Men of Renown
Part v
Beyond Korah and Company
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. (Genesis 6:4) And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)
Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: (Numbers 16:1) And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: (Numbers 16:2)
  This series called Men of Renown will begin with these verses in Chapter 6 of the book of Genesis because it is the perfect scene setter for whatever and whoever follows. Genesis 6 verses 4 and 5 are an accurate definition of men of renown.
  The phrase ‘men of renown’ occurs in the Bible only two times. The second and last mention can be found in the 4th book of the Pentateuch in the book of Numbers, Chapter 16. This last mention of ‘men of renown’ goes beyond the definition of men of renown and expands what ‘men of renown’ are not only capable of, but what lurks in the inner most recesses of their thoughts.
In order to fully understand this article, I suggest that you do not begin with this article Part v, but first read Parts i, ii, iii and iv. (Of course, let’s pretend that you have done this, and having followed my suggestion just continue to scroll down . . . I will never know!)
Introduction
The Men of Renown thru Time
  As the book of Genesis begins the space time journey of mankind, the book of Jude closes this space time journey and introduces us to another journey about to begin: a journey beyond space and beyond time, and we are now more than mere watchers and travelers through history. This is the moment I have always thought about, the time of transition, the time between dispensations. One foot in what we call The Age of Grace (but all ages have benefitted by God’s grace) and one foot in the Age of The Beast. (You can call it the pre-tribulation period, or the tribulation period, I care not what you call it, or how you categorize it because for me I think of it as a time of transition.) Since the Age of Adam mankind has been warned about a time to come. There have been warnings of the end of the world, or the end of time, or the end of ages. But, I see my time period (the time of my own life span) as being one of the greatest periods of time, and I am blessed to be here, right now, today and this hour. Yes, I am loving it all. It is all doom and gloom for many, and truly, I see this and I understand, but understand something of greater importance than doom and gloom. GOD IS NOT SILENT! God is never silent. God can never be silent. Silence is not in God’s divine nature. The first words that we hear from God are Let there be light: and there was light, in Genesis Chapter 1, verse 3. How appropriate that the Holy Spirit of God labeled the words of the Godhead bodily in the 1st Chapter in the 3rd verse. You may see doom and gloom, and many will actually experience this doom and gloom, but glory be to God, GOD IS NOT SILENT. Of all the words, titles and names God in Christ is known as THE WORD OF GOD. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. (Revelation 19:13) (Again notice how the Holy Spirit of God gave the address of this particular verse — 1 – 9 – 1 – 3.) How does all this connect to the title of this article?
The Chapter of Foreshadows
The Book of Numbers Chapter 16
  Being but bits of fiber woven into a colorful thread called ‘time’ we are unable to see the entire thread, but many are blessed beyond measure because The Master Weaver has allowed them to view His wondrous handiwork. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works. (Psalm 119:27) As there is no end to God’s majestic work through space or spacelessness, time or timelessness, there is no end to His enlightenment through His precepts. The Bible has been identified by many as endless in truth and wisdom, and so it is, and as I read it, every verse opens into another vast cosmos where the Holy Spirit of God presents more truth and enlightenment. Such is the 16th Chapter of the book of Numbers.
  This is a Chapter of foreshadows. This 16th Chapter is wrapped in prophecy. Numbers 16 foreshadows the errors, and sins of those in religious leadership roles. It foreshadows the rebellion and denial of the One and Only Eternal Priest: Christ. It foreshadows the religious pretentiousness of being holy and righteous of future religious leaders. It foreshadows the unstoppable judgment to come against all those who have been swept away by all religions in their disregard and denial of the one true God, called the great I AM. It foreshadows the treacherous murderous hearts of humanity when they cried out, Crucify him, crucify him. It foreshadows the end of time, and the end of the curse of sin and death. It foreshadows the One to come who will be the Savior, the One who will stand between life and death. It foreshadows religious powers grasping for more power over the people using both rationalism and ritualism to undermine God’s divine rights and titles.
The Three Religious Enemies of God
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. (Jude 1:11)
  Let us now experience time travel in the world of words by connecting the 4th book in the Bible (Numbers) to the next to last book in the Bible (Jude). (How the books in the Bible (KJV) are numbered is determined by how I and II Samuel, I and II Kings, and I and II Chronicles are numbered; nevertheless or regardless of this, Jude is the sixty-fifth (65) book in the Bible, placed before the last book in the Bible called the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ: which is the sixty-sixth (66) book in the Bible. I do not want to spend time on the difference between these two numbering systems, although they both have spiritual significance and meaning. )
  In the next to the last book in the Bible (the book of Jude) we have three men mentioned, Korah (Core) is the last of these three names recorded, and it is the last mention of the name of Korah/Core. Through the name Korah (the leader of the revolt against God’s authority) we see the end result of the evil influence from religious men in power, and men of renown in the pulpits. These three individuals are notoriously known as enemies of God: religious enemies of God. As I have written many times before, RELIGION is not Christianity, religion has nothing to do with being a Christian. Christianity is a REVELATION and a RELATIONSHIP, not a religion. (This is a very difficult concept for many to comprehend.) Christianity is not centered around Place-worship. It is centered around Person-worship: the Person of Jesus Christ.
