“Let my prayer be set before You as incense…” (Psalm 141:2a)
At the Altar of Incense
IN Exodus 30:1-10 we read of the construction of the altar of incense as well as of where it was to be placed. It was to be placed before the inner veil that separated the Holy of Holies form the Holy Place. It was therefore set before the ‘ark of the covenant’, which was the earthly symbol of God’s throne from which by grace He ruled and dispensed mercy to His people.
Morning and evening Aaron and his successors were to offer sweet incense on it “a perpetual incense before the Lord” (v.8)
A brief survey of the Bible tells us that this is a picture of prayer. In Luke 1:8-11 Zachariah’s prolonged stay in the Holy Place occurred while the people “were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering”. In Rev 8:3-4 the word incense is used in connection with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar. This reflects also Psalm 141:2 as David connects his prayer to the incense offering.
BY the altar of incense God was putting a significant value on prayer. He was declaring that one cannot come into His presence even for mercy apart from prayer.
The instructions conclude with the words “It is most holy to the Lord” (v.10). This speaks of God’s glory as well as of His grace.
By this we see that as much as prayer is a means of grace to us, it is so by being means of glory to God.
Here in John 17 is Jesus our Great High Priest knowing that the significant event of His life, His sacrificial death on the cross, was about to happen. BY His shed blood He was about to enter into the heavenly Holy of Holies, into the presence of His Father, and here he stands at the door which He understands is a door of prayer.
He prays for Himself seeking God’s glory; He prays for His people seeking God’s mercy.