|
|
|
|
Bi-Weekly Bible Study & Newsletter Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church in North America M G S O S A
|
WELCOME <MISSION <BIBLE GUIDE <ARCHIVES <RESOURCES <CONTACTS <HOME |
|
|
Qurbono Commentary
|
||
|
<Previous | Next>
Part 5: Posted July, 2006
Censer & Sweet Incense by George Aramath
One of the common sights during Qurbono is
the censer. Why do
we use it? First of all, God instructs the priests in the Old Testament
to “take a
censer full of burning coals from the altar before the LORD and
two handfuls of finely ground fragrant incense and take them
behind the curtain” (Leviticus 16:12).
The book of Numbers writes about how a censer with
incense is utilized for the atonement of Israelites’ sins
(16:46). So
are we merely following this Old Testament practice? Not quite. The
book of Revelation, which speaks of future events, records St.
John seeing an angel, “who had a golden censer, come and stand
at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the
prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the
throne” (8:3). The
censer with frankincense produces fragrance and smoke, which
signifies how our prayers should rise to the presence of God
like sweet incense.
The
Sedro for Ramsho on Tuesday explains it beautifully: “Glory
to you, sweet scent from on high, who created from the earth
fair plants and fragrant spices, that by your command they might
be tried by fire and be offered to your Godhead as incense; not,
Lord, that you have need of them but for our need, that by the
smoke of our incense our sins might be pardoned”. But
we must also keep in mind a common danger in making this
offering. King
David realized this truth: “For you do not take pleasure in
sacrifices; by burnt offerings you are not appeased.
The sacrifice of God is a humble spirit, a heart that is
contrite God will not despise” (Psalms 51: 16-17).
Does this mean that the offering of incense is pointless?
Of course not. Like
all things, it’s the intention behind the action that counts.
God accepts the one who offers incense with a broken and
contrite heart. Then
will it become sweet incense for God.
<Previous | Next>
|
|
...
Ponderous ideas |
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
ver3.5 postmaster@ruho.org | Internet Explorer 6+ | www.mgsosa.com | www.malankara.com | www.socdigest.org |
