Exodus 30

“How long, O Lord?” We are waiting for the fulfillment of all of these Old Testament signs to fully come. Surely God has a plan for His people that goes beyond the limits of this life. Surely the Lord of Israel did not instruct Moses to build all that was necessary for tabernacle worship only to have people live and die with a picture of what the Lord showed to Moses on top of the mountain.

We have followed this picture in our minds' eyes from the ark of the covenant in the Most Holy Place, through the tabernacle with the other furnishings, into the courtyard containing the bronze altar, and to the priests themselves with their special vestments, first for the high priest, and then for the other priests who were the sons of Aaron. As we complete the descriptions of these sacred objects, we long for something more. The hearts of God's redeemed who have been rescued from bondage thirst for Him. See Psalm 42.

We long to be taken up bodily into His presence, yet this is also a fearful thought, because of His holiness and our sin. In the meantime, the people of the tabernacle were given a symbolic representation of their prayers coming up into the Lord's heavenly sanctuary through the altar of incense. See Revelation 5:8. Until that time when we can be with the Lord more fully, we want our ways of communicating with God to be most fruitful. We know that we need His help.

The altar of incense was much smaller than the bronze altar that was for offering animals to the Lord. The placement of this smaller altar of prayer was inside the tent, just before the veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the tabernacle. If we think of the Most Holy Place as God's side of the tabernacle, and the other space, the Holy Place, as our side, the altar of incense is on our side. Here we are on our side of the heaven/earth divide. The veil is a border for us that we cannot cross. We pray to God. Does He hear? Will He help us? When is the veil coming down? But now the veil has been torn from top to bottom in the death of Christ. This is a great encouragement. May the Lord answer our prayers during our present distress. Some are in pain. Others are oppressed. We are praying for individuals and whole people groups to be found among the worshipers of the Lord. Lord, hear our prayer!

Our High Priest in heaven intercedes for us. Even on this side of the divide, Jesus has sent His Holy Spirit to us, and that great Immanuel is working in us. We do not know how to pray as we ought. When you do not know what to say, groan from within with true thanksgiving or the deepest mourning. Surely God will help you. See Romans 8:26. Our altar of incense has been purified by the perfect blood of Christ. Our High Priest loves us.

This atonement that is ours is nothing we could have paid for ourselves. We do not have even the smallest copper coin of the perfect righteousness that is required to take care of that debt. But Christ has found the redemption price in the boundless gold of His own obedience. In the days of the tabernacle, God commanded that every fighting man who would serve the Lord would have to give a census tax of half a shekel. That was the cost of liberty below. The price in heaven is much more. But Christ has paid it in full.

The Lord also instructed Moses to make a basin of bronze. He was to place it outside the tabernacle in the courtyard on the way to the Lord's presence. Who can dwell on the Lord's holy mountain? Will the washing rituals of men using the water of earth suffice to cleanse us from our iniquity? Aaron and his sons needed to perform these rituals to show their own need for cleansing. We have been cleansed by the water of heaven. We are priests to God through our High Priest, Jesus, the Messiah.

The water of the earth was enough for a symbol of the washing necessary to go in the tabernacle or to offer an animal to the Lord on the bronze alter. But we have a deeper cleansing that has washed our hearts. We have been made alive in Christ by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now we can worship with confidence. Now we can offer up our lives in the simplicity of holy living.

The anointing oil for the priests and the incense for the altar of incense were both of a special composition that the Lord gave to Moses. These were not for common use, nor were any other oil or incense to be used as substitutes for the Lord's sacred purposes.

The sweet oil was for anointing the tent, the holy furnishings, the lampstand, the altar of incense, the alter of burnt offering, and the basin. By this oil, all these would be set apart as holy. “Whatever touches them will become holy.” So much in this world is unclean, but when Jesus touches the unclean, we became clean. What a sweet oil of godliness comes from His resurrection hand! He embraces us with a secure and holy love.

The special incense of sweet spices and frankincense, seasoned with salt, was to provide the aroma for the tabernacle. But now the Lord who breathed life into Adam, and gave the breath of heaven to His apostles, has breathed the fragrant incense of His sacred mouth on us. He is an aroma of life to us.

We say all of this, and it is true. We love the tabernacle and everything in it. Even more, we love the temple of the Holy Spirit, the church. Still we cry out, “How long, O Lord!” Our hearts still yearn for Him. Come, Lord Jesus!