CAIN
The Religious Man
His Way
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. (Jude 1:11)
  The first enemy of God named in the book of Jude is Cain. He represents man in his natural sinful state worshiping whatever, whoever, and however he desires to worship. All the ways of a man [are] clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. (Proverbs 16:2) This 16th Chapter of Proverbs connects to Numbers Chapter 16.
And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD? (Numbers 16:3)
 There are many articles about Cain on this website. Therefore here is a link for you on CAIN, and now, let us move on to the other two names.
BALAAM
The Corrupt Religious Man
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. (Jude 1:11)
  The next person mentioned is Balaam. His recorded history begins in Numbers Chapters 22 – 24. I will not write much about him at this time, as I plan (God willing) to write an article later on, however, I will only say that Balaam represents ecclesiastical corruption. He loved money, he loved being paid for his services, and it mattered not to him who placed gold and silver in his palms. Serving kings and government leaders was his ‘higher calling.’ He didn’t just accidentally gravitate to money. He RAN after it. I think that if Balaam had lived in our time frame that he would be the leader of the largest church ever, maybe a television superstar renown for his charming articulate sermons with a perfect dental plan and presentation. And he would also have the greatest funding campaign system that would make professional profiteering politicians envious.
KORAH / CORE
The Religious Man Working Against God
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. (Jude 1:11)
  Then lastly, we have Korah (Core). He represents religious opposition to God’s authority, and he especially symbolizes religion’s attempt to replace God’s set priesthood in Christ with religion’s own man-made hierarchical system of priestcraft. It is easy to associate Korah/Core with the word ‘opposition,’ because the word ‘gainsaying’ means AGAINST.
 The Holy Spirit of God places these three men in a specific order to show how Satan works through his ministers of righteousness. Firstly, religious men of renown allow, accept, and teach that God welcomes ALL forms of worship. (This is false!) Then secondly, there are other false ministers of righteousness who allow, accept, and teach that God allows and accepts ONLY their form of religion. (This is false!) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (2nd Corinthians 11:14) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (2nd Corinthians 11:15) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8)
  There is only ONE way, there is only ONE truth, there is only One Mediator, and that is The Lord Jesus Christ, the WORD of God. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
  The Holy Spirit of God placed Cain first in this three-man order. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. (Jude 1:11) The first step that Satan took to draw mankind away from God and His Word was to present man with the false premise that there is another way to approach God. The preciseness of the Holy Spirit choosing just the correct word in every thought is a wonder to behold — gone in the way of Cain.
  Then after Satan has drawn men away into another way, then he presents them with the lust of the flesh. Do not merely assume that the word ‘lust’ only refers to sexual lust, it is much more — ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward. Balaam lusted after wealth, he coveted (or lusted) after acclaim and honor by being compensated for his actions. He lusted and coveted after reward. Again we see the precision of words that the Holy Spirit used: ran — greedily — error — reward.
What shall we say then? [Is] the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. (Romans 7:7)
For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1st John 2:16)
  Do not say that there is no such thing as GREED for REWARD in the religious community. Scores have been overcome with the greed of Balaam for reward. Many will not preach unless they are paid a prescribed amount with benefits added (housing, insurance, utilities and etc., etc.). Those who pay them rationalize it all, and those who accept payment believe that it is their due and reward.
Side Note: The example set by the apostle Paul. The apostle Paul accepted gifts and he worked. He set the example for others to follow.
After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;Â (Acts 18:1) And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. (Acts 18:2) And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. (Acts 18:3) And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. (Acts 18:4)
I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. (2nd Corinthians 11:8) And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself. (2nd Corinthians 11:9)
For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;Â (2nd Thessalonians 3:7) Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: (2nd Thessalonians 3:8) Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. (2nd Thessalonians 3:9)
  The way of Cain leads to being rewarded by those who are also in the same way. This leads us to the last religious man of renown: Korah/Core recorded in the book of Jude. This type of person is the most influential of all of our men of renown because he is supposedly the closest in active ministry to the things of God; consequently, he is thought to be spiritually minded and close to God. The deepest form of betrayal is from those closest to the betrayed.
