It is Saturday morning. It has been a hectic and busy week. There have been some highs and even some lows. I'm in my office at home thinking, praying, studying for tomorrow. Worship music is filling the room - "I Need You More." My heart is swelling with worship and praise. My heart is being drawn to God and what He is speaking to my heart. My soul is hungry for God - "more than the air I breath."
The Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you. And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord. (Exodus 30:34-37 ESV)
As we worship - we must bring the right ingredients as part of worship to God. This comes in two parts: The first three ingredients that make up the holy incense speaks of our contribution to worship. The last ingredient speaks of God’s contribution.
1 - OUR PART IN WORSHIP – (Three ingredients)
A. True Worship Must Be Spontaneous - Stacte
Stacte is a gum resin that oozes spontaneously from the bark of the storax and opobalsumum trees of the Palestinian region. This speaks of spontaneity in worship. As we spend time in the Lord in prayer and in His word, or hearts will “ooze spontaneously in worship.”
B. True Worship Must Come From Within Our Hearts - Onycha
Onycha is a substance which is obtained from the “closing flaps” of a certain deep sea mollusks.
They had to go to the depths of the sea to get this creature. This is the same way that God wants our worship to come from deep within our innermost being. It was a lack of depth that Israel came to God.
And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men - (Isaiah 29:13 ESV)
We must come from open hearts
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV)
“Unveiled face” speaks of a whole hearted, unhidden, honest communication with God the Father. Our worship should invite Him to examine us, cleanse us, and transform us into the image of His Son.
C. Our Worship Proceeds From Brokenness - Galbanum
Galbanum is a amber colored substance gathered by breaking the stem of a certain local plant and by collecting the substance that oozes from the break.
Fig trees, milkweed, and dandelions all produce a milk like this.This speaks of the brokenness God desires in our worship.
Psalm 34:18 (NLT) The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
Psalm 51:17 (NLT) The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
God asks that you and I bring an open hearted spontaneity which comes from deep within a broken and contrite heart.
These THREE ITEMS are our part in spiritual worship!
2. GOD'S PART IN WORSHIP – (Frankincense)
A. Jesus Worships With Us
Frankincense is much like Galbanum. It is a medicinal plant. It is a greasy, sticky granulated resin with a strong odor. Frankincense is pure white and is obtained in the same way as galbanum.
Frankincense represents two things:
1) Purity
2) Brokenness
Only Jesus can be described in these terms. He was the perfect spotless lamb of God, whose body was broken to take away the sins of the world.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)
My heart is in anticipation to join many of you tomorrow in worship. Why don't you gather your ingredients and join me or in the place that you worship and let's bring glory to Jesus for all that He has done and will do in your life? Come with expectation!
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