Showing posts with label altar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label altar. Show all posts

23 Mar 2012

Filling out and Fuller-ing

Today I read Exodus 20 about the priest's role of ensuring that there is always incense before the ark.

Model of the Altar of Incense, from a model of Moses` Tabernacle in the Wilderness.  Model by Andrew Gillesae, photographed by Paul McCabeDesign wise, it is clear that this altar deserves honour and also, is ...portable! (as is the rest of the Tabernacle). This strikes me as the need to honour our times with God and to be able to take moments with God everywhere with us. It is called living life with reverence.

Then it says the priest must go in twice and keep up a steady supply of fragrant incense. This ties in with the need to go in twice to the Holy Place and light the candlestick that is there...

Morning and Evening, one day. Daily. Twice. Around the clock.

Fast forward to Paul's injunction to us in Thessalonians to pray without ceasing - day and night, around the clock.

While the priest undertook the instructions and had a limited view of the grand cosmic promise that lay behind and beyond what seems mundane acts; we have privilege view from the New Testament -- our prayers are as fragrant incense. God never tires of them. We are to ask him for Daily bread. We are to pray at all times in the Spirit with all kinds of prayer...and woven into this is a life posture of reverence, expectancy and peace.

It's wonderful to see how the Bible fills the understanding out and that things are becoming fuller...and one day shall be made perfect and whole!