SIDE NOTE: The Kiss of Betrayal – And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. (Luke 22:47) But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? (Luke 22:48)
Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, (John 12:4) Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? (John 12:5) This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. (John 12:6)
  Levites consisted of three branches of service. The first and closest to the things in the Tabernacle was of the family of Kohath. Their responsibility was the removal and setting up of the holy things: the furniture, all that was within the Tabernacle. Gershon was responsible for the hangings and the curtains. The family of Merari was responsible for the things that held the structure or frame work of the Tabernacle: the boards, pillars and bars. All three families were personally identified with the things that were under their service. (Read Numbers Chapters 3 and 4.) The moving of the Tabernacle required eight thousand, five hundred and eighty men (8,580) to be actively involved in the journey from camp to camp. (Numbers 4:48)
  All working together unified, and yet, each had a specific work. All working together united carrying the precious things of God (that represented and symbolized His Glory in Jesus Christ) through their wilderness journey. Every Christian is (spiritually speaking) responsible for carrying the precious things of God with reverence and with honor through our wilderness journey or the things of God will suffer.
  Our man of renown in this study, Korah, was not satisfied with the honor of his responsibility and position. He wanted more. He wanted his way and not God’s way. He wanted more recognition, more influence, and more control over the things of God. Korah desired the way of Cain, and he lusted after the rewards of Balaam. This is the religious man of renown in the corrupt world of religion.
God’s Warning to All Religious Men of Renown
Woe unto them!
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. (Jude 1:11)
  The study of ‘the woes’ in Scripture would take something that I do not have, a lifetime. Here are some interesting facts about the word ‘woe’ — there are sixty-five (65) verses with the word ‘woe’ in the Old Testament, however, this word is recorded for a total of sixty-six (66) times. Isn’t this a great fact? The word ‘woe’ is one number short of being fulfilled in the Old Testament in 6 – 6 because it is through the New Testament that we see this number completed in the 6 – 6 – 6. It is through the New Testament that the Old is fulfilled. It is through the New Testament that all that preceded comes to fruition.
  The culmination of judgment upon earth dwellers in the word ‘woe’ cannot be expressed sufficiently with other expressive words such as: great anguish, deep sorrow, and incomprehensible suffering; therefore, a small word was chosen by the Holy Spirit of God to express the promised time of the greatest and deepest lamentation of the body, soul, and spirit of all earth dwellers. This word ‘woe’ maybe small (three letters in the Hebrew, and four letters in the Greek) but it is GIGANTIC in its culmination.
  Here is another interesting fact about the word ‘woe.’ There are a number of verses where this word is mentioned more than once, however, there is only one place in Scripture where they are mentioned consecutively. This double ‘woe, woe’ is in the book of Ezekiel, Chapter 16, verse 23. Notice what this double ‘woe, woe’ is related to! Go ahead and guess before you read.
Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter, (Ezekiel 16:20)
That thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them? (Ezekiel 16:21)
And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood. (Ezekiel 16:22)
And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD;)Â (Ezekiel 16:23)
That thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street. (Ezekiel 16:24)
  The double ‘woe’ is directly connected to what God calls thy wickedness. The wickedness of taking what God calls my children, and sacrificing them to their abominations. Wow . . . du’ya think that God was angry? Wow woe . . . du’ya think that God IS angry with those who built an eminent place, and a high place in every street celebrating their murderous acts of their own children. This double ‘woe’ is not to be taken lightly. All earth dwellers who make laws to enable the murder of the unborn acceptable, and all those who promote the murder of their children will rightly and justly experience double woes. Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? (Psalm 94:20) Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; (Isaiah 10:1) WOE. WOE. GOD IS NOT SILENT!
  There are many woes in the Old Testament. The following references have been specifically selected to re-enforce the theme of this article.
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20) Woe unto [them that are] wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:21)
Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: (Isaiah 30:1)
Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:1)
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! (Ezekiel 13:3)
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe [be] to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? (Ezekiel 34:2)
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:13)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. (Matthew 23:14)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. (Matthew 23:15)
Woe unto you, [ye] blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! (Matthew 23:16)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (Matthew 23:23)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. (Matthew 23:25)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead [men’s] bones, and of all uncleanness. (Matthew 23:27)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, (Matthew 23:29)　
But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (Luke 11:42)
Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. (Luke 11:43)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over [them] are not aware [of them]. (Luke 11:44)　
  The Lord Jesus Christ (while on the earth that He had created) clearly spoke against the evil hypocrisy of the religious leaders of His time span. How much more do those of our time span deserve His words against their hypocrisy. God judges His sanctuary first. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (1st Peter 4:17) His judgment will be much more than words. One of the promises of God is judgment! GOD IS NOT SILENT!
  Let us now look beyond the double ‘woe.’ What could possibly be more than a double ‘woe?’ It is the triple ‘woe, woe, woe.’ There is only one reference of a triple ‘woe.’
And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! (Revelation 8:13)
  There is no requirement to read the entire 8th Chapter of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. However, there is a connection to the ‘censer’ in our 16th Chapter of the book of Numbers. (Revelation 8:5) However, I do not want to be diverted from the theme of this article; therefore, at your own risk to your mental condition read Revelation Chapter 8 in anticipation of what is about to occur on our planet very shortly. Whether you will be alive to experience the effects of a triple ‘woe’ is unknown, but those who will see the end deserve everything that they have worked so hard for. Their reward is sure. God is merciful and full of grace . . . and He is Judge. He has judged and He will judge. And His judgment will begin with the church. Do not mistake the previous sentence as the church being the Church. WOE. WOE. WOE. GOD IS NOT SILENT!
