Our Perfect Intercessor

“And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.” (1Ch 28:18 AV)

 The altar of incense was to burn with incense as the priests offered prayers for the people.  The prayers of the people would rise with the smoke upward to heaven.  It was a beautiful reminder of the reality of prayer.  Something that is easy to forget.  We pray.  But we do not always remember our conversation is directional towards heaven.  Our prayers go upward.  The ascend to the throne of God on high.  This is something to keep in the forefront of our minds lest our prayers become nothing more than introspection.  Meditation of our needs or cares within our own hearts.  There is something to be said for a visual reminder.  That is not our consideration this morning.  What we want to consider is this altar had refined gold as its covering.  Not even the ark had refined gold.  This piece of furniture is the only item within the tabernacle which possessed refined gold.  In fact, the word doesn’t appear in all of the scriptures outside of seven times.  This passage is the only time the word is used in reference to gold as a building material.  That leads us to believe the gold of the altar of incense is a special gold unique to the altar itself.

The pieces of furniture and the tabernacle itself was a pattern.  According to Hebrews, it was all a pattern of the ministry of Christ to His creation.  The ministry of incarnation, reconciliation, and intercession.  When we look at the altar of incense, we are looking at the intercessory work of our Savior and His Spirit as they both implore the Father on our behalf.  Our prayers must be pure and without pretense.  No flaws and with nothing added.  This conversation we have with the Father is impossible.  At least on our behalf and with only our abilities as the means to accomplish this.  Like the priest who offered to incense on the altar, our part is very little.  The fire provided was provided by God from heaven.  The recipe for the incense was provided by God.  The gold was created by God.  It may have been refined by man, but the gold itself came from the Creator.  The means by which the smoke ascended was created by God.  All the priests did was place the incense upon the altar with the fire provided by God and the prayers went up.

But we want to note the gold was refined.  Unlike the gold on any other piece, this gold was extra pure.  It was tried by fire.  The fire of affliction.  The fire of obedience.  The fire of sacrifice.  This gold represents our glorified Savior who went through the fire of God’s wrath that we might be saved.   There is a specific amount of gold.  The workman could not embellish or add thereto.  It was by weight.  When we stop and think of the intercessor work of the Savior and the Spirit, we are humbled.  We are told to approach the throne of grace boldly.  That does not mean we go alone.  The altar of incense was the foundation upon which the saint’s prayers were offered.  There was nothing of himself that was placed on that altar outside of the request itself.  The gold was extra pure.  Our glorified intercessor is extra pure.  There is nothing more that can be added to Him.  He is all we need.  We need not embellish our prayers.  We need not put on a front that is not real.  We need not come with a spirit that is insincere.  The Altar is the foundation for our prayers.  It is He and the Spirit that goes with us to the throne of God that we might have boldness in the time of need.  We are not worthy to approach the throne of God.  But there is One that is.  And He is refined.  Like no other, He is absolutely perfect in every way.  That is why our prayers come unto the Father.