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All the Frankincense.
pp. 42-43
Many precious lessons for the child of God may be gathered by a prayerful study of
the types of Leviticus, among them the fulness of blessing which may be discovered in
the verse which contains our title--Lev. 2: 16. Speaking of the Meal Offering, which
exhibits the moral perfection of the Lord Jesus meeting our great lack of perfectness, the
Lord said:--
"And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof, and part
of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof."
In this offering, as with all others which typified the one great offering of the Saviour,
neither leaven nor honey were permitted, but in contrast to this the salt of the covenant
and all the frankincense ascended up acceptably unto the Lord. In the beautiful language
of the Old Testament, the word for frankincense is l'bonah--something white. What a
picture of the believer being covered and accepted in all the fragrance of the name of the
Lord Jesus. Something white! Nothing but that which is evil and defiled could the Lord
see in any of us by ourselves, but, blessed be His name, just as the twelve loaves of
shewbread were covered by the frankincense (Lev. 24: 5-7), so the believer is covered
by all the worthiness of the Son of God.
As we read the book of Numbers and see Israel continually failing, sinning,
murmuring, rebelling, and remember all that is written concerning them, this blessed
lesson of the covering frankincense is enforced when we read the inspired words of
Balaam, "He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in
Israel" (Num. 23: 21). There is no other explanation of these remarkable words than
the fact that this wayward people were God's chosen ones, and that He viewed them in
Christ. Truly "all the frankincense" is here. The sweet savour that ascended to God on
behalf of Israel was but a type of the Father's crowning mercy, as set forth in Eph. 1: 3-6,
where sinners of the Gentiles, aliens, and enemies who believe are told upon the authority
of God in the Word of His grace that they are "accepted in the Beloved."
Brethren, can we not look up to Him at the right hand of God, and thankfully realize
something of the meaning of the words
all the frankincense.
Lev. 24: 5-7.
5. And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
6. And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord.
7. And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an
offering made by fire unto the Lord.