Consecration, Temple Incense, and Noah's Ark

My recent posts have dealt with symbols involving incense, noses and smells. We've connected these symbols to the concept of consecration. The symbolism surrounding incense is an aspect of temple worship (both ancient and modern) that is so foreign to our way of thinking that it really takes some effort on our part to draw meaning from the symbols.

In one of my recent posts I mentioned a fascinating presentation recently given by Dr. John Thompson. In it, he compares ancient Egyptian priestly rituals with later Israelite temple rituals. Incense plays an important role at multiple stages in both. My interest was sparked when he showed these images of priests carrying incense in cup-shaped objects held in their outstretched hands:

The paper I referenced near the end of that post details the connection between incense and the "hand as a cup" -- ancient priests carried temple incense in special object shaped like cupped hands:

From this paper

As the caption of the figure above mentions, Hebrew has these symbols embedded in its structure. Hugh Nibley points out that the Hebrew letter kaph means palm:

Incense was often burned in special holders made in the form of a cupped hand, the “golden spoons” of Exodus 25:29 . . . the “filled hand” (the Hebrew letter kaph כ means “palm”) is the widespread sign of offering sacrifice. (Hugh Nibley, “Sacred Vestments,” Temple and Cosmos, 106.)

The ancient pictograph for this letter resembles a cupped hand:

 (source)

Kaph is connected to the word "kaphaph" meaning bow down, bent, or bowed. 

This leads us to the second connection to the Hebrew language itself: male' yad.  This is an important term for consecration. It literally means "filled hand" and is used in connection with the temple many times in the Old Testament (see page 7 of the linked paper for a complete set of Biblical references).

Getting back to Noah's Ark

Here's where it gets really interesting. In the past several posts I've connected this concept of "sweet savour" to Noah, entering into the ark/covenants, and making sacrifice to God as a sign of consecration to Him. The "savor of rest" is the sign of a consecrated life that pleases God. With the idea of 'filled hand' in mind, notice this verse from Moses 7:

43 Wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand; but upon the residue of the wicked the floods came and swallowed them up.

Noah's ark filled the hand of the Lord (playing the role of incense) while those who would not hearken to God's word were consumed by the floods. That's deep! (Pun intended.) And it really makes you wonder how this subtle symbol of consecration/hand-filling from biblical Hebrew made its way into the Book of Moses in 1830.

Think of God holding the ark in His hand and then look back at the Egyptian pictures up above of the priests holding incense. Beautiful symbolism.