… ⁴ having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant …

About now many readers of the book of Hebrews begin to bog down with the details of the tabernacle and its furnishings. To be honest, it would be more interesting to those who had the story of the Exodus and the Jewish worship practices drilled into them from childhood. However, a great deal of attention is given to it in the Old Testament where its dimensions and construction were prescribed in exacting terms.

We must keep in mind that although the meaning of it was somewhat veiled to the Jewish reader, we do know that it was meant as an earthly representation of something Moses saw in his vision: “See that you make [the tabernacle and furnishings] after the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain” (Ex 25:40, quoted earlier in Hebrews 8:5). In Hebrews, we are discovering that an analysis of the tabernacle reveals deeper understanding about Christ. And this is what we are after. The book turns the magnifying glass on Christ, by directing us to look more closely at how the pictures of the OT point to Him.

In the previous verses we saw that just outside the entrance to the inner portion of the tabernacle was the lampstand and the table of sacred bread. These represent Christ as our light and the bread of life—which we need for spiritual life and sustenance, and certainly in our approach to God. Now we discover the golden altar of incense, the fragrance of which permeated the place. Although the table was situated just outside the Holy of Holies as detailed in Exodus 30:6-8, it was closely identified with the inner sanctuary as the high priest probably carried in the censer during his yearly offering up of the Atonement sacrifice (see Lev 16:12-13). Hebrew scholars point out that the phrase “golden alter of incense” can be translated simply as “censer.”

What does this censer speak of? Some have suggested the incense would have obscured the high priest’s vision of the presence of God in the inner sanctuary, His holiness too great for human eyes to behold. However, incense has the more significant property of overwhelming the olfactory senses, as it infiltrates every corner of the space in which it is placed. When one enters the presence of the Lord, he is completely engulfed by the experience. Worshiping God through Jesus is an overwhelming experience.

Lord, help me to see You more clearly so that all else fades away to a distant periphery. You are my focus, the center of my life and my worship.