WFW - Walk in Love ~ Fragrant Offering

What does it mean for us to "walk in love"? Does it mean that we should all walk around as if we were floating on cloud 9, filled with romantic and idealistic thoughts about our lives and relationships?

What does it mean for us to be a "fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."? Does it mean that we are to abstain from anything and everything that brings us pleasure; wear drab clothes and a permanent expression on our faces that tell the world how miserable we are being children of the Most High God, living in a sin infested world?

Short answer to both these questions are assuredly in Christ - NO!

When I read Ephesians 5:1-2, one of the first things that come to mind is the tabernacle and the altar of incense that was placed on the west side of the Holy Place, and stood in front of the curtain/veil of the Most Holy Place (or the Holy of Holies).

The LORD said to Moses, "Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy...And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the LORD. Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people."
~ Exodus 30:34-35, 37-38

Notice that the LORD our God gives us a sharp warning that the combination of theses spices are "holy" they are set apart for God and should never be used for our own personal pleasures.

stacte n. ~ [Hebrew: שחלת (nataph)] one of the components of the perfume which was offered on the golden altar (Ex. 30:34; R.V. marg., "opobalsamum"). The Hebrew word is from a root meaning "to distil," and it has been by some interpreted as distilled myrrh

onycha n. ~ [Hebrew: שחלת (shĕcheleth)] according to Hebrew interpreters, unguis odaratus, prop. the covering or shell of a kind of muscle found in the lakes of India, where the nard grows; which, when burning, emits an odor resembling musk

galbanum n. ~ [Hebrew: חלבנה (chelbĕnah)] A bitter, aromatic gum resin extracted from an Asiatic plant (Ferula galbaniflua) or any of several related plants and used in incense and medicinally as a counterirritant

frankincense n. ~ [Hebrew: לבונה (lĕbownah)] a white resin burned as fragrant incense

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
~ 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

May we all present ourselves as "living sacrifices" to God as we seek to die to self every day; consecrating our lives only for God's purpose and His pleasure, for this is where we will find our greatest joy.

In my next post I will share a diagram of the tabernacle and how Jesus fulfilled every element that was placed in it.


Word Filled Wednesdays

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