What Does The Bible Say About Incense
Incense is mentioned several times in the Bible. God’s presence is like a sweet-smelling incense, and we are told to offer our prayers as an incense sacrifice. Incense has long been used for worship rituals, including at the temple in Jerusalem. The use of incense was not limited only to ancient times; it continues today among various religions around the world—Christianity included. This article will explore what the Bible says about this fragrant offering that brings the aroma of prayer up to heaven:
Incense is mentioned several times in the Bible.
Incense is mentioned several times in the Bible. Incense was used in worship rituals at the temple. It was burned along with sacrifices on altars of worship. The smoke from incense would rise up and be a sweet-smelling offering to God.
God’s presence is like a sweet-smelling incense.
God’s presence is like a sweet-smelling incense.
“The Lord has chosen to dwell in thick darkness,” says the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 8:11). In its most basic sense, incense represents God’s presence and glory. When you offer up incense before God, you are drawing near to Him with that sweet fragrance. The scent of your worship cannot be contained; it spreads throughout heaven and earth as an aroma pleasing to God (Psalm 141:2). Like a cloud of smoke that moves across the land revealing where it goes, so do we see in this verse how God reveals His presence not only through prayer but also through His people who are filled with His Spirit (Acts 2:17-21). The same can be said when we look at what Isaiah says about our prayers rising up like smoke from our mouths—they represent who we really are as worshipers because they reveal secrets only known by those familiar with us, including our sins (James 5:16).
A sweet-smelling offering is pleasing to God.
God is pleased when we offer burnt offerings and sacrifices to him, but he also enjoys the sweet fragrance of incense. The same is true for his people. God thinks our prayers to him are pleasing if they come from a pure heart. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, read Psalm 51:10 and ask God to change your heart so that it’s more pleasing to him!
Incense was also used in the home as a method of purification. It was burned before entering a room, to remove any bad odors or energies that may have been lingering in the airWhen we offer up incense before God, it represents the sweet aroma of our prayers rising up to heaven just as he promises in Isaiah 6:3. It is an offering that shows our desire to seek after Him and make Him known in the earth. When we pray, we are entering into His presence with a fragrant offering of praiseGod wants us to pray with a pure heart. He doesn’t want us to come before him in an insincere way. He also wants our prayers to be from the heart and not just something we say because we have to. That’s why he says in Psalm 51:10 that if our hearts are not right, then our sacrifices are unacceptable to God…
We are to worship God with a pure heart and offer our prayers as an incense sacrifice.
According to the Bible, prayer is an incense sacrifice. We are to worship God with a pure heart and offer our prayers as an incense sacrifice. God’s presence is like a sweet-smelling incense (Exodus 30:34). Prayer is a sweet-smelling offering (Isaiah 6:6). Our prayers are a sweet-smelling sacrifice to God (Revelation 8:3), who accepts them graciously (Psalm 141:2).
Offerings of grain, wine, and oil were sometimes accompanied by incense.
Incense was also used to cover up the smell of meat, wine and oil.
Incense was burned along with sacrifices on altars of worship.
Incense was burned along with the sacrifices on altars of worship. The incense was used to cover the smell of the meat and blood of the sacrifices. The smoke from the incense represented prayers rising to heaven. It was a sweet-smelling aroma to God, who smelled it as a pleasing fragrance (Malachi 1:11).
Incense was used in worship rituals at the temple.
The Bible mentions incense in many passages. It was used in religious rituals and ceremonies, including those conducted at the temple. The Hebrew word for it is “ketoret” (see Exodus 30:34). At one point, the Lord told Moses what kind of incense to make for use at the tabernacle:
- Take sweet spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much fragrant cinnamon oil (250 shekels), 250 shekels of aromatic cane and 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary standard—and make a perfume with them; it will be used as an incense offering to honor me by making me smell good.
Incense brings the aroma of prayer up to heaven.
Incense is a sweet-smelling offering that was used in worship rituals at the temple. Incense was used along with sacrifices on altars of worship.
- The Bible states: “Every morning they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and at twilight they sacrificed [incense] before the Lord.” (Leviticus 6:13)
- When you put a little incense in your censer and light it, the aroma goes up to God like pleasant smoke from a sacrifice on an altar. It pleases Him more than any other scent or offering! (Psalm 141:2)
Incense is a symbol of the sweet smell of prayer, which rises up to God from our hearts. It represents an act of worship in which we offer up our prayers to God by burning them on an altar as a fragrant offering. Incense also has been used historically in religious rituals, but it is most often used today in churches or other places where people gather together for worship purposes