The Eternal Priest Foreshadowed
in
The Atonement and in The Acceptance
  If you are still reading this article then be assured that God provided an exit strategy for sinful mankind to escape from the righteous wrath of God in mankind’s time of woes. This exit strategy, however, does not involve mankind except for benefitting from God’s plan. Man is the beneficiary. God is the Benefactor. It is not you or anyone else who has a means of departure from the situation of the ‘woe.’ It is not you or anyone else who has the power to escape from the ‘woe’ of the promised judgment coming upon mankind. The door with the word ‘Exit’ over it has been provided for you by another. This is God’s exit plan. This is the door that releases and redeems you from the promised destruction of your soul and spirit from the ‘woe, woe, woe’ sure to come upon all earth dwellers.
  Since the book of Numbers, Chapter 16 has been our focus, God, through the Holy Spirit, has supplied us with a happy ending to overcome the promised ‘woes.’ In Chapter 16 we have the exit hope foreshadowed.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, (Numbers 16:44)
Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. (Numbers 16:45)
And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun. (Numbers 16:46)
And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. (Numbers 16:47)
And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. (Numbers 16:48)
  Stay with me, and buckle up, not because the road before us is rough, but because the road before us is circuitous.
  God set the Levitical priesthood to act as the point of intercession between sinful and erring man and God in representation of the True Priest yet to appear. His people (Israel) and His people (the Church) were set up by God to reveal His grace in providing a substitute sacrifice for their sins in place of judgment. Israel to show the sacrifice to come, and His Church to show the sacrifice of the One who came. In the very order of each dispensation God showed that He met each dispensation in the condition of grace. Grace even in the atonement to come, and grace in atonement fulfilled.
  The word ‘atonement’ occurs in the Old Testament in sixty-nine (69) verses and is mentioned eighty (80) times. However, this word is only mentioned once in the New Testament. (Romans 5:11) The majority of times when this word occurs in the Old Testament it is always connected with a blood sacrifice. One interesting point in Numbers Chapter 16, verses 46 and 47 is that the atonement there is a bloodless atonement. How could this be? Why did the Holy Spirit of God place this bit of information for us in this particular section of Scripture where the Israelites were about to be judged for their treasonous betrayal and rejection of God and His authority? Surely, this should have been a time for Aaron (the high priest) to approach God with the blood of sanctification and reconciliation on behalf of the sins of the nation.
And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun. (Numbers 16:46)
And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people:Â and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. (Numbers 16:47)
  In previous chapters we have written about the censer, therefore, we can spend some time on the ‘incense.’ Why does God connect incense with atonement in Numbers Chapter 16? Incense is a sweet smell, a fragrant odor, a pleasant aroma, and an enjoyable experience that enhance the visual and the sense of hearing. The first time that incense is written about in Scripture can be found in Genesis Chapter 8, verse 21, and lays the foundation of incense as in the Law of First Mention.
And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. (Genesis 8:20) And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. (Genesis 8:21)
SIDE NOTE: Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that [are] not clean by two, the male and his female. (Genesis 7:2)
  Although the actual word ‘incense’ is not mentioned in Genesis 8:20 it is incense to God. Why did the Holy Spirit of God write (through Moses) that the LORD smelled a sweet savour ? God not only saw that the earth (after the universal flood) was washed clean of all of its corruption and pollution by man, but He also could smell the cleanness and freshness of the earth as after a great rain. Added to this new earth was a new smell. This pleased God. But God also was more pleased with a greater smell, a more pleasant odor, the aroma from the heart of one man, Noah, and an altar that he had built to worship his Lord and his God, to honor a Gracious God, in reverence of a Savior God, and in subservient obedience to his Creator God.
  Through this first sacrifice in a new earth washed clean by the waters of judgment, Noah offered up clean beasts and clean fowls as burnt offerings on this first altar. Noah’s humble heart was overcome with the emotions of joy and praise to a Holy and Righteous God. Noah understood that it was God who shed the first blood on His earth to cover the sin of Adam and his wife. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21) This first act of blood shedding in the burnt offerings on the altar that Noah built reveals that he not only comprehended the reason for the burnt offering, but that he also understood his need for an altar. An altar is not only a place of worship, but it is a place of death and life. Is it any wonder that the LORD smelled a sweet savour ? The very next verse speaks volumes to us. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. (Genesis 8:21) The LORD was moved in his heart. The sweet savour/savor moved God’s heart. All that was represented through the odor that emanated from the burnt offerings on the altar touched the heart of God.
