S) "36 You shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. 37 The incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the Lord."
Exodus 30:36-37 (NASB)
O) This is another instruction that is very specific to a people, under the Old Covenant, so it can't be taken out of that context. Here we find a second formula which God specified for the priests. The first was a holy anointing oil, that was only to be used for specifically anointing holy things and people (see vv.22-33). This one is an incense for the priests to make and keep within the temple as a specific fragrance. In both instances, the LORD is very strict about not reproducing these for any other purpose or application. But, I chose to focus on this verse specifically, because God said that it was for their meeting place. It's as if God was trying to be exclusive with His priesthood (and by extension, with His people). He wanted this to be special. It was like a lover, giving his beloved a special gift, a token, only to be shared between them. God did not want the exclusivity of this incense to be compromised. He did not want its value to be diminished, or its significance to be diluted. There would be a very specific association, that whoever smelled this fragrance would be reminded of meeting with the LORD.
A) This is a level of intimacy that is very much like marriage. There are things I share with my wife that are very exclusive. Obviously, there are physical intimacies, but there are also words, experiences, inside jokes, and the like, all determined to be exclusively ours. This devotion strengthens our marriage in subtle, but effective ways. The same must be true of the LORD. In my marriage, this concept grew naturally out of my love for my wife, and the intimacy we have grown with each other over time. Along the way, I made small decisions to make things exclusive to us. The same should be true of God. I cannot sit here today, as I type this entry, and make up my mind to fabricate all of these terms that I want to make holy to God. But, I need to think of my relationship with my Father in heaven differently. He is not mine alone, exactly, but I am His alone. As such, I should be thinking about Him often enough throughout my day, that small things may come to mind and I would decide then and there to make something holy to Him. Whether that is an adjective that I decide I will only use when describing Him, or specific phrases I want to keep for prayer times, or habits I want to make His to honor Him. This cannot become a ritualistic, hollow gesture. If it is truly exclusive, and it is sincerely from a place of my desire to be more intimate with my God, then it will be protected from the pitfalls of human religion. God is special, and I want to make things especially for Him.
P) Father, the vastness of Your love seems to continue to grow. The more I learn to love You, and the more I learn of the depths of Your love, the more it seems I simply don't know. It's like I learn a little more only to realize I know even less than I thought I did. I don't deserve any of it, which only makes Your love even sweeter to me. Like the intimate lover You are, I want to make things especially Yours. I want to find phrases, or habits, or words, that I can dedicate to being Yours alone, Father God. Help me to be more aware of this devotion, and to keep in mind this idea, throughout each of my days, Lord. I am only Yours, and I want there to be things that are only Yours in my life. Thank You, God, for blessing my marriage in such a way that it reminds me of Your love. Thank You for all of the grace You have given me in my wife. I confess that pure devotion is hard, and I repent of my unfaithfulness. Your mercy and grace compels me to obedience. Your love draws me to love You more. Thank You God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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