This Article: (5 Pages)
- 1. Patented Perfumes
- 2. Why design the perfume?
- 3. Why is smell important?
- 4. Smelling and Remembering
- 5. Prayer, in analogy, as incense
3) Why is smell important?
So why of all things is the smell so important? It turns out Moses gives us the simple answer.
And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.(Deuteronomy 4:28 KJV).
Jeremiah's record seems to confirm this, as there Yahweh speaks of Moab having a taste and smell to him.
Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood. Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels, and break their bottles. (Jer 48:10-12 KJV)
The corollary is that Yahweh, sees, hears, eats and smells. This list encompasses four of the five human senses. The only sense not mentioned is touch. As Yahweh is in everything it follows He can 'touch' everything, but perhaps not in a way we can relate to. The point is that Moses who met Yahweh face to face states he know that Yahweh can smell. If Yahweh can smell and can differentiate between pleasant and unpleasant smells, the law to wash before coming into His presence makes a lot of sense. The clean smell of humans after washing both symbolically and practically demonstrates the beauty and holiness of separation. The practical aspect is in the fact that Yahweh can smell.
It is to be noted that when Aaron goes into the holy place at this time he needs to also have his hands full of sweet incense or the patented perfume.
And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. .... And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself: And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not: (Lev 16:3-13 KJV)
It is clear that the reason for the smoke of the incense is to hide, or rather, obscure the glory between the Cherubim, but we are now also aware that the patented or special perfume is part of this cloud to hide the glory, that Aaron die not.
There are two sides to the events that are happening here. The first side is that Aaron (or the subsequent high priest) takes the fragrant perfume in his hands and then uses that to create a fragrant cloud to shield or cover himself before Deity. This is appropriate for also at that time of being covered in the fragrant cloud the high priest kills the bullock and pours out its blood to cover his own sins to make at-one-ment. The other side is Yahweh is here presented with a human who is covered by Yahweh's own special fragrance, brought in his hands, who presents the blood of a slain animal poured out before him and sacrificed. The most important point here is that this fragrant cloud only ascends because the high priest has been obedient and done things in the way Yahweh had appointed. In Yahweh's experience of the event, the fragrance is associated with this obedience.
It it to be noted that it was the smell of Noah's voluntary sacrifice that was pleasing.
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. 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. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. (Gen 8:20-22 KJV)
This association in Yahweh's mind of the fragrance with obedience is the reason why the penalty was so important for the misuse of the fragrance. The penalty of being 'cut off' from his people was, in effect, death. As to not be of the people of Yahweh was to not have access to atonement. The importance of the association is also seen in instances where the Israelites were carrying out the correct rituals but were not in their national life also being obedient. Jeremiah makes mention of the incense and associated it with remembrance.
(Jer 44:21 KJV) The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind?
(Jer 44:23 KJV) Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.
They had forgotten that the smell that ascended needed to be associated with the righteousness. The fragrance is not enough, in fact it is likely to cause pain if the real obedience Yahweh desires is not in evidence. The fragrance is a delight, a small addition reinforcing the delight of right work. Together the fragrance and right works are a delight. To be remembered, while doing the wrong things is something the reverse of good. It is to say “look at me” but be forgetting that you are being watched. And to do something insulting to the person looking.
In fact it is no accident our noses are on our faces close to our eyes. The face is associated with all the senses. Something before ones eyes may impinge on all the senses.
When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without. And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.
Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin. I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt. (Hos 8:1-2 & 11-13 KJV)
It is not the mere smell that is important but the association of the fragrance with obedience. Hosea's record shows it is better not to have Yahweh remembering or smelling the fragrance of the offerings before His face if the works are not right before Him.
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