  As sinful man, and even as redeemed people, we often forget that God feels. In Hosea 11:8, it records that God said, ‘mine heart is turned within me.’ God has a heart. (I must move on and not be distracted, having written this, I find it sad that I can almost treat the subject of the heart of God so lightly.) Can you see that God’s heart is moved by what He not only sees IN the burnt offerings on the altar, but what He also sees ABOUT the burnt offerings on the altar, and what He has prepared ON the burnt offerings on the altar ? God prepared HIMSELF as the burnt offerings on the altar. God, HIMSELF, is not only the burnt offerings on the altar, but He is also the altar. When His creatures see the burnt offerings on the altar as He sees the burnt offerings on the altar then God finds the aroma coming from the burnt offerings on the altar as a sweetness of smell, a pleasant savor, a sweet smelling savor of the purity of the holiness and righteousness of God in redemptive action for mankind. Surely, this is a pleasant fragrance surrounding the heart of God. All this speaks of God’s heart being moved by man’s heart reverently recognizing God’s grace and love for His creatures. The heart of God united together with the redeemed heart of man in man’s acknowledgment and glorifying in worship through the altar that the pure and righteous sacrifice offered up to God is a sweet smelling savor of acceptance. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2) In this verse we have the reason why God’s heart is knitted together with the redeemed heart of man in the sweet smelling savor that ascends up to the throne of God. God accepts redeemed man because God accepts the offering and sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. God accepts redeemed man ONLY because God sees us through the atoning blood of His perfect Sacrifice and His perfect Offering in the Lord Jesus Christ. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6) We are accepted IN Him not only on the ground of His total righteous obedience, but on the value of His shed blood.
  Through Genesis 8:20, 21 we see the foundation (in the new world) concerning God’s thoughts about the burnt offerings on the altar. Through this first mention of the LORD smelled a sweet savour, and in his heart, we are made aware of an extremely important point: the point is that GOD accepted Noah’s offering.
And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. (Genesis 8:20) And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. (Genesis 8:21)
  Read again Genesis 8:20. The words burnt offerings is documented for the first time in Scripture and it connects to the phrase the LORD smelled a sweet savour. This denotes this offering as an ascending offering because it ascended up to God through its aroma. The interesting point is that only the burnt offering is associated with a sweet smelling savor. No other sacrifice and offering (not the sin offering, the trespass offering nor the peace offering) are connected to the pleasant and sweet fragrance rising into the heavens. This is not only an interesting point, but it is an important one.
And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it [is]Â a burnt offering unto the LORD: it [is] a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD. (Exodus 29:18)
And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn [them] upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the LORD: it [is] an offering made by fire unto the LORD. (Exodus 29:25)
But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, [to be]Â a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. (Leviticus 1:9)
But he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water: and the priest shall bring [it] all, and burn [it] upon the altar: it [is]Â a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. (Leviticus 1:13)
And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, [but] shall not divide [it] asunder: and the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that [is] upon the fire: it [is]Â a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.(Leviticus 1:17)
And Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which [is] upon the wood that [is] on the fire: [it is] an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. (Leviticus 3:5)
And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it [was]Â a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savour, [and] an offering made by fire unto the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses. (Leviticus 8:21)
And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt [them] on the altar upon the burnt offering: they [were] consecrations for a sweet savour: it [is] an offering made by fire unto the LORD. (Leviticus 8:28)
  I believe that you can see the connection, through these verses, between the burnt offering and a sweet savor. The burnt offering pleased God. The burnt offering typifies God’s heart concerning all that was and IS IN His Son. The burnt offering represents ALL that is in the FULLNESS of the GODHEAD bodily through the accomplished work of the manifested God-Man before His appearance on earth, during His journey in time as He passed through this dark world, and into timelessness as He sits on His throne having accomplished and perfected ALL. He was sent forth to do according to the determinate counsels of the GODHEAD bodily. The burnt offering was FOR God, and BY God. It pleased the heart of God.
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17)
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. (Matthew 17:5)
And there came a voice from heaven, [saying], Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Mark 1:11)
And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. (Luke 3:22)
For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (2nd Peter 1:17)
The Accepted Atonement
  And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun. (Numbers 16:46)
  And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. (Numbers 16:47)
  And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. (Numbers 16:48)
  The book of Genesis lays the groundwork for all that follows. The Eternal Priest is foreshadowed in Genesis. The Atonement is foreshadowed in Genesis. Death conquered is Foreshadowed in Genesis. God’s acceptance and His rejection of humanity are foreshadowed in Genesis. Resurrection is foreshadowed in Genesis. What is NOT foreshadowed in Genesis is what YOU will do with God’s precepts. Although this is all foreshadowed in the book of Genesis, it is also all foreshadowed in one chapter in the book of numbers in Chapter 16. As I wrote at the beginning of this article, this is a circuitous journey. However, rest easy, this article will soon close as we roll through the next curve ahead.
  God is the Master Teacher; first, He presents His precepts in an ABC story book format, then He wraps His precepts in a detailed format of judgments and atonements, then lastly, He crowns and perfects His precepts in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ: His Centerpiece of Lights and Perfection.
