Lord's Day Devotion - The Hour of Incense

"And the whole multitude of people were praying outside at the hour of incense." (Luke 1:10 ESV)

The priest Zechariah was doing his priestly duty in the temple of the Lord:  he'd gone in to burn incense.

I'm wonder-struck by what the "whole multitude of people" were doing simultaneously.  They were outside the temple,

"praying...at the hour of incense"!

Zechariah was burning incense on the altar of incense inside and the people were praying outside, the temple.  The two were in agreement before the presence of God.

That's what the altar of incense was all about...prayers...communion with God.  That's God's heart's desire...connection and communion with Him in community.

And Zechariah, and get this...not just a pathetically pitiful handful of people praying but a "whole multitude" were in tune with what was going on inside.  The priest wasn't left alone to "do his duty" because that's his job.  NO!

The people were not "forsaking the assembling of themselves together" (Hebrews 10:25).  This was coming from the heart.  Not the hearts of a handful but of the whole multitude!

Awesome!

The offering up of incense on the altar of incense inside the temple came only after the sacrifice of atonement was offered up.

Atonement for the soul, only then could there be communion with God, when the hearts were "right with God".

Incense released a sweet aroma that went up and was acceptable to God.

As children of God, followers of Jesus Christ, we too can spend time "releasing" sweet aromas up to God.  Spend time communing with Him in our prayer closets but also of great import, God wants His children to be together, the "whole multitude", to send up heartfelt prayers as if coming from "one heart".  People in communion with each other and with God.

This was all made possible by the atonement sacrifice God made through His one and only begotten son, Jesus Christ.

As we remember this sacrifice, remembering Jesus' death and resurrection, as often as possible especially on Lord's Day by partaking of the bread and wine-symbols of Jesus' sacrifice-let us also remember the sweet hour, or more, of prayer.  Remember to commune with your Lord and Savior, solo, and with the whole congregation of God's people with whom you generally rub shoulders.

This will truly be a sweet sacrifice and aroma going up to God at "the hour of incense".

                                                   ~ERC  25 December 2018~