Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20070627.htm

EXODUS: FUNCTIONING WELL IN A HOPELESS GROUP ASSIGNMENT
Part II: God's Sustainment Of Israel In The Wilderness Wanderings Amid Humanly Hopeless Trials
M. God's Establishment Of The Tabernacle Of Meeting
15. The Incense: The Holy Spirit's Perfect Intercession FOR Our Prayers
(Exodus 30:34-38 with Romans 8:26-27)
  1. Introduction
    1. Though we believers in Christ are urged to pray without ceasing in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are also told that we do not know how to pray as we ought in Romans 8:26a.
    2. Realizing we do not know how to pray as we ought may discourage us from praying: if we understand that we do not know how to pray as we ought, we may wonder what is the point of ceaselessly praying?
    3. The answer is found in the last half of Romans 8:26 where the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings that can not be uttered, a wonderful truth illustrated in Exodus 30:34-38:
  2. The Incense: The Holy Spirit's Perfect Intercession FOR Our Prayers, Ex. 30:34-38; Rom. 8:26-27.
    1. As we have noted, Exodus 30 is a "great worship chapter," a passage typifying various aspects of a believer's worship of God, cf. J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible With J. Vernon McGee, vol. I, p. 294.
    2. Thus, Exodus 30:34-38 reveals by the typology of the incense how God graciously uses the Holy Spirit to intercede for our prayers that we imperfect mortals might have an effective prayer life with a perfect God:
      1. We previously learned in our study of the altar of incense that the incense throughout Scripture signifies the prayers of God's people unto Him, cf. Psalm 141:2; Luke 1:9-10; Revelation 8:3.
      2. However, as our prayers are inadequate since we do not know how to pray as we ought (Romans 8:26a), the Holy Spirit intercedes to the Father in behalf of our prayers with groanings to great to be uttered; He does this in accord with His knowledge of God the Father's will, cf. Romans 8:26b.
      3. The perfection of the Holy Spirit's intercession in our behalf is noted in the elements mixed to form the particular incense compound used at the altar of incense as described in Exodus 30:24-28 (as follows):
        1. Though some scholars claim we can not be sure what the specific compounds are that are listed in Exodus 30:34, the King James Version and English Standard Version of the Bible with J. Vernon McGee (Op. cit.) agree they are stacte, onycha, galbanum and pure frankincense, Ibid., McGee, p. 297. We thus view these spices as they reveal high qualities typical of the Spirit's intercession.
        2. We thus observe the compounds in the incense: (1) stacte "was a resinous gum that oozed from trees on Mount Gilead," Ibid. It was a fragrant resin, Zond. Pict. Encyclopedia of the Bible , v. 5, p. 510. (2) Onycha came from a shell fish, Ibid., McGee. Its shell was burned, giving a penetrating odor, Ibid., Z. P. E. B., v. 4, p. 539. (3) Galbanum "was taken from the leaves of a Syrian plant," Ibid., McGee. It holds the scent of mixed perfume and allows for its distribution over a long time, Ibid., Z. P. E. B., v. 2, p. 638. (4) Pure frankincense gives off a sweet , pleasant odor, Ibid., v. 2, p. 606.
        3. Accordingly, we note the Holy Spirit's effective intercession: (1) In the stacte, we see the Spirit intercedes powerfully to cover for our weaknesses, Rom. 8:26a. (2) In the onycha, we see the Holy Spirit penetrates the mind and heart of the Father where our prayers are too weak to be thus effective! (3) In the galbanum, we see the Holy Spirit effectively holds the Father's attention as we are too weak to pray long enough! (4) In the pure frankincense, we see the Holy Spirit intercedes in a pleasing manner, gaining the Father's approval! (5) As the compound was ground fine before being burned so all of its parts would be effective (Ex. 30:36a), the Spirit supplies infinite precision to be effective in His intercession for us. (6) The fact the incense was mixed with salt to give off a white smoke also indicates the Holy Spirit's intercession is holy, separate from sin, 30:35. (7) That the incense mixture was not to be duplicated by anyone for any other purpose indicates the prayer was made only to God, and that it was effective as it was made perfectly by the Spirit, 30:37-38.
Lesson: In view of our ignorance to pray to God the Father as we ought, the Holy Spirit unutterably groans with all of the power, capacity to penetrate, faithfulness, pleasantness, precision, holiness and perfection to move the Father's heart to act in our behalf!

Application: May we go ahead and pray without ceasing, for our weak efforts of prayer are made effective by the marvelous intercessory work of God the Holy Spirit in our behalf!