Do you Stink? Exodus 30:1-10, 34-38
- Have you ever walked into a room and been hit by a smell that just didn’t sit right with you? Maybe it was something faint but unpleasant that lingered, like it was hiding in the walls, reminding you it was there. For some of us, that’s enough to turn around and head back out.
- Just like those moments, our lives have a fragrance to them. The Bible describes our prayers and our devotion as incense rising to God. But just like some smells are sweet and pleasing while others are harsh and repelling, the scent we bring before God can either honor Him or miss the mark completely. Today, we’re going to dive deep into the Altar of Incense—a place with powerful meaning in the tabernacle. We’ll see why it’s there, what it represents, and what it reveals about our own prayers, our devotion, and even the hidden things we bring before God.
- As we go through this, consider this question: What kind of incense are you offering up to Him?
- The Altar and the incense.
Placement of the Altar of Incense: follows the consecration of priests (Exodus 28-29).
- The Altar of Incense is located in the Holy Place, right in front of the veil that separates the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (where the Ark of the Covenant is kept).
- It stands between the Menorah (lampstand) on the south side and the Table of Showbread on the north side of the Holy Place.
- Significance of Incense: symbolizes prayer (Luke 1:8-10, Psalm 141:2, Revelation 5:8).
- The Altar of Incense points to Christ’s intercession and our prayers reaching God.
- Made of acacia wood (symbolizing Christ’s incorruptible humanity). Square shape relates to Christ’s work of judgment and intercession
- Pure gold overlay signifies Christ’s divine purity and kingship.
- Spiritual Lessons: The altar’s size (one cubit) symbolizes unity in Christ’s intercessory prayers.
- Two-cubit height shows the difference between acceptable and unacceptable prayers.
- Global Reach: square represent prayers reaching all corners of the earth and heaven.
- Christ intercedes for us, making prayers acceptable to God (Heb 7:25-27).
- Only prayers through Christ are acceptable; others are not. We pray in Jesus name!
- Altars and Incense: Incense must be lit (fervent prayer) to be effective. Filled with fire of HS
- The Menorah symbolizes the light of God’s Spirit illuminating our lives and understanding.
- The Table of Showbread represents Christ as the Bread of Life, nourishing believers.
- The Altar of Incense stands centrally between these two, symbolizing that prayer (incense) is needed to maintain both spiritual illumination (light) and spiritual nourishment (bread).
- The altar’s placement emphasizes that prayer is the connecting factor, facilitating our communion with God as our prayers rise to Him. No prayer no light or bread
- Prayers must go through Christ, the veil, to reach the Throne of Grace.
- Connection to the Veil: The veil symbolizes Christ’s torn body, granting believers access to God’s presence in the Holy of Holies.
- The Altar of Incense, being directly in front of this veil, signifies that our prayers are acceptable to God only through Christ’s intercessory work. Even back then, the incense gets through
- The incense burned on the altar rises upward, passing through the veil, symbolizing our prayers being offered to God through Christ’s mediating role.
- Practical Application: Prayer should be a daily, continual act (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
- Altar teaches us the importance of consecrating our lives and actions to God through Christ.
1. Don’t offer a stench
- The smell of the incense mattered. What was in the mix matter- not any smell specific smell.
- Exodus 30:7 “Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it
- Ex 30:34 And the Lord said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each.
- The things of God and the things we offer up to him are sweet and supposed to be sweet
- I’m a smell guy. Always have been. I don’t know why. I smell stuff, pick it up. Go in places and smell, if I don’t like the smell, I cant stay there. Its just the way I am.
- Whats weird about smells is that you can take off surface things, but if you don’t get the root smell out, it still smells. Some smells you cant febreeze out. (taking carpet out smell like dog)
- Do you think about what kind of stench you offer up? Does it matter to you?
- Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
- What we offer to God matters. How we present ourselves matters. Reflection matters.
- Isaiah 3:24 And so it shall be: Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-set hair, baldness; instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.
- Leviticus 26:31 I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas.
- Its weird tho- sometimes you cant smell your own stench. You might need others to smell you
- Bro- do I stink? Yes, sometimes your actual smell, but your spiritual smell as well.
- 2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
- You cant be the fragrance of christ if you offer up profane incense. Don’t work. Repent.
- How you live your life is producing an aroma that others can smell. You then try and worship God, but the stench of your life becomes a profane offering bc you refuse to repent!
- There were levels of the altar, acceptable and unacceptable prayers. Do acceptable.
- I’m not saying bad people cant come to Christ, I’m saying if you come to christ and aren’t repenting, you’re just offering up a smelly sacrifice. Its not a pleasing aroma
- Do you know how you get clean? You repent. You allow Christ to cleanse you.
- Sin has a smell. You can smell it on people. It carries a whiff of the smoke of Sodom with it.
- James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
- When you confess your stink you get cleaned up. But you have to confess your stink.
