The LORD said to Moses, "Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you. And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the LORD. Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people."
Exodus 30:34-38
The ingredients and composition of the incense are now described. Its association with the golden altar on which it was to be used makes it clear that it also speaks of the intercession of Christ (see Note on 30:1-10). As such, it emphasises the sweet smelling savour that the prayers of the Son are to the heart of the Father. The reference in Revelation 8:3 shows that it is Christ's mighty intercession which makes the prayers of His people prevail at the throne of grace. But if the incense offered speaks of Christ, it also speaks of the offering that we make of ourselves to the Lord. The obligatory and acceptable adoration of God by His people - this is the only reasonable response that can be made by a people who are the objects of such love and care as His. In this respect the golden altar with its incense represents the consecration of Romans 12:1, 2 as Romans 3 represents the altar of burnt offering, Romans 6 the laver, Romans 8 the candlestick and the shewbread. True consecration is ever a sweet-smelling savour unto the Lord (37). Nor must we forget where this incense was offered - on the threshold of the holiest of all. This reminds us again that the primary aim in the tabernacle worship was fellowship and communion with God. The sweet-smelling incense would percolate into the holiest of all, and this is what the love-offering of the believer's consecration does - indeed, this, for the believer, it may be said, is the 'way in' to fellowship and communion with Him. Alas, so often in our unconsecrated lives we erect another 'veil' which prevents that communion, impoverishing our lives and bringing grief to His holy heart. Finally, there is a warning (37, 38) against the secularisation of that which is set apart and holy unto the Lord - a much needed reminder for the religious life of our day.