My wife has accused me consistently of being a chocolate chip cookie addict. To that accusation, I reply, “Did someone say cookies?” It’s true I love a good, soft, warm chocolate chip cookie (don’t give me the hard bricky ones). I think it has to do with fond memories from childhood. My mom, my aunts and my grandmother all made pretty good cookies. Family reunions, holiday events and trips to the relatives typically contained at least one plate of this food from heaven.

In fact, it’s gotten quite comical now with our travels. Lisa and I will be moving through a busy airport filled with restaurants, perfumes, coffee shops and, yes, body odor and I’ll suddenly stop, put my nose in the air like a bloodhound and say, “I smell cookies.” It happens in airports, malls and hotel lobbies (thank you Hampton Inn and Frontier Airlines for your fresh, hot cookies.) There is just something about that aroma that makes me feel really good.

Never underestimate the power of aromas. Cakes and pies. Colognes and perfumes. Even the sweat of a locker room and the smell of freshly cut grass brings me fond memories of high school sports.

So, I thought about that this morning as I was working through a study I am doing on the Temple of the Old Testament and the various elements that went along with it: the Holy of Holies, the Ark of the Covenant and other related items. Its been very fascinating–probably far more so than the way I just described it. I’m learning how much of what we skim over in the OT has such powerful meaning and intentionality. I understand now why God requested acacia wood (something I had never heard of before reading the Bible), purple linen, bronze and gold plating. There is a purpose to everything that God does. That should give us tremendous comfort as we go through our lives.

Then I got to this passage from this morning’s study. We were taking a look at the sacrificial altar–the one used by the people on a daily basis to offer their sacrifices before God. In Exodus 29, God tells the people He will meet with them at this altar daily as the sacrificial fires are burning continuously. I started asking myself, “Why continuously? Why not give them a rest at night? Why not take the Sabbath off or take a break to clean away some of the ashes?” I came back to this concept of aromas.

You see, the sacrifices of the OT were never meant to be the ultimate answer. In a sense, they simply bought time until the day the ultimate sacrifice–Jesus himself–would be offered on our behalf. Those sacrifices were covering our sins until the day that Jesus would offer forgiveness for them. So, as they were offered day after day at the entrance to the Temple, their aroma would waft around the courtyard where the people would assemble. And, as the smell of flesh and fire filled the air around them, God himself would meet with His people. When they came into that courtyard at His invitation, that smell would envelope them with a keen awareness of their sin AND of God’s great love and forgiveness.The aroma was a reminder of how good God was. And it never went out.

Perhaps one of the most comforting verses of Scripture to the average Hebrew in that day and time would have been Exodus 29:42-43:

For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me….There I will meet you and speak to you; there also I will meet with the Israelites…

God was saying to His people, “I want to meet with you. I desire to have you for myself.” What an amazing thing to hear from a Holy and perfect God. But He says the same thing to you and I today. Only, instead of meeting Him at the base of the alter, we meet Him at the foot of the Cross. Instead of the aroma of animals, we are reminded of the aroma of Christ who became the ultimate sacrifice for us so that God could have us for His own.