At this point in Exodus, it feels a little bit like a revolving door. As soon as we get done discussing one feature of the Tabernacle, that section closes and another appears that looks strikingly similar.
The same can be said for the items inside the Tabernacle. To my knowledge, all of the items inside the holy place were made out of acacia wood and covered, at least in part, by gold. Most of them had a way for the priests to transport them—usually pole rings.
The altar of incense is no different. It’s a one cubit by one cubit by two cubit (height) square table that sat right in the middle of the holy place, right “in front of the veil of the testimony.” Whether that’s directly in front of the veil or farther towards the middle of the room is a matter of fierce debate.
All of the items in the Tabernacle held some kind of symbolism, and the same is true for the altar of incense. Since the purpose of the Tabernacle was to offer up sacrifices towards God, the incense created a tiny smoke plume that represented that offering on its ascent towards Heaven.
Just like our prayers. When we pray, our words go up as a fragrant incense towards God, pleading with Him for grace and mercy just like animal sacrifices in the Old Testament (Psalm 141:2).
There was a practical purpose to the incense, too. Since slaughtering animals all day most likely resulted in a pretty putrid smell, the incense made up for at least some of the odor. It was a “sweet smelling aroma” that was made up of some of the best spices in the land (Exodus 30:34-38).
By way of reminder, once a year, the horns of the altar were smeared with blood from the sin offering. In doing so, the High Priest created a poignant reminder that even though our prayers are holy and sweet, the cost of forgiveness was high—so high that it required death. Let us never forget the price that was paid for our forgiveness.
