You don't hear much about incense till Christmas when the ancient story is told of the magi of the East paying a visit to the new-born Jesus.
Matthew 2:11
On entering the house, they (magi) saw the child with Mary his mother;
and they knelt down and paid him homage.
Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.
There's a lot going on in the story besides three gentlemen making a long trip. They paid homage because they knew the child had a special purpose in life; one that would be played out to his execution on a cross. They couldn't know that but we do and at this point that's all that matters.
Perhaps for the first time, take a look at the gifts; two of which were plants. Pretty good company since gold was and will always be a precious item of trade. The gifts were fit for a king.
Mentioned 22 times in Scripture, frankincense was and still is the most important incense resin in the world. It was used in religious worship but since it isn’t native, commerce brought it to the Holy Land. It comes from incisions made in an evergreen tree grown in Arabia and Somalia. It falls short, however, of the medicinal value of myrrh
There are those who regularly burn incense in their homes or at their place of worship. Some are sensitive to it's odor and can't tolerate it. In any case, it has a place in history with one of the most influential persons who ever lived.
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