God Bless!

-Love, GinniePark

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Memory Verse of the Week:

"They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God." - Exodus 29:46

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Giving God His Due - Exodus 30:1-16

Constant Fragrant Offering

1: "'Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense."

2: "It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high - its horns of one piece with it."

3: "Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it."

4: "Make two gold rings for the altar below the molding - two on each of the opposite sides - to hold the poles used to carry it."

5: "Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold."

6: "Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law - before the atonement cover that is over the tablets of the law - where I will meet with you."

7: "Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps."

8: "He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn reguarly before the LORD for generations to come."

9: "Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it."

10: "Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the LORD.'"

 

Equal Atonement

11: "Then the LORD said to Moses,"

12: "'When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them."

13: "Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD."

14: "All who crosses over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the LORD."

15: "The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives."

16: "Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD, making atonement for your lives."

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Reflection

Constant Fragrant Offering (30:1-10)

It is said that every part of the tabernacle (and the temple after it) is patterned after its counterpart in heaven. Furthermore, each part of the tabernacle carries a deep symbolic meaning. Today's passage deals with the significance of incense. When incense burns, it releases a pleasant-smelling smoke that rises into the air. Other passages in Scripture, both in the Old and New Testaments, compare incense with the prayers of God's people (Ps. 141:2; Rev. 5:8; 8:3-4). That God commanded Aaron to light the incense every morning and evening ought to show us that God likewise expects prayers to rise up to Him from His people day and night. Our prayers are to be continuous; this is supported by Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray continually." [And in Ecclesiastes, it commands, "Never cease praying."] We need to offer prayers with as much consistency as the daily incense offerings.

 

Equal Atonement (30:11-16)

Atonement was made in many different ways through various sacrifices in Moses' time. It was made through blood, burnt offerings, and drink offerings to name a few. But money was also used to make atonement for individual lives. God commands every Israelite to pay half a shekel whenever they are counted for an official census. The shekel is not to be seen as a tax or fee, but as an offering to the Lord. Also, every Israelite, rich or old, is to pay the same price. This shows the equality of life - no person is more valuable than another in God's eyes. The money collected in the census is to be used to support the services at the tabernacle. This also shows that every Israelite is indebted to the priests and Levites who serve in the tabernacle, as only they could administer the sacrifices that bring mercy to the souls of the Israelites.

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Application

-God loves to receive our prayers, even more than He loves the fragrant smell of incense rising up to His throne. To withhold our prayers from God is to deprive Him of one of His greatest joys.

-The Israelites had to pay the census offering every time a census was taken. But Jesus paid the price for our sins once and for all. That is why we worship Him and serve Him with hearts of gladness.

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"Prayer ascends by fire. Flame gives prayer access as well as wings, acceptance as well as energy. There is no incense without fire; no prayer without flame."

-E.M. Bounds

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Sweet Smelling Prayers

Candles were originally created to provide light. Nowadays, we have electrically powered lights, but we still find uses for candles. Although we don't typically use them for a light bearing purpose, we do use them to fill our homes with pleasant aromas. Just as we enjoy having scents of lavender, pumpkin, mulberry, or pine waft through our abodes, God too enjoys pleasant fragrances.

The psalmist says in Psalm 141:2, "May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice." When our prayers are full of worship, they are like sweet smelling incense before God. In fact, it is important to understand that worship is not limited to singing praise songs. Worship is simply abscribing worth to something, and thus, we can also abscribe worth to God through our prayers.

How then should we pray? As Hebrews 11:6 says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Having faith and believing that our prayers hold value to God go hand in hand. If we don't believe that our prayers are worthwhile, why should God? Therefore, as John Piper says, "Let's all bless and honor and adore Christ here below with our prayers, and then doubly rejoice that the worship council of heaven offers them again to Christ as sweet smelling incense before the Lamb who was slain."

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A Letter to God

Dear God, may the prayers of all Your people rise up to Your throne every morning and evening as the fragrant incense rises, pleasing to Your heart. Help me to pray every day without ceasing.

Thank You for saving me.

May I live for You always. In Jesus' name. Amen.