Exodus 25-27 gives us the construction plan for the Tabernacle.
Exodus 25:8 “They are to make me a sanctuary, so that I may live among them. 9 You are to make it according to everything I show you — the design of the tabernacle and the design of its furnishings. This is how you are to make it.”
The order is as follows:
The instructions begin with the interior and work its way out.
But using our foresight, we see there are two items missing:
Why are these not yet mentioned? Was it forgotten? Or are these two so intimately connected they had to be kept until the very end?
This is the place where prayers are offered. But man corrupted this even though they held closely to the model.
Incense was burned to false gods on a regular basis. Aharon’s sons put unauthorized fire with incense before God:
Leviticus 10:1 But Nadav and Avihu, sons of Aharon, each took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and offered unauthorized fire before YHVH, something he had not ordered them to do.
Korah wanted a promotion so they were to bring their prayers before YHVH:
Numbers 16:16 Moshe said to Korach, “You and your group, be there before YHVH tomorrow — you, they and Aharon. 17 Each of you take his fire pan and put incense in it; every one of you, bring before YHVH his fire pan, 250 fire pans, you too, and Aharon — each one his fire pan.”
18 Each man took his fire pan, put fire in it, laid incense on it and stood at the entrance to the tent of meeting with Moshe and Aharon. 19 Korach assembled all the group who were against them at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then the glory of YHVH appeared to the whole assembly.
20 YHVH said to Moshe and Aharon, 21 “Separate yourselves from this assembly; I’m going to destroy them right now!” 22 They fell on their faces and said, “Oh God, God of the spirits of all humankind, if one person sins, are you going to be angry with the entire assembly?” 23 YHVH answered Moshe, 24 “Tell the assembly to move away from the homes of Korach, Datan and Aviram.” 25 Moshe got up and went to Datan and Aviram, and the leaders of Isra’el followed him. 26 There he said to the assembly, “Leave the tents of these wicked men! Don’t touch anything that belongs to them, or you may be swept away in all their sins.” 27 So they moved away from all around the area where Korach, Datan and Aviram lived.
Jeroboam brought about renewed idol worship. He was burning incense to his golden calves:
1 Kings 13:1 Just then, as Yarov‘am was standing by the altar to burn incense, a man of God came out of Y’hudah, directed to Beit-El by a word from YHVH. 2 And by the word from YHVH he cried out against the altar: “Altar, altar, here is what YHVH says: ‘A son will be born to the house of David; his name will be Yoshiyahu; and on you he will sacrifice the cohanim of the high places who burn incense on you! They will burn human bones on you!’”
The high places had incense:
Isaiah 65:7 “They offered incense on the mountains and insulted me on the hills. First I will measure out their wages and then repay them in full.”
Zechariah stood at the Table of Incense:
Luke 1:8 One time, when Z’kharyah was fulfilling his duties as cohen during his division’s period of service before God, 9 he was chosen by lot (according to the custom among the cohanim) to enter the Temple and burn incense. 10 All the people were outside, praying, at the time of the incense burning, 11 when there appeared to him an angel of YHVH standing to the right of the incense altar.
In Revelation, we see the prayers of the saints are like incense:
Revelation 5:8 When he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down in front of the Lamb. Each one held a harp and gold bowls filled with pieces of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people;
Revelation 8:1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for what seemed like half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven shofars. 3 Another angel came and stood at the altar with a gold incense-bowl, and he was given a large quantity of incense to add to the prayers of all God’s people 4 on the gold altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of God’s people from the hand of the angel before God. 5 Then the angel took the incense-bowl, filled it with fire from the altar and threw it down onto the earth; and there followed peals of thunder, voices, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
In summary, we see that incense is burned when man is trying to connect with God/god.
This is the place of washing before entering the Holy Place. The laver serves as a separation between the place of blood and His sanctuary.
The Children of Israel went from the place of sacrifice (Egypt) to the place they belonged by going through water.
Water plays a role in transition:
Washing occurs when we transition from blood (earth) to spirit (heaven).
These items are the transition elements between spaces:
The Table of Incense is prayer and this is the gateway into the heavenlies. Even false prayer was done in the high places.
The Bronze Laver is how we wash ourselves clean. Cleansing the blood so we can partake of spiritual things.
