Monday, 11/29/2010

Prayer

  • Psalm 141:1-2; Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4 – incense represents prayer
  • Altar of Incense
    • Exodus 30:7-8 – “Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps…at twilight…perpetual incense…”
      • Rev. 1:20 – lampstand represents the testimony of the church => prayer (“incense”) directly related to testimony of church
      • Colossians 4:2; 1 Thes. 5:17 – “every morning…at twilight…perpetual” (Ex. 30:7-8)
    • Exodus 30:9 – “You shall not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it.”
      • “strange incense” => Not everything that is called “prayer” pleases God (see Ps. 66:18; Prov. 28:9; Isaiah 59:1-2; Mark 7:6; James 4:4; Luke 18:9-14; 1 Pet. 3:7)
      • There is no substitute for the place of prayer
  • God’s Incense
    • Exodus 30:34-38 – “Take sweet spices…equal amounts of each…salted, pure, and holy…beat some of it very fine…you shall not make any for yourselves…”
      • Q: Where did the spices come from?
      • A: Exodus 25:1-9 – “children of Israel…from everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering…spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense…” 

**Time of prayer and waiting on the Lord**

Bible Study

Exodus 16:16-21 (see also Matt. 4:4) – “Let every man gather it [the manna] according to each one’s need…the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less….some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank…they gathered it every morning…when the sun became hot, it melted.”

  • God provided nourishment from heaven, but it was responsibility of Israelites to gather what God provided (see Proverbs 19:24; 26:15)
  • There was need to gather it
  • When it wasn’t used, it was lost
  • They gathered it in the morning

**More methods of Bible study**

Question: Why should people get the Scriptures in them?