Burning Incense
Can we and should we burn incense to the Lord today? If we can/should, what kind and where is it available?
I need to make several points about the burning of incense.
- The burning of incense in the Old Testament under the law was to be done in one place (the tabernacle and later the temple) by one group of people (the priests who descended from Aaron). Not even the king was allowed to burn incense. One king, Uzziah, tried and God gave him leprosy because of his disobedience (2 Chronicles 26:16-21 [16] But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
[17] And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:
[18] And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.
[19] Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.
[20] And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.
[21] And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.
See All...). - Israel often disobeyed God by burning incense places other than the temple and to other gods. But, by doing so, they made God angry. See 1 Kings 13:1-2 [1] And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
[2] And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
See All...; 2 Kings 16:3-4 [3] But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel. [4] And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
See All...; and many other places. When the kingdom of Israel was taken captive by the Assyrians, one of the reasons God gave was because they burned incense on their own in any place they chose:
2 Kings 17:10-11 [10] And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: [11] And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:
See All... "And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger."
- The burning of incense was never a part of New Testament worship. It was a practice for the temple worship of the Old Testament. But it was never given as part of the church service or to New Testament Christians for any reason.
- The practice of the burning of incense by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches and by those who follow them was added from false religions. In fact, it did not appear in so-called Christian worship until about 500 years after the time of Christ. It is unscriptural for a church that calls itself Christian to burn incense. God never gave this practice to us.
- In no age has God given individuals the command or even permission to burn incense for religious reasons. This practice is becoming popular because of its connection to non-Christian religions like Hinduism and Buddhism.
In conclusion, it is not honoring to God to burn incense to Him. Even under the law when incense had a particular use, God wanted true love and obedience more than the incense. On one occasion, He states, "Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me" (Isaiah 1:13Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
See All...). He did not want their incense; He wanted their submission to His will.
I do not believe that this keeps us from enjoying scented candles or other spices if we wish. However, we should never put any spiritual or religious significance to them. In doing so, we are leaning towards idolatry. And God hates idolatry.