  The following verses of Genesis Chapter 4, verses 3 thru verses 7, gives us a view of what God accepts and what God does not accept when it comes to the offerings in worship to God.
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. (Genesis 4:3)
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: (Genesis 4:4)
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. (Genesis 4:5)
And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? (Genesis 4:6)
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted ? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. (Genesis 4:7)
  Hopefully, you will recognize these verses in Genesis as God rejected Cain and accepted Abel.Â
  If thou doest well, the only thing that Cain had to do was to obey. God didn’t require more from His creatures, but for one main thing: OBEDIENCE. Adam and his wife didn’t obey, and their first born son didn’t obey. Thus, God cast Adam and his wife out from the garden of Eden, and then Cain was cast out from his family further into a greater wilderness away from the presence of God.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4)
  For centuries and millenniums of time and for scores of individuals the answer to one question has led to either life or death. What is the question? The question is — what does God accept? How can you be accepted by God? Does God’s acceptance depend on what church you attend? Does God’s acceptance depend on your dedication and faithfulness to your church? Does God’s acceptance depend on your church attendance? The question is — What does God accept?
  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted ? To be accepted by God requires only one thing from you — offer to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. How is this possible? First, realize that the more excellent sacrifice was the sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary for you. Christ is The More Excellent Sacrifice then all previous sacrifices because ALL the offerings and ALL the sacrifices of the Old Testament was but foreshadows of The More Excellent Sacrifice to come.
  God will not accept anything from you because you have nothing to offer and nothing to sacrifice. You are nothing, and you have nothing that God needs or wants. When you understand this, and when you realize this then you (through the revelation of the Holy Spirit of God) can offer the only sacrifice that God accepts: the more excellent sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, crucified at the place called the place of the skull.
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2)
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26)
Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. (Hebrews 7:27)
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; (Hebrews 9:11)
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12)
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:Â (Hebrews 9:13)
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:10)
  God, through God the Holy Spirit, usually clothes His divine principles and precepts in material form to aid His creatures to understand spiritual concepts. God’s acceptance of mankind is righteously based on identification. How YOU identify with the work of Christ and with His Person is the key that opens into heaven or into hell.
If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.(Leviticus 1:3) And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. (Leviticus 1:4)
  Again notice that it is the burnt sacrifice that the offerer identifies with by placing his hand on the head of the animal about to be sacrificed as a burnt sacrifice. When anyone agrees with God concerning the Person of His Son, then he is accepted by God. The next time that this identification is recorded in Scripture is with the sin offering, when the offerer places his hand (his sin) onto the head of the animal to be sacrificed; thus, acknowledging that his judgment is placed on another. Here in the book of Leviticus is the concept of substitution in material form. The following verses show us the concept of substitution in prophetic form.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4)
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)
  The following verses show the concept of substitution realized and documented for eternity. All is fulfilled in Him.Â
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2nd Corinthians 5:21)
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; Â and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1st Peter 2:24)
  We are accepted by God in the sweet smelling savor of Christ through the value that God placed in His atoning blood on Calvary. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2nd Corinthians 5:21) Therefore, in the assurance of the efficacy of His accomplishment on Calvary, we now, as redeemed joint-heirs with Christ, can boldly enter into the presence of God with hands filled with the sweet smelling savor of His Person on us, and we will be accepted in Him. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (Hebrews 10:19)
In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. (Ephesians 3:12)
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. (Ephesians 2:18)
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)
The Bloodless Atonement
  And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun. (Numbers 16:46)
  And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. (Numbers 16:47)
  And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. (Numbers 16:48)
  The subtitle of this section in this article is a doctrinally dangerous road to pass through. Why? This is a road to venture through cautiously because a bloodless sacrifice or a bloodless offering to accomplish the redemption plan of God does not exist! I do not want you to draw the wrong conclusions through anything that I write.
For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it [is] the blood [that] maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11)
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22)
  Make no mistake about these words (The Bloodless Atonement) because atonement is ONLY accomplished through the sacrifice of blood. God the Holy Spirit is very clear on this subject, although many run for the shadows whenever they hear the word ‘blood.’ For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28) There is a particular reason that I used these words, The Bloodless Atonement. In Numbers 6:46 and 47 the focus point is on the incense being connected with atonement. Why is this connection at the end of the 16th Chapter of Numbers? Remember that I wrote that this Chapter is full of foreshadows. Therefore, let us concentrate on this specific verse. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. (Numbers 16:47)
  This bloodless atonement foreshadows the resurrected Christ. It is Christ resurrected with power, honor and majesty. It is the resurrected Christ who now wears the priestly mitre and royal garments as both Priest and King.
Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. (Zechariah 6:13)
The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4)
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;Â (Hebrews 3:1)
  The spiritual idea that we see in Numbers 16:47 is seen in the through the absence of any mention of the burnt offering, we see and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense from verse 46, but verse 47 leads into verse 48 where we read And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. (Numbers 16:48) Who is this ‘he?’ This is Aaron. The first appointed Levitical priest acting under the authority of God is his type of the Great High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, Jesus Christ, the Eternal Priest.