- Don’t go around offering up a stinky offering, and having God reject your offering
- He hears all your prayers, he just doesn’t accept all your offerings as holy if you’re wrong
2. There is incense that only belongs to God
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- There is a prayer, a heart, a devotion, that only belongs to God. He wants your best
- Exodus 30:37 But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord
- Ex 34:14 you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
- Its interesting in this incense, that is offered up to God is to be protected as only for God
- God didn’t want his incense used for anything else but him. Not even themselves
- I’m sure it smelled real nice. Perhaps they wanted to spruce up their own tent. Nope. Only HIM
- There is a connection here between the ot and nt, for past present and future
- Revelation 8:3-4 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.
- Our prayers matter to God. Our devotion matters to God. These belong to him.
- In my relationship with my wife there are words and activities, possessions that are only shared between her and I and sharing those with someone outside my wife is adulterous.
- Not just physical intimacy, but emotional intimacy. A married person shouldn’t have a deeper intimacy with anyone more than their spouse. Not friend, parent, or opposite sex
- She’s my spouse. She deserves my devotion and my heart, not my leftovers.
- There are some words I only say to her. Activities only between her and I. my money and possessions first and foremost belong to her. She is the center of my earthly universe.
- Psalm 141:2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
- There are devotions, activities and possessions that only belong to God. Not to share w others
- everything you can do and have is not for you.
- It’s just some spices, why cant I make some for myself? YOU DON’T OWN EVERYTHING
- Just because its in your possession doesn’t mean that it belongs to you.
- Its like this- some people divert their tithe to pay for retreats. that’s not your money.
- You can have something that doesn’t belong to you.
- You don’t worship other activities and give them your full devotion. Nothing comes between
- Your heart towards God is bigger than any hobby or activity or relationship
- Are their non-negotiables in your relationship with God or is everything up for discussion?
- Are there possessions and times that you protect that belong to God? Who gets your incense?
- Early days of the church I’d stand in the back of the church and people would stop worshipping to interrupt by worship and talk to me- ‘he don’t look busy’ no interest to worship
- This time belongs to God not you! I’m offering up my incense and you stinking it up!
- People want to talk as church is starting- not right now. Have a meeting? NO ITS FOR HIM
- You have to have parts of your life that only belong to God. Protect your incense!
- This is my prayer time, my worship time, my connection time. All for him!
3. You need to offer up incense
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- Exodus 30:35 You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.
- This incense is prayer. Its worship. Its communicating with God through our hearts and minds
- But God is looking for real connection with his people, just not vain repetition
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- Isaiah 1:13 Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
- Here’s what’s going on in this text- God rejects Empty Rituals:
- In the preceding verses, Isaiah calls out the hypocrisy of the people of Israel.
- they were performing sacrifices and observing religious festivals outwardly, but their actions and hearts were far from God. They thought what they did outwardly pleased God
- their rituals, incense offerings and assemblies, are “futile” because they lack true devotion.
- Their outward actions do not reflect a life of righteousness, or obedience
- God describes their worship as tainted with “iniquity.” Focus on ritual and not right heart and actions. worship without integrity and obedience is offensive to God.
- In my life and ministry I’ve worshipped with people who were actively abusing drugs and alcohol, addicted to porn, molesting their children, committing adultery, plotting my destruction, gossiping and causing division in the church, stealing from work, unbelieving treacherous reprobates planning their divorce and exit, visiting prostitutes and smoking fentanyl before church and stealing money from the church.
- Hands in the air. Huggin people with a smile with no repentance. Acting the role.
- Let me be clear- this is a place for the broken to be made whole, its not a place for the unrepentant to act holy outwardly for 90 minutes to try and trick people and God into believing that they are good to go. We all have issues, but continual ongoing unrepentant sin isn’t good.
- We all struggle, you’re usually going through something, but outward ongoing perpetual lies aint good. Today is the day of salvation. Don’t leave here with your sin. Repent!
- God demands Repentance: urging them to “wash” themselves, “cease to do evil,” and “learn to do good” (Isaiah 1:16-17).
- He offers forgiveness and restoration if they turn back to Him sincerely.
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- The message here is that worship must be an expression of a life devoted to truth and holiness, not merely a ceremonial act.
- Jesus quoted Isaiah Matthew 15:8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips,But their heart is far from Me.
- You need to offer up incense, but let it be pure undefiled incense! The forgiveness of God is immediate and complete, he hears your prayers and will cleanse you from all unrighteousness
- Do it now while you still can! Repent and turn to God in pure worship! Bow the knee!
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- Your time does not all belong to you. There is time that belongs to God daily and weekly
- I hit church attendance hard. Its not that it’s a ‘requirement’ but if Christ is your greatest devotion, why do you not protect the time? It’s a 2000 year old tradition
- Truth is- other activities, relaxation, chores, overtime pay, etc. excuse of self indulgence
- My wife deserves my best energy and time. Not leftovers. Sure God deserves more
- Continual incense before him- constant prayer. God wants constant communication
- And your prayers, they reach God- the same as the incense passed through the veil towards the presence of God in the holy of holies, your prayers reach the highest heavens
- God wants you to pray continually so his presence can be with you all day ever day
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