How can I draw close to God? Well, we know that the Ark of the Covenant symbolized the presence of God with His people, and that the mercy-seat on top of the Ark was where God said He would meet with Moses. But a veil separated the ark even from Moses, even from the priests who were consecrated to God’s service, even from those who were made holy to the Lord through the atoning blood of sacrifices.

In the same way, we know that all those who trust in Christ are in fact cleansed by His blood. As we become one with Him by faith, we know that the Father sees only the righteousness of Christ when He looks at us. And yet, we still can’t see the Father. And we still have a hard time determining exactly what He wants us to do. And sometimes, when we experience grief or guilt, hardship or heartbreak, we feel quite far away from Him.

So, how can we draw closer to the Father? Well, the part of the Tabernacle that was closest to the Ark was an altar of incense, which was placed right outside the veil, as close to the mercy seat as possible (Exodus 30:6). Whenever incense was burned on that altar, its smoke was able to waft not only outside the Tabernacle, but also inside the veil.

And when was that incense burned? In the morning and at twilight, at the same time that a lamb was being offered on the bronze altar outside the Tabernacle. It is therefore obvious that the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, is necessary for the incense to reach into the presence of the Father.

But what did the incense symbolize? David explains in Psalm 141: “May my prayer be counted as incense before Thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering” (verse 2). In the same way, we see the whole multitude of God’s people in prayer “at the hour of incense offering” on the occasion that Gabriel told Zacharias about the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:10).

The incense therefore symbolizes the prayers of God’s people. So, just as the smoke from the sacrificial Lamb and the smoke of the incense mingled as they ascended into Heaven from the Tabernacle, so we can be sure that prayers which are offered in the name of Christ by faith in His blood will pass through the veil into the very presence of the Father. The good news is that no matter how distant God may seem from us, He is only a prayer away from those who are in Christ.

So, morning and evening, let us turn our eyes toward God, the Lord. Let us pray to the One in Whom we can take refuge, no matter what troubles and trials may come our way (Psalm 141:8).

Exodus 29:38-39 (NASB)

38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two one year old lambs each day, continuously.
39 “The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;

Exodus 30:1-10 (NASB)

“Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
2 “Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit, it shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of one piece with it.
3 “And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it.
4 “And you shall make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make them on its two side walls– on opposite sides– and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it.
5 “And you shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
6 “And you shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you.
7 “And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps.
8 “And when Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
9 “You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a libation on it.
10 “And Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.”