  As Aaron stood between life and death in the sands of time for his people Israel. Christ stands (outside the sands of the hour glass of time) between life and death not only for His people Israel, but also for His people, the Church.
  The bloodless aspect is drawn from his bloodless body after His resurrection when He appeared to His disciples in a new form. Christ appeared as the resurrected God-Man in flesh and bones. Here was the evidence of the New Man, the Resurrected God-Man, without blood. Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. (Luke 24:39) The Lord Jesus did not include the word ‘blood,’ for He was flesh and bone. Christ left all that was for man and of man on the cross at the place of a skull.
  As the earthly Levitical high priest carried the blood from the altar of sacrifice into the Holy of Holies on the day of Atonement to sprinkle the mercy-seat on the Ark of the Covenant, he carried nothing of the blood back out of the Holy of Holies. All of the blood of the sacrifice was presented to God in atonement. Nothing remained of the blood. So also, Christ gave ALL of Himself to God in the burnt offering. Christ left all that was of sin on Calvary. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. (John 19:34)
And he said unto them, These [are] the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and [in] the prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 24:44
With Incense ON Him
He Made An Atonement and Conquered Death
  And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. (Numbers 16:47)
  And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. (Numbers 16:48)
  Aaron running into the midst of the people with incense on him making atonement for the people stopped the plague. More than fourteen thousand and seven hundred died. (Numbers 16:49) Thousands perished because of the rebellion of one man, a man of renown. This should not be treated lightly because in the course of time many more people have perished because they chose to follow a man of renown in rebellion against God. The very priesthood that Israel had rebelled against gave them life. The 16th Chapter of Numbers, as I have previously written, is a chapter of foreshadowing. It is also a chapter of prophecy of events to occur in the future and it is a harbinger of the Person to come.
And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. (Numbers 16:47)
  It is a fine point, yet, it is wrapped with spiritual depths: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. Aaron didn’t carry incense, but he put on incense. He was covered with a sweet smelling savor (the sweetness and freshness of new life in resurrection power).
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. (1st Corinthians 15:53) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (1st Corinthians 15:54)
  It is documented in all four gospels of Scripture that Christ was anointed with ointment of great cost from an alabaster box. The sweet smell from this ointment filled the house with the odor not of molding morbid corrupted flesh and death, but a fragrance of comfort, warmth, joy and praise of anticipated resurrection: a sweet smelling savor of spikenard.
And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, (Luke 7:37) And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. (Luke 7:38)
And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. (Mark 14:3)
She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. (Mark 14:8)
There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. (Matthew 26:7)
For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. (Matthew 26:12)
(It was [that] Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)Â (John 11:2)
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. (John 12:3)
SIDE NOTE: The Smell of Heaven: Incense — The Pleasing Ointment.
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel. (Proverbs 27:9) Perfume, fragrance, ointment, sweet odor, holy anointing oil, and incense have a common result. They delight and bring pleasure to the heart of God. What do these words (about the sense of smell) reveal about our Creator?
I remember when I first began to think about the sweetness of smell when my husband brought two baskets into the kitchen from our herb garden. One basket was filled with freshly harvested parsley and the other basket with basil. The odor was amazing, and the kitchen was filled with this wonderful smell. I knew then what heaven smelt like. Heaven was filled with the smell of parsley and basil. Since that time whenever I want to engage people (who are reluctant or frightened to talk about the things of God) in conversation, one of my favorite questions is, ‘What does heaven smell like?’ This one lead-in question has led to some great conversations. And it has also led me to think further about the smell of heavenly things.
  The first mention of anointing oil is recorded in Exodus 25:1. The entire 29th Chapter of Exodus is detailed instructions by God concerning that which is special to His heart. I realize that this is a lot to read, so what else are you going to do with your time? Remember that Aaron is a type of Christ in His role as the royal and divine Eternal Priest.
And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:Â (Exodus 29:5) And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. (Exodus 29:6) Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him. (Exodus 29:7)
  Exodus 29:6 is the ultimate role of the Holy and Righteous Eternal Priest. This reference foreshadows the divine dual role of Priest and King.Â
Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. (Zechariah 6:13)
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;Â (Hebrews 3:1)
And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him. (Exodus 29:21)
Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;Â (2nd Corinthians 1:21)
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)
Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, (Exodus 30:22)
Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, (Exodus 30:23)
And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:Â (Exodus 30:24)
And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. (Exodus 30:25)
But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (Hebrews 1:8) Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (Hebrews 1:9) (Song of Solomon 1:1-3) (Luke 4:18)
And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, (Exodus 30:26)
And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, (Exodus 30:27)
And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. (Exodus 30:28)　
And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. (Exodus 30:29)　
And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office. (Exodus 30:30)　
  God set aside His nation Israel to serve Him as priests. They were created, formed and prepared to be a peculiar treasure above all people for one purpose united together in worship of Jehovah God. Many do not, nor can they accept this FACT believing that God would never allow His people to unjustly suffer throughout all millenniums. They have suffered and will continue to suffer justly because God is Just. (Read Romans Chapter 11 and compare it with Isaiah Chapter 55, especially verses 5-17.) There is a worldly idea that (in this case) can be quite spiritually perception: there can be no gain without pain. As God set aside Israel as a nation in the form of a kingdom of priests, so also God has set aside those in the Gentile world known as Christians to also serve Him. (The differences and the similarities between Israel and the Church are subjects too vast to venture into at this point, but just to note that there are differences and similarities should be adequate at this point in this article).
