of Holies. This location also placed it right in front of the Ark and the mercy seat.
This altar of incense had a unique connection to the Holy of Holies. Throughout Hebrew History, it was referred to as the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.
1 Kings 6:22 (ESV)
22 And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.
Aaron and his sons trimmed the wicks of the menorah and while they were doing this, the incense was to be burning.
This passage is also very clear as to the importance of burning only incense as prescribed and nothing else.
9 You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.
Incense was burned every day. At the atonement sacrifice once a year the Priest would place blood on the horns of the Altar of Incense as a picture of sins being atoned.
3. The Altar of Incense Part of the Holy of Holies Close to the Mercy Seat
This altar had a special connection with God. Being place in front of the veil it was in close proximity to the Ark of the Covenant and the glory of God which was right on the other side of the same veil.
The altar of incense was considered part of the holy of holies, but since it required tending so often, it was placed outside that chamber so regular priests could care for it daily. Meaning of the Altar of Incense: Sweet-smelling smoke from incense represented the people’s prayers ascending to God.
So, picture that this Altar and the incense were allowed outside the Holy of Holies so that people could access it.
The idea here is that the incense being burned in close proximity to God’s presence behind the veil, the incense goes into where God’s presence and glory are. Something on one side of the veil enters into the Holy of Holies. That’s the image the worshipper was to have.
4. The Altar of Incense Symbolized the Prayers of God’s People
Many people have given their ideas as to what the purpose of this altar and the burning of incense is. Some say its just to make the Tabernacle and later the Temple smell good. They say, because of all the sacrifices there would be a great stench in the air that the burning of incense would help. Others say it was symbolic of God being King and that in other cultures there were incense being burned in the throne room where royalty dwelled. All these and other reasons are possible and of course the incense did make everything smell better and of course God is royalty, but what was it really?
To discover the purpose, we turn not to sceptics nor supposed scholars but to the Bible. The Bible connects the burning of incense to the prayers of God’s people. The prayers of God’s people penetrate into the Holy of Holies like the aroma of incense did. They go through the veil into where God dwells. The prayers are a sweet aroma to God.
Here’s how David made the connection…
Psalm 141:1–2 (ESV)
1 O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
Here, David was referring to the daily burning of incense in the Temple. He compares them to the prayers that go up before God.
Another passage, this time in the NT that connects the burning incense to the prayers of the people. Here we see that the people were praying at the time the incense were lit…
Luke 1:8–10 (ESV)
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
The altar of incense, then, can be seen as a symbol of the prayers of God’s people. Our prayers ascend to God as the smoke of the incense ascended in the sanctuary. As the incense was burned with fire from the altar of burnt offering, our prayers must be kindled with heaven’s grace. The fact that the incense was always burning means that we should always pray…
Luke 18:1–8 (ESV)
18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (ESV)
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
The altar of incense was holy to the Lord and was atoned for with the blood of the sacrifice; it is the blood of Christ applied to our hearts that makes our prayers acceptable. Our prayers are holy because of Jesus’ sacrifice, and therefore they are pleasing to God.
The altar of incense can also be seen as a picture of the intercession of Christ. Just as the altar of sacrifice in the courtyard was a type of Christ’s death on our behalf, the altar of incense in the Holy Place was a type of Christ’s mediation on our behalf—Christ’s work on earth and in heaven. The altar of incense was situated before the mercy-seat of the Ark—a picture of our Advocate’s standing in the presence of the Father…
Hebrews 7:25 (ESV)
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 9:24 (ESV)
24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
The incense was to be burning continually on the altar of incense, which shows the perpetual nature of Christ’s mediation. Christ’s intercession on our behalf is a sweet-smelling savor to God.
It is beautiful to know that God considers the prayers of believers to be like a sweet smell of incense. Because of Christ, we can now enter God’s holy presence by faith, with full assurance…
Mark 15:38–39 (ESV)
38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Hebrews 4:14–16 (ESV)
14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
We offer our prayers upon the altar, trusting in Jesus, our eternal, perfect, and faithful High Priest.
Hebrews 10:19–23 (ESV)
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
It is through the sacrifice of Jesus; symbolism was the blood place on the horns of the Altar of incense that our prayers enter into the throne room of God and He listens. Our prayers, the prayers of God’s people penetrate the veil of heaven into the true Holy of Holies, the very throne room of God. The Key to praying is that God hears the prayers of His people through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. He hears.
He hears our prayers is the true miracle. We are too often concerned with the answer. The fact that in Christ our prayers are heard means there will be an answer. The answer rarely is on our timetable or the exact answer we desire but it is the best timing and the best answer for us. This is why we are to give thanks in all things.
Do you pray with confidence that God hears? We often are way too concerned with God’s answer. The amazing fact is that He hears our prayers. Praise Jesus that His atoning work for us on the cross has also opened the veil so that we now by prayer have access to God. He hears the prayers of His people as much as He heard Jesus’ prayers on earth and just as much as He hears Christ’s prayers now.
John Newton…
Approach, my soul, the mercy seat,
where Jesus answers pray’r;
there humbly fall before His feet,
for none can perish there.
2 Thy promise is my only plea,
with this I venture nigh;
Thou callest burdened souls to Thee,
and such, O Lord, am I.
5 O wondrous love, to bleed and die,
to bear the cross and shame,
that guilty sinners such as I,
might plead Thy gracious name.
The Altar of Incense if you will is currently burning as we pray; as our prayers are ascending into the throne room of God. Our Father hears our prayers because Christ has died and we believe.
In the sixth stanza Newton gives us the heartfelt thankfulness we should have as we pray…
6 “Poor tempest-tosséd soul, be still,
my promised grace receive”;
’tis Jesus speaks; I must, I will,
I can, I do believe.
Revelation 5:6–12 (ESV)
6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
May your prayers ascend to the throne room of God through the Lamb who was slain but now alive for evermore!
Resources Used:
https://www.gotquestions.org/altar-of-incense.html
Exodus by Ryken
Exodus by A W Pink
https://hymnary.org/text/approach_my_soul_the_mercy_seat
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