The Altar of Prayer

There are certain smells that immediately take us somewhere. The scent of fresh bread from the oven, ocean air on a cool morning, or the smoke of a campfire can bring back memories almost instantly. God designed our sense of smell to work this way. A fragrance can fill a space and linger in the mind long after the moment is gone.

In the tabernacle, God appointed a particular fragrance to fill His dwelling place. Just before the veil of the Most Holy Place stood a small golden altar of incense where the priest burned incense every morning and evening. Its sweet aroma rose continually before the LORD.

But what was this altar meant to represent? Scripture later explains that incense represents the prayers of God’s people rising before Him. The daily burning of incense reminded Israel that communion with God was to be constant.

In this sermon, we look at Exodus 30:1–10 to consider what the altar of incense teaches us about prayer, communion with God, and how Jesus Christ, our perfect High Priest, makes our prayers acceptable before the Lord.