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Day 133: As Fragrant Smoke (SoS 3:6b&c)

 Who is this coming out of the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all the merchant’s fragrant powders? (Song of Songs 3:6)

The first thing mentioned here about the king's approach is that it was likened to a pillar of smoke.

Smoke in the Bible sometimes represents God's presence. In Exodus 19 when God came down on Mount Sinai to meet with Israel and give them the ten commandments, verse 18 says:

...Mount Sinai was completely in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.

In Revelation 8:3-4, the prayers of the saints with incense rose as smoke before God. Revelation 15:8 says the heavenly sanctuary was filled with smoke from God's glory and power.

In Isaiah 34:10, smoke symbolized judgment.

Finally, smoke is also used to signify worship because as sacrifices were done in the Old Testament, their smoke ascended into heaven. The greater the sacrifice, the more the smoke and aroma that ascends. We see that in 1 Kings 3 when Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings.

There is no smoke without fire and something has to burn for fire and smoke to be seen. Smoke is light and would naturally scatter in the air. The smoke seen in pillars however describes the enormity of what is burning. e more sacrifice, the greater the fire, and the more smoke.

We said in the previous lesson that Jesus was both our scapegoat and sin offering. Hebrews 10:5-7 (The Passion Translation):

So when Jesus the Messiah came into the world he said, “Since your ultimate desire was not another animal sacrifice, you have clothed me with a body that I might offer myself instead! Multiple burnt offerings and sin offerings cannot satisfy your justice. So I said to you, ‘God— I will be the One to go and do your will, to fulfill all that is written of me in your Word!’ ”

Christ was a sacrifice. God gave His only Son, the One through whom and for whom all was created. The creator of the universe, of heaven and hell offered His all as sacrifice for sin. God became a man who knew no sin and gave Himself to suffer on the cross and burn in hell all for our sake.

When Jesus ascended to heaven after His incomparable sacrifice. The smoke and the aroma were also incomparable. No wonder the speaker goes on to say the pillars of smoke were perfumed with myrrh and frankincense.

In Lesson 68, we looked at the significance of myrrh in detail. Myrrh is a bitter-tasting plant with a sweet aroma and is used to signify Jesus' bittersweet death. Christ's experience on the cross, in his death, burial, and descent to hell was an agonizing time of suffering. However, the resurrection and the resultant redemption bring a sweet fragrance to God and to us.

Frankincense in the Old Testament was used to make incense. In addition, it was mixed with certain offerings to the Lord and presented to him. It was one of the gifts given to the Lord Jesus by the three wise men at His birth. It is said to signify worship and symbolize Christ's priesthood.

Christ's life and death pleased God.

Frankincense represents how all Christ did on earth was an act of worship to God. Acts 10:38 sums up His life thus:

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

The gospels record two distinct occasions when God said about Jesus: ‘This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'.

Myrrh represents His fragrant sacrificial love shown in suffering and death. When He ascended to heaven after His death, burial, and resurrection, Hebrews 1 narrates how He was exalted above all.

When we thoroughly contemplate these things, Jesus becomes more and more fragrant to us and our hearts share the awe we perceive in the speaker's words.

PRAWITH ME:

My Beloved Jesus, thank You for giving up Yourself as a sacrifice for my sins. As Your life and death were a sweet-smelling aroma to God, let my life also be. Amen.

REFLECT AND ACT:

  • Contemplate Jesus. Let the pleasing aroma of who He was in life and death and in His resurrection provoke you to worship God in awe of His love.
  • Ponder this question deeply: Is your life pleasing to God? 

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