Old Testament: Exo 30.1–5

To read the Bible in a year, read Exodus 29–30 on February 2, In the year of our Lord Christ 2022

By Don Ruhl 

The Lord wanted an altar of incense, on which the priest would burn incense, to be made and placed in front of the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. Look at its beauty: 

“You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood. A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width—it shall be square—and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around, and its horns with pure gold; and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around. Two gold rings you shall make for it, under the molding on both its sides. You shall place them on its two sides, and they will be holders for the poles with which to bear it. You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.”

– Exodus 30.1–5 

The altar of incense was not large. It was only about 18 inches long and wide, and 3 feet tall. However, see it all covered in gold. Therefore, not only did it provide a beautiful aroma as the incense burned on it, but it was beautiful to behold. 

Later in Scripture, the Bible teaches us that the incense represented the prayers of God’s people, so that when the priest opened the curtain, the aroma would flow from the first room into the second room, where God met with the priest. 

Questions: 

• What wood did the Lord want Israel to use in making the incense altar? 
• Do you see your prayers as sweet smelling before God? 

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