Are you among the
people who have lost hope in seeing change in your life? Is it healing that you
need, or restoration in relationship, or financial freedom? If you have tried
everything that you know but ended up in despair and hopelessness, this message
is for you.
In entering the coming year, the
Lord says, “Restore your Altar of Incense!”
What does it mean to
restore your Altar of Incense? You can find the Bible mentioning about the
Altar of Incense in Exodus 30:1-10.
1. This small altar was made of acacia wood and
overlaid with gold (v1-v5). Thus, it’s also called ‘the golden altar’. The
people of God would pray outside the Tabernacle when the incense was burned at
the altar by Aaron the high priest. So, the burning of incense at the Altar of
Incense is the symbol of your prayer and worship to the Lord. I asked the Lord
why the Altar of Burnt Offering was overlaid with bronze but the Altar of
Incense was overlaid with gold, and the Lord said it’s because He treasures
your time spending with Him in prayer and hearing from Him more than all the
sacrifices you can make for Him.
2. The Altar of Incense was put in the centre of
the Holy Place before the veil that was before the ark of the Testimony, where God’s presence was in the Most
Holy Place (v6). Once a year, Aaron the high priest would burn incense on the
golden altar first before he could go through the thick curtain to enter the
Most Holy Place to meet with God on behalf of His people. However, the thick
veil/curtain that separated the Altar of Incense and the presence of God has
been torn into half the moment Jesus died on the cross (see Matthew 27:51; Mark
15:38; Luke 23:45). Now, Jesus is the only high priest you need for He has
opened the way for you to pray and meet with God personally (see Hebrews
7:27-28). Therefore, in the New Covenant in Christ, you can access God’s
presence without any veil/hindrance once you start praying to Him.
3. The high priest was to burn incense on the altar
day and night and throughout their generation (v7-v8). Who do you confide in and
consult first whenever you meet a challenge in life? Is it your habit to call
your family members, or type in Facebook for suggestions and search in Google
for answers? Know that the Almighty, Omnipotent and All-powerful God avails
Himself for you to call on Him day and night. When is the best time to pray? Anytime
you can avail yourself! So, instead of feeling regretful that you haven’t been
spending enough time with the Lord, why not start praying to Him now? For
parents and grandparents, blessed are you because your prayers for your children
and grandchildren last for generations to come even after you have graduated
from this earth to heaven, just like the incense that’s being burnt throughout
the generation.
4. The high priest should not offer strange incense
or other offerings on the altar (v9). The time with the Lord is irreplaceable.
Getting yourself busy with lots of church activities such as attending cell
groups, Christian conferences, or even doing ministry works do not replace your
time with God. When you spend the time to meet with God, there will be
impartation of His wisdom and revelation (see Proverbs 3:5-6). As you apply His
wisdom, you can do your Christian ministry with the least effort, yet bearing
significant results. That’s how God’s people can maintain the joy of serving in
Christian ministries without stress and pressure.
5. Once a year, Aaron the high priest had to make
atonement upon the 4 horns of the Altar of Incense with the blood of the sin
offering of atonement (v10). In the New Covenant, Jesus sacrificed Himself,
died on the cross, and shed His blood to sanctify those who believe in Him, once
for all. Therefore, you as a believer are able to receive eternal redemption
and are made righteous to enter God’s presence to meet with Him (see Hebrews
7:27; 9:12; 10:10, 19). Horn is a symbol of power. The blood of sacrifice upon
the horns of the altar also means there is power in the blood of Jesus.
Whenever you pray, remember the power of His blood and thus the power of
praying in His name (see John 14:13-14).
The Lord also gave a specific instruction
on the making of the sweet incense in Exodus 30:34-38. There were 11 spices
plus salt in the ingredients of sweet incense. Why salt? Salt was expensive and
given as a gift of peace offering in those days. When you pray to God, the
peace of God will take over all the anxieties in your heart and mind (see
Philippians 4:6-7).
Moreover, as it’s written in Exodus 30:37,
no one should make the same incense for themselves or for their own use. The
Lord wants us to pray not according to the wants of our flesh but according to
His will because He knows best and He has the best answers for us (see 1 John
14-15).
Then you may ask, “How to pray according to
God’s will?”
There are 2 categories of praying in God’s
will. One is the general will of God for all believers alike, while the
other is the specific will of God for individuals.
The general will of God for all believers
can be found in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because
He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the
broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to
the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable
year of the LORD.” Jesus quoted the book of Isaiah 61:1-2 in the
synagogue after His 40-day fast in the wilderness and proclaimed the anointing
was available for Him to start His ministry. Today, Jesus and His anointing
dwell in those who believe in Him. Is it God’s will for you to be saved,
restored, renewed, healed, delivered, and prospered? The answer is ‘yes’! So,
dig into the words of God that are related to His general will for believers,
agree with His Word, and pray accordingly. It is definitely the will of God for
you to be saved, restored, renewed, healed, delivered, and prospered in Christ!
The specific will of God is sought when you
need specific direction and wisdom to go about in personal life, vocation, and
ministry. It is written in Romans 8:26-27, “Likewise the Spirit also
helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we
ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the
Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will
of God.” When you spend time with the Lord praying and singing in the
spirit, the Holy Spirit is praying on your behalf according to the specific
will of God for you. Also, by praying in the spirit, you allow God’s Spirit to
bring His revelation and wisdom to your understanding. And when your mind
prospers with His wisdom, you’ll prosper in every work of your hands too (see 3
John 2). So pray in the spirit/pray in tongue often, and whenever you can.
Dear friends, restore your ‘altar of
incense’ by spending time to pray and be in the presence of the Lord again. All
your prayers according to the will of God are heard and will be fulfilled in
due time. Do not lose hope but continue to ‘burn your spiritual incense’ (i.e. pray)
upon ‘your spiritual altar of incense’ (i.e. Jesus). Your God is a God who
answers prayers. Let’s believe that your breakthrough and miracle is at hand.
Amen!