'Rightly Dividing the Word'
Mosaic Tabernacle
Exo 40:4-5 You shall bring in the table and arrange the things that are to be set in order on it; and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps. You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle.
Under the Mosaic law, the golden Altar of Incense (golden censer) was placed in the Holy Place (outside the Holy of Holies) along with the Table of showbread, the Lampstand.
New Tabernacle
Heb 9:3-5 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
The New temple of God, which is a greater and more perfect tabernacle, will see the golden Altar of incense placed right before the face of God inside the Holy of Holies (Throne of God).
Heb 9:11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
Sweet-smelling Aroma
Exo 30:1,7 "You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood... Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it."
The priest was to continuously burn sweet incense at the golden altar (golden censer) as an offering of sweet-smelling aroma to God.
Jesus, because of His great love for men, offered Himself to die for them which made Him to be the perfect sacrifice with a sweet-smelling aroma thereby fulfilling the incense at the golden censer.
Every Christian must walk in love so that just like Christ, he too can offer himself as a sweet-smelling sacrifice to God.
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Perfect Love of Christ
John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."
The greatest love shown by any human being for one another is to die for a friend or a good man. Although, Jesus was persecuted and condemned as a false teacher and a false prophet by the priesthood and religious leaders, yet He forgave and died for them.
This divine love displayed by Jesus for dying for His enemies made Him the perfect living sacrifice thereby moving the golden altar of incense from the Holy Place into the Holy of Holies.
Rom 5:7-8, 10 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners... For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
A Fragrant Living Sacrifice
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
We thank God for Jesus who had moved the golden altar of incense into the Holy of Holies, so that every Christian who lives for Christ and willingly die for his enemies, especially those who continuously persecute, revile and cause him much sorrows and harm, will be able to build his golden censer inside the Holy of Holies.
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