We are the Tabernacle now:
1 Corinthians 3:16 Don’t you know that you people are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 So if anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you yourselves are that temple.
When we are being built the same process happens with us
These are just a shell in the beginning. But we have the capacity to hold the things He is preparing to pour out.
He can’t fill a broken cistern.
The structure comes then we fill it:
These are all things we bring in order for this house, our bodies, to operate in the manner He prescribed.
The laver and the incense altar are our transition pieces from stage to stage.
From the courtyard to the Holy Place.
From the Holy Place to the Most Holy Place.
Our focus must now turn to these elements.
Washing ourselves clean before coming into His dwelling place.
Offering up the prayers of intercession. Not interceding for ourselves but for others.
The sacrifice you applied upon entry was for yourself. But you now transition into a much larger call.
Getting closer to Abba is not for your benefit only. It is for all of those that are waiting outside.
Have you been washed clean?
The laver and washing is intimately connected to forgiveness. Recall the Lord’s prayer: “I have forgiven, so please forgive me”
Notice the order:
“I have forgiven, so please forgive me”
No forgiveness means we are not yet clean -- so we can’t even get into the Holy Place. Which means we can’t offer up prayers of intercession for others, and those outside continue to struggle because the prayers never even make it up.
Do you have a place within you from which intercession comes? Or,
Like Aharon’s sons, are you offering unauthorized fire?
Like Korah, are you offering up prayers for yourself?
Like Jeroboam, have you created idols that allow you to define prayer?
Like the priests of Ba’al, are your prayers being made on the high places?
It seems that when we can’t make it into the Tabernacle, we tend to set up high places from which we offer our prayers.
If not, are you sure about that? We tend to want to alleviate our pain first. We claim to grieve over the pain of others, but what about our own pain?
We want healing for others, but what about our own healing?
Are you truly in a position to intercede selflessly for others?
If your own hair is on fire it’s hard to see the needs of others. Even if we pretend to do so, the smoke of our own hair does not allow us to see clearly.
Exodus 30:34 YHVH said to Moshe, “Take aromatic plant substances — balsam resin, sweet onycha root and bitter galbanum gum — these spices along with frankincense, all in equal quantities;
Note: the smell of burnt hair is not on this list.
You can offer your sacrifice on the altar and dwell in the courtyard but it takes washing yourself clean to enter into the Tabernacle itself. That washing is forgiveness. Without it, there is no opportunity to intercede for others. There is no opportunity to stand in His presence in full.
The first step towards healing lies in embracing forgiveness. Both giving and receiving.
Unforgiveness will kill you. The disease will climb deep within your physical body, your thoughts and your emotions. Self-preservation and survival will become your primary focus. Our lips will say one thing, while the reality of our existence will shout another.
Why would Abba listen to your request for others’ healing when you can’t start the healing process on your own?
What kind of miracle are you expecting?
For Him to heal others and leave you unhealed -- because you choose to remain unhealed? This is not self-sacrifice. This is plain ‘ol selfishness.
You can’t ask for pain and deception to be lifted from others when you embrace it fully.
It’s time to wash yourself clean. Now is the time for forgiveness.
Abba is waiting for you. He sees you. He knows it all. Stop hiding. The sacrifice has been made. Now wash yourself clean and enter in.
Stop looking over the laver and staring at what could be. Look down and put your hand into the water. The decision is all yours.
But when should you decide?
Once the earth is completely scorched around us? Will that be enough to get your attention?
Or will it take death to awaken a desire to be healed?
The earth is burning around us and we sit idly by -- waiting.
People are sick all around us and we sit idly by -- waiting.
People are dying all around us and we sit idly by -- waiting.
When is the right time for healing to come into the earth? When is the right time for salvation?
When is the right time for a child of God to be healed? When is the right time for a child of God to bring healing?
The cry is desperate. And yet we wait. Waiting for the right time. Waiting for the circumstances to be just right. Waiting for others to move. But they won’t move, will they?
So here you sit. A decision camped before you. Is today the day of salvation? Is today the day of restoration? Is today the day of forgiveness? Is today the day of healing?
Or should you wait?
If not now, when? If not you, then who?
Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of YHVH saying, “Whom should I send? Who will go for us?” I answered, “I’m here, send me!”
Go. Bring forth healing. Bring forth forgiveness.
Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will not forgive yours.