Scent from God
Tuesday, Nov. 3
Exodus 30:1 – 31:18 Read it here Listen to it here
As we continue to read through the laws concerning worship—not just today but also in later passages—pay attention to the sensory richness of the experience.
Today’s passage has a lot about the smells of worship. There would have been ambient smells already, both pleasant and unpleasant. To those are being added the aroma of the anointing oil with its blend of spices and the smell of the burning incense. Each of these have formulas provided that are exacting and not to be used for anything else but worship.
Distinctive smells can bring strong emotional responses. Think of how you might feel if you catch a whiff of the perfume your mother wore, or the smell of a hot summer day. I’ll sometimes come across the smell of whatever cleaning chemicals were used in my first-grade classroom and suddenly remember what it was like to be there.
God understands humans…he made them.
Each of these instructions, from the smells to the colors and textures and sounds, are intended to focus the people’s thoughts on worship. They each have the ability to bring a response, sometimes very different responses. Some encourage awe, others comfort.
These physical prompts to worship were important in a time when most of the people couldn’t read or write, but they also speak to us in a way that can go beyond intellectual understanding.
In reading passages like this, don’t just try to imagine what it would have looked like, or smelled like or sounded like, but try to imagine what it would have felt like: what emotions would it have brought out? You might find some clues for how to deepen your own worship or prayer experience.
We also read about the Sabbath—the day of rest that God commanded. “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.”
The Sabbath serves to remind us of creation as we recall that God himself rested on the seventh day. It also calls us to stop, rest and reflect. When life gets busy, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and believe that it all depends on us. Taking a sabbath gives us the perspective that the world goes on, even without our efforts.
Jesus tells us that the Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. Even so, some will try to make a command to step back and rest into a legalistic exercise in itself, defining what may or may not be done on the Sabbath, or insisting it is one day rather than another.
Paul had words of wisdom about that in Colossians 2:16-17. “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
Tuesday meditation
Proverbs 10:2-5
Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death.
The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.
He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
Prayer focus
Lord, as I pray and worship, let me experience you in your fullness.
-Rev. Mark Fleming