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:Â (Exodus 19:5) And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:6)
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1st Peter 2:5)
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:Â (1st Peter 2:9)
And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. (Exodus 30:31)
Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. (Exodus 30:32)
Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people. (Exodus 30:33)
  Although Aaron was a type of Christ in His role as the royal and divine Eternal Priest, remember that the anointing oil also was a type of Christ in his Person for being the visible image of the invisible God. The anointing oil was holy and pure and with the blood of the sacrifice, this precious anointing oil made the Tabernacle and all within the Tabernacles holy and pure. Therefore, God jealously protected how this holy oil was formed, handled and applied. It was never to be treated outside of its main purpose. It was never to be handled outside of the priesthood. It was never to be considered ordinary or common place. God is a Jealous God and He demands mankind to see the Godhead bodily in all its purity, holiness, and righteousness.
  This sweet holy anointing oil of incense was a perfume so perfect that it represented all that was of Christ, all of His divine nature in perfection. The Perfect God-Man, the Perfect Savior, the Perfect Sacrifice, the Perfect Altar, the Perfect Son, the Perfect Priest, and the Perfect God. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10)
And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:Â (Exodus 30:34)
And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:Â (Exodus 30:35)
  These two verses are beautifully worded by the Holy Spirit of God to reveal the Godhead bodily through the sense of smell. The stacte, and onycha, and galbanum are sweet spices with gum like qualities. Stacte is rooted in the meaning of a gum substance that drops or flows slowly. The ‘onycha’ is an oil derived from the resin of the tree besides having a rich odor it is valued medicinally. Galbanum is an aromatic gum resin and its root meaning is that which is the choicest or the greatest. Each of these organic spices is only mentioned once in Scripture. Each speaks of a specific attribute of Christ. And of each shall there be a like weight, all the divine qualities of Christ are perfectly balanced in His divine nature. His love is not greater than His mercy, nor His grace greater than His righteousness. Then in verse 35 we see the words tempered together, pure and holy: Is not this the Godhead bodily?
And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy. (Exodus 30:36)
And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD. (Exodus 30:37)
Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people. (Exodus 30:38)
  What a phrase, And thou shalt beat some of it very small, was not Christ beaten, was He not made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death? When we contemplate the value of this perfect fragrance in being a type of the Godhead, we see that not ALL of the perfume was beaten small. Even in the details we see that God the Father and God the Holy Spirit honors the sacrifice of Christ through His being beaten and made smaller as the smallest of man in the womb.
Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:Â (Hebrews 2:7)
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9)
<<A Song of degrees of David.>> Behold, how good and how pleaseiant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;Â (Psalm 133:2)
As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. (Psalm 133:3)
One of the reasons that I am spending a lot of time on ‘incense’ and ‘sweet smelling savor’ is because I will probably never return to this important subject again.
  In the fragrance of righteous purity the Godhead bodily is tempered together, pure and holy in the unity of fluid oneness. This holy oil flows into every crevice of the nail pierce hands of the Eternal Priest in oneness of purpose and in harmony covering Him with the odor of sweet joy and delight. This tempered sweet incense is what heaven smells like: the beauty of holiness.
Give unto the LORD the glory [due] unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. (1st Chronicles 16:29)
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy [endureth] for ever. (2 Chronicles 20:21)
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. (Psalm 29:2)
O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. (Psalm 96:9)
  There are many aspects of the priesthood, the burnt offering, incense, and atonement then can be quickly covered in one article. Chapter 16 of the book of Numbers is presented as an appetizer before the full meal is laid on the table. It is up to you to explore the spiritual concepts in this Chapter further. The Holy Spirit of God devoted 1 Chapter to The Creation (ONLY ONE CHAPTER), but He gave us more documentation about THE HOLY ANOINTING OIL and the SWEET SMELLING INCENSE in Exodus Chapter 30, 31, and 35 then about the beginning of space-time in Genesis Chapter 1. Since God treats the sweet smelling incense with greater interest then the creation, should we not want to know why.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;Â (1st Timothy 2:5)
Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:9)
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:Â (2nd Corinthians 2:15)
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2)
Amen and Amen.
Men of renown is a companion piece to Giants in the Earth series.
© Copyright 2021, Mary Haigh
This article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)