Bible Lesson: Symbols Of The Church: The Censer

Bible Lesson: Symbols Of The Church Of Jesus Christ

Church Symbol: The Censer

On Mount Sinai, the Lord told Moses, His plans for the Tabernacle, in it (the Holy Place), was to be an Incense Altar of gold.

Exodus 30:1-10 NLT
1 "Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense.
2 Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high, with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself.
3 Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar.
4 Make two gold rings, and attach them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles.
5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
6 Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark's cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. I will meet with you there.
7 "Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar.
8 And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the LORD's presence. This must be done from generation to generation.
9 Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.
10 "Once a year Aaron must purify the altar by smearing its horns with blood from the offering made to purify the people from their sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the LORD's most holy altar."

Every morning and every evening, fragrant incense was to be burned upon it.
And once a year on the Day of Atonement.

The incense formula, was given by the Lord.
Exodus 30:34-38 NLT
34 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Gather fragrant spices—resin droplets, mollusk shell, and galbanum—and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed out in equal amounts.
35 Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and holy incense.
36 Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it in front of the Ark of the Covenant, where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle. You must treat this incense as most holy.
37 Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the LORD, and you must treat it as holy.
38 Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community."

Leviticus 16:12 KJV "And he (Aaron)shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar (altar of burnt offerings) before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail (the most Holy Place):"

Exodus 30:8-10 KJV
[8] And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
[9] Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
[10] And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.

Incense is a sign of prayer, the prayers of God's people.

Revelation 5:6-8 NLT
6 Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth.
7 He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne.
8 And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people.

Revelation 8:3,4 NLT
3 Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God's people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne.
4 The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God's holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out.

Psalm 141:1,2 KJV
[1] LORD, I cry unto Thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto Thee.
[2] Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

In prayer we must be...
Repentant
Sincere
In Submission
Full of Faith
In the Spirit of Consecration

Be encouraged to pray!

Psalm 65:2 KJV "O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come."

James 5:16 KJV "...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

Ephesians 6:18 NLT "Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."

Romans 8:26,27 NLT
26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.

I John 5:14,15 NLT
13 I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.
14 And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him.
15 And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.

Matthew 6:1-13 NASB
1."Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2."So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
3."But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4.so that your giving will be in secret ; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

5."When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites ; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
6."But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father
who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
7."And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
8."So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

9."Pray, then, in this way : 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your Name.
10.'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
11.'Give us this day our daily bread.
12.'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13.'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.'