Making God’s Fragrance to Get Worshippers Attention
January 12, 2015 Year B
As for the incense you are making, you must not make any for yourselves using its formula. It is to be regarded by you as sacred to the Lord. (Exodus 30:37, HCSB)
Many people put on perfume to smell good in front of someone whom they care about. When a person puts on a fragrance, they are saying that they want the other person to notice them. Another person smells their perfume and it catches their attention. So perfume is a tool to help a person get another person’s attention.
God teaches Moses and Aaron to prepare the place of worship in such a way that God can get people’s attention. God wants Moses and Aaron to help Him put on perfume to get the attention of people in worship. It is all about preparing the place of God and the people of God for the worship of God.
God warned Moses to tell the people who God’s perfume is not to be used by the people. The reason is because God wants your attention. He doesn’t want you to try to use His perfume to get another person’s attention. God is jealous about that.
God wants us as Christians to draw people to Himself, not to ourselves. When we come to worship Him, God wants us to keep our attention on Him. He doesn’t want us to draw attention to ourselves. He wants all of the attention.
Have you ever noticed someone who has put on lots of perfume. Someone who puts on a little perfume wants to smell nice and not stink. Someone who douses themselves in perfume wants to get everybody’s attention.
God douses Himself in holiness to get our attention. He wants us to worship Him because He deserves it.
Application: I need to put away distractions that prevent me from worshiping God. I need to set my mind and my spirit to focus on God.
Prayer: God, please help me to set my focus on You. Help me to draw myself to You in worship.
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