Seamus Hammond
Incense is used in the Bible as a holy act of worship, with its sweet fragrance and rising smoke symbolizing prayers rising up to God. The burning of incense is a divine command, with God providing Moses and Aaron with detailed instructions for the times, places, and methods of burning incense. Incense is offered to God in worship throughout the Bible and continues to be used in Christian liturgies today. It is also used in private homes by those who wish to create an atmosphere of churchly peace for prayer.
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What You'll Learn
Incense symbolises prayer
Incense is a significant element in the Bible, with its use described in several passages. For instance, in Exodus 30:34–38, Moses is given a formula for incense to be used solely in the worship of Yahweh. The burning of incense is a divine command, and God gave Moses and Aaron detailed instructions for the times, places, and methods of burning incense.
The use of incense in the Bible underscores the importance of prayer and the relationship between God and His people. The sweet fragrance of incense is pleasing to God and helps create an atmosphere of reverence and worship. Incense is used in churches and private homes to facilitate prayer and bring people closer to God.
The symbolism of incense as prayer is further reinforced by the consequences for its misuse. For example, in Leviticus 10:1–2, Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, died for improper worship involving incense. This highlights the sacred nature of incense and its role in mediating the prayers of God's people.
Overall, incense plays a crucial role in biblical worship, serving as a tangible representation of the intangible act of prayer. Its use creates a multisensory experience, engaging both scent and sight, to enhance the spiritual connection between God and His people.
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Incense is burnt as a holy act of worship
Incense is offered to God in worship throughout the Bible, at his own divine command. This practice was carried by the Church through to the present day. Its sweet fragrance is pleasing to our human senses, and it helps us physically and spiritually lift up our hearts to God. In Psalm 141/140:2, David writes, "Let my prayer be set before you as incense; let the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice." This verse is sung daily at Vespers, as the new liturgical day begins with an "evening sacrifice" of prayer and incense.
Burning incense is also a sign of reverence and dedication. Incensing the body at a funeral Mass is a sign of reverence for the body that was once the temple of God. Incensing the Book of Gospels indicates reverence for the word of God and Christ himself, who is the Word Incarnate. Incense is also used in private homes by the faithful who wish to give their place of prayer an atmosphere of churchly peace, bringing to mind the common prayer of all Christians in all places.
The use of incense is not unique to Christianity and is common in the religious ceremonies of many nations, including the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Phoenicians.
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Incense is burnt in private homes for an atmosphere of peace
The burning of incense is a divine command, as per the Bible. God gave Moses and Aaron detailed instructions for the times, places, and methods of burning incense. It was to be burned perpetually before the Lord, and it was a holy act of worship (Exodus 30). Incense was also offered at the Temple (1/3 Kings 9:25). The Bible mentions that the offering of incense was hated by God when the people fell away into sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1:13).
Incense is also used in private homes by the faithful to create an atmosphere of peace, reminiscent of the common prayer of all Christians in all places.
The sweet fragrance of incense is considered pleasing to God, as mentioned in Exodus 30:34-38, where Moses is given a formula for incense to be used solely in the worship of Yahweh. It is to be made of equal parts of storax, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense, blended and ground into a fine dust. The rising smoke of incense symbolises the prayers of the people rising up to God. This symbolism is evident in Psalm 141, where David writes, "Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!".
Incense is also used in funeral Masses to show reverence for the body, which was once the temple of God. Incensing the Book of Gospels, the altar, and the Easter candle are all acts of reverence for Christ and His sacrifice. The smoke of incense rising towards heaven symbolises the ascension of prayers to God.
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Incense is burnt to symbolise reverence and dedication
The burning of incense is a divine command, with God giving Moses and Aaron explicit instructions for the times, places, and methods of burning incense. It was to be burnt perpetually before the Lord, and it was a holy act of worship (Exodus 30). Incense is offered to God in worship throughout the Bible, and this practice has been carried forward by the Church to the present day.
The sweet fragrance of incense is pleasing to God and helps Christians physically and spiritually lift their hearts to God. Incense carries the prayers of the saints, both martyrs in heaven and those living on earth, up to God. This symbolism is seen in Psalm 141, where the plea, "Let my prayer come like incense before you", is made. Incense is also used in private homes by the faithful to create an atmosphere of churchly peace, reminding them of the common prayer of all Christians.
The Bible describes the formula for incense to be used in the worship of Yahweh in Exodus 30:34-38. It was to be made of equal parts of storax, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense, ground into a fine dust. The burning of incense is also mentioned in the New Testament, with Zechariah offering incense in the temple while the people prayed outside (Luke 1:9-10).
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Incense is a divine command
The burning of incense is a divine command. God gave Moses and Aaron detailed instructions for the times, places, and methods of burning incense. According to Exodus 30, it was to be burned perpetually before the Lord, and it was a holy act of worship. The incense was to be made of equal parts of storax, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense, blended and ground into a fine dust. The sweet fragrance of the incense was symbolic of something pleasing to God.
The Bible mentions the altar of incense in several passages, including Exodus 30:1 and 1 Kings 6:20,22; 7:48; 9:25. The burning of incense on the altar was often connected with animal sacrifices and was a prominent part of tabernacle and temple worship in Israel. Incense was also used in private homes by the faithful to create an atmosphere of churchly peace and unity in prayer.
Incense is offered to God in worship throughout the Bible, and its use has continued in Christian liturgies to the present day. In the Book of Revelation, John has a vision of heaven where incense is used in heavenly worship, symbolizing the prayers of the saints rising up to God. This idea of incense as a representation of prayer is also found in Psalm 141:2, where David writes, "Let my prayer be counted as incense before you."
The use of incense can also signify reverence and dedication. For example, incensing the body at a funeral Mass shows reverence for the body that once housed the spirit of God. Similarly, incensing the Book of Gospels indicates respect for the word of God and Christ himself.
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Frequently asked questions
Incense was used in the Bible as a holy act of worship. It was offered to God and signified the prayers of his people rising up to him.
In Exodus 30:34-38, Moses is given a formula for incense to be used solely in the worship of Yahweh. It was to be made of equal parts of storax, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense, blended and ground into a fine dust.
Incense was burned in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple. It was also burned in private homes by those who wished to create an atmosphere of churchly peace.
