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for the Tabernacle that is specified is the Ark, the last is the Altar of incense. The Ark,
together with the Mercy Seat, speaks of righteousness and atonement; the Altar of
incense speaks of intercession and acceptance. Prayer is likened to incense in
Psa. 141: 2: "Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense." This incense is called
`perpetual', which like the shewbread and the breastplate was `always' or `continually'
before the Lord, for of Christ it is written "He EVER liveth to make intercession for us"
(Heb. 7: 25). This incense is called `sweet' which refers to the spices of which it was
compounded. The relation of the incense with the meeting of the Lord and His people at
the Mercy Seat suggests that fellowship with God commences with the death of Christ,
but continues through His ever present intercession at the right hand of God. No strange
incense was permitted, the holy oil associated with it was never put upon a `stranger'
(Exod. 30: 33). All of which testifies to the preciousness of that sweet smelling savour
that ascends through the work of Christ to God on our behalf, and through Him alone.
We may appreciate therefore the better, the literal rendering of I Pet. 2: 7.
"Unto you therefore which believe IS THE PRECIOUSNESS."
The fourth passage quoted above emphasizes, not so much the death of the sacrifice,
but the ever living Priesthood of Christ. This command, to lay up the rods of the tribes
before the Lord arose out of the rebellion of Korah, which occupies Numb. 16: There
is but ONE sacrifice for sin, and there can be but ONE Mediator between God and Man,
even as there is but ONE Lord in the Unity of the Spirit. Christ stands alone,
unchallenged and unchallengeable, His own testimony was "No man cometh unto the
Father, BUT BY ME".
The fact that of the twelve patriarchal rods, that of Aaron alone `budded', emphasized
the great truth of the ever living Head of the redeemed, and the fact that the Ark
contained but three things (1) The tables of stone, (2) The pot of manna, (3) The rod
that budded shows what an important place this truth occupies. He Who died now lives,
even as Paul wrote to the Romans:
"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, Who
is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us" (Rom. 8: 34).
Keeping still before us the question of Amos "How shall two walk together except
they have met?" Let us in conclusion turn to Isa. 53:, for there we shall not find a
promise or an invitation to meet the Lord, but the twofold ground upon which that
meeting rests. The two verses in Isa. 53:, to which we refer are verses 6 and 12. In the
A.V. they read thus:
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and
the Lord had laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
"He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sin of many, and made
intercession for the transgressors."
At first sight these passages do not appear to speak specifically of `meeting' which is
the theme we are pursuing, but a reference to the original reveals that one Hebrew word
paga occurs in both verses 6 and 12, and the verse could be revised to read: