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A Pleasing Aroma

This will be a series of posts about God’s desire to give Israel, and us today, a heart of flesh in place of a heart of stone. This indicates a real, movable heart alive and sensitive to God. Psalm 39 describes my heart position this morning. Verse 3, states,” My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue…This psalm portrays David’s heart while the hand of God was heavy on him. It reminds me of Psalm 51, his famous psalm of confession, ‘my sin is ever before me”. This prose delineates the inner man in the turmoil of sin consciousness and guilt.

In Hebrew culture, the kidneys and liver were often considered the seat of emotions, thought and one’s innermost being (often translated as “heart” or “mind”). It is therefore, of supreme interest to me, that these organs along with the fat covering them were sacrificed separately from the rest of the animal. These were considered the best or “choice” parts of the animal and the burning of them ONLY to be offered to the Lord and not consumed by the priests like the rest of the animal. A pleasing aroma.

The tabernacle had the outer and inner court and the holy of holies. This has been used as a model of man; body, soul, and spirit. It is in the inner most part that God desires to dwell. The sacrifice of internal organs and the surrounding fat was a powerful prophetic act of giving God our best and most precious parts of our innermost self to Him.

This place, this innermost place, the organs, the seat of our emotions is where I and untold others experience intercession. Referred to b prophets, the inward parts, belly, womb is the poured-out place of prayer. Have you wondered why people under the power of the Holy Spirit rock back and forth clutching their stomach? It is representative of personal, deep identification of the sin of man and the resultant separation from God. It is also the pained cry of God for His people to return to Him. I cannot do a definition of this holiest place justice. Look here for scripture references and commentary.

Strong’s Hebrew: 4578. מְעֵי (meeh) — Belly, inward parts, bowels, womb

Of course, the ultimate picture of intercession, Jesus quotes Psalm 22: 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me. ¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a piece of pottery,
And my tongue clings to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death.

Historically we can see when we have been separated from Him by sin God raised up a “friend” to intercede. To reveal His heart, to stand in the gap. That is only a small picture of the magnitude of what occurred when Jesus came. It says He looked for an intercessor to stand in the gap and finding none, He accomplished it by stretching forth His own Right Arm. Isaiah 59:16 It also says in Hebrews that high priests first had to make intercession for their own sins before making sacrifices and intercession for the people. ALL ALONG He knew He would one day provide His own Son, His Great High Priest. Here am I, He said, a body you have prepared for Me. And because He is the eternal Son He will never die, He EVER lives to make intercession for us.

One fine day, there will be no more sin, no more pain, no more separation from God and we will live Him forever. A new Eden. That has always been the plan. What happens in the meantime? How do we live in our present condition? We ask Him for a heart of flesh a heart that can be moved by Him. This is our high calling and privilege to be a body we have prepared FOR HIM.

In your innermost heart of hearts, in your stomach, your belly, your womb, welcome Him. Surrender your desires. The innermost parts are meant for Him alone. They are not meant to be consumed. They are holy to Him and meant to be laid on the altar.

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