How does this verse connect to Christ's role as our intercessor and mediator? Numbers 16:46 in Focus “Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take your censer, put fire from the altar in it, add incense, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them, because wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has begun.’” Why Aaron Ran with the Censer • Israel’s rebellion had triggered God’s immediate judgment. • Aaron, the appointed high priest, alone could stand between the living and the dead. • Incense on coals pictured an urgent, tangible plea for mercy—a fragrant covering that turned away wrath. How This Scene Foreshadows Jesus • A chosen mediator—Aaron points ahead to Christ, “the apostle and high priest of our confession” (Hebrews 3:1). • Immediate action—Aaron “hurried.” Jesus “immediately” set His face toward the cross (Luke 9:51). • Atonement in the midst of death—Aaron stood where the plague raged; Jesus hung where sin’s penalty fell on Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). • Wrath satisfied—Aaron’s incense stopped the plague; Jesus’ blood “rescues us from the coming wrath” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Key New-Testament Links • Hebrews 7:25: “Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.” • 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” • Hebrews 9:24: “For Christ did not enter a handmade sanctuary… but heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” • 1 John 2:1: “We have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” Incense, Fire, and Prayer • Incense in Scripture often pictures prayer (Revelation 8:3-4). • Jesus’ intercession ascends continually—never cooling, never ceasing (Romans 8:34). • The coals from the altar hint at sacrifice; Christ’s prayers rest on the finished work of His own cross. Living Under Christ’s Mediation • Confidence—His intercession is constant, not occasional. • Access—prayer moves through a living, sympathetic High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). • Assurance—atonement has already been made; we stand in grace, not fear (Romans 5:1-2). • Calling—just as Aaron rushed into danger, we carry the message of reconciliation to others (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). |
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