Incense For The King

Exodus 30:34-38

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. "With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, {and} holy. "You shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. "The incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the LORD. "Whoever shall make {any} like it, to use as perfume, shall be cut off from his people."

Commentary:
God is in the details. He gave Moses specific instructions on how to prepare the incense that were to be offered to Him. He also made it very clear that the incense that were to be prepared in a certain proportion, were strictly for Him, and no one else. This act of obedience on the part of Moses was sacred to the Lord, and was meant solely for Him. God was making it plain what He desired from Moses, and that desire fulfilled was not to be offered to anyone else but God. He walked him step-by-step, through the preparations of the offering; right up unto the point in which the incense were to be offered up to Him. The ascent of the sweet perfumed smoke appropriately signifies the prayers of God's people coming before their God (Ps 141:2; Rev 5:8; 8-3-4), (The Wyliciffe Bible Encyclopedia, 1975).

Presenting prayers and devotions up to God is a form of worship, and should not be offered to any other person, or any other god; other than God himself. There are many idols in the world, and many people that wish to be worshipped by others; however, God has made it perfectly clear, that He will not share His glory with another. Anyone that offers homage to anyone, or anything, outside of the true and living God; will suffer the consequences as stated by God himself.

Reflection:
We should never put individuals in a position within our hearts, that replaces the God of our hearts. We must be careful not to put people, or things in place of God, by making them first in our lives. God should always be first and foremost. Our offering to God should be our entire, heart, mind, body and soul. Our praise, and our devotion, should be a sweet smelling savor in the nostrils of God; and should never be offered to another. The incense of our praise should be only for the king of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the only true and living God: that saves, heals, delivers, and restores. To God be the glory for all the things that He has done in our lives. All glory belongs to Him.

Prayer:
Father God, I give you all the praise, glory and honor for everything that you have done in my life. I worship and adore you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made in your image. I thank and praise you for your goodness, your mercy, your longsuffering, gentleness, faithfulness, meekness, and love. I give you all of my praise, from the crown of my head, unto the soles of my feet. You made me to praise you, and my soul longs to be in your presence. Thank  you for the desire to serve you with every inch of my being. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Strong's Concordance Definitions: Exodus 30:37

The incense: 7004
1) incense, smoke, odour of (burning) sacrifice
a) sweet smoke of sacrifice
b) incense
c) perfume


you shall make:6213
1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make
a) (Qal)
1) to do, work, make, produce
a) to do
b) to work
c) to deal (with)
d) to act, act with effect, effect
2) to make
a) to make
b) to produce
c) to prepare
d) to make (an offering)
e) to attend to, put in order
f) to observe, celebrate
g) to acquire (property)
h) to appoint, ordain, institute
i) to bring about
j) to use
k) to spend, pass
b) (Niphal)
1) to be done
2) to be made
3) to be produced
4) to be offered
5) to be observed
6) to be used
c) (Pual) to be made
2) (Piel) to press, squeeze


in the same propotions: 4971
1) measurement, proportion, tale

a) tale, tally (of bricks)
b) measurement, proportion
for yourselves, it shall be holy:

to you for the LORD: 3068
Jehovah = "the existing One"

1) the proper name of the one true God
a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of 0136
 
References:
Blue Letter Bible. "Book of Exodus 30 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 2 Feb 2010. http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Exd&c=30&t=NASB

Higgins, S. (2010). Incense For The King. Devotions for Thought. Higgins Publishing. Http://www.devotionsforthought.blogspot.com, http://www.higginspublishing.com

Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia. (1975). Incense. Volumne 1, A-J, pg840. Moody Press, Chicago.