The Importance of Incense in the Bible

In the bible, incense is used in the worship of God. The burning of incense was an important part of the Tabernacle and later, the Temple. The Bible has specific instructions on how to make and burn incense. It is also a symbol of prayer. The smoke rising from the incense symbolizes the prayers of the faithful reaching heaven.

Moses was given detailed instructions on how to create a sacred incense blend for the altar of incense within the tabernacle. This special incense was a daily offering along with the meat offerings. It was also burned by the high priest during the day of atonement inside the holy of holies. It was believed to cleanse the area and purify the worshippers.

The incense was created by beating finely ground herbs and spices. The beaten ingredients were mixed with frankincense and other essential oils. The incense was then placed into a censer and burned. The resulting cloud of fragrant incense would drift over the mercy seat, representing the throne of God. This was a very important ceremony, and the high priest had to be careful not to spill any of the incense on the ground or else it would be destroyed.

There were two instances in the Bible where a high priest made this mistake. The first was when Nadab and Abihu violated the instructions to not burn strange fire on the altar. They used a mixture of sweet smelling incense to offer to the Lord, instead of a pure blend as prescribed by the scriptures. The result of this violation was that the Lord consumed them with fire. This was a serious warning to all of the Hebrews to follow the word of the Lord, not to offer idolatry or anything to him that was not a true act of loving worship.

The second time that a high priest made this error was when Zechariah violated the word of the Lord regarding incense. He took a censer and went into the holy of holies, even though he was ill. He poured the finely beaten incense over the burning coals and melted frankincense on them. This was a dangerous task, and the scriptures warn that any one who does this will die.

Today, Christians often use incense in their worship services. It is a common practice in Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican Churches. In fact, the United Methodist Church’s book of worship includes incense usage as an important part of the service. While it may seem that this is a trivial issue, the Bible’s instruction about incense is very important to understand. The use of incense is a reminder of the work that Jesus has done, and it is a sign of his presence with us. It is also a very beautiful symbol of the prayers of the believers. Taking the time to prepare the incense properly requires physical energy, patience and attention to detail. It is not something that should be rushed or taken lightly.