Exodus 30:22-33
Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamas two hundred and fifty shekels, And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
Exodus 30:22-33 gives details of the Holy Anointing Oil. They come from the finest spices and they contained the following ingredients with its following quantities. They are:
Myrrh, 500 shekels
Fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels
Sweet Calamus (Fragrant cane), 250 shekels
Cassia, 500 shekels
Olive oil, one hin
It is interesting to note how God varied his instructions to Moses from general to specific; even including the type and quantity of spices.
It is said that pure Myrrh is about 6 kilos, Sweet Cinnamon 3 kilos (half as much), Fragrance cane (sweet Calamas) 3 kilos, Cassia 6 kilos and Olive Oil 4 kilos. I believe at any one time they need 22 kilos of all the ingredient to concoct the Anointing oil.’ I was trying to ask Pastor Lily if she can craft the anointing oil as prescribed specifically by Exodus 30. We can use it in our healing ministry, when anointing the leaders of the church etc. But then there is a warning against producing the anointing that is not exactly like it and even then it has to be done by a priest. In Exodus when they are carefully concocted, they will be used to anoint the furniture of the Holy Place and the Altar of Sacrifice and their utensils. They are also used to anoint Aaron and his sons (the priests). There is a warning against duplicating the ingredients for a profane purpose or a profane person. I know that there are people who produce it for occultism and even for wizards. God warns against producing it for profane purpose. And also it cannot be poured upon a profane (wicked) person.
There must be a deeper meaning behind this anointing oil that is meticulously described. Let’s study it.
1. The Anointing Oil
It is the responsibility of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest to prepare the anointing oil. Numbers 4:16 says ‘The responsibility of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is the oil for the light (the lamp stand) and the fragrant incense and the continual grain offering and the anointing oil – the responsibility of all the tabernacle and of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings.’ Like Eleazar, we must take care of the anointing in our lives and also in the church. Anointing has always been one of the components of the priest and one of the features of the church.
What is the modern day application of Exodus 30 anointing oil? It is believed by many modern day Christian churches that every practicing believer in Christ is a priest. This belief is based on the following excerpt from scripture. I Peter 2:5-9 say, ‘you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.’ It is very interesting the Exodus 30 anointing oil is used to install priest, kings and prophets. I Peter 2:5-9 clearing state we are a group of priesthood, even of royalty. It means that we have the threefold anointing of priest, king and prophet.
As such we must care for the anointing in our life? What is the anointing for us today? It is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We have an anointing that enables us to understand the word of God (the showbread was anointed). 1 John 2:27 says, ‘But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, you shall abide in him.
2. The Ingredients
The ingredients have particular significance.
Myrrh means the same thing in Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Arabic. And they mean bitter. Myrrh is bitter to the taste but sweet to the smell. Myrrh in the spiritual sense speaks of dying to self to become a ‘sweet smelling savor’ unto YHWH. Queen Esther bathed herself in Myrrh and other fragrance oils for 12 months, making herself desirable for marriage to the King. It was a purification process, a dying to self in her preparation for the King. The anointing has a purification process and a dying to self. Myrrh is a universal essential oil and has a vast amount of uses when combined with prayer. In Spiritual benefits it heightens spiritual awareness, lifts the spirit, revitalize one’s soul and bring a freshness to the soul. It also causes emotional release and improves concentration. In healing benefits it speeds recovery of illness and prevents premature aging.
The second ingredient is Cinnamon. The Hebrew word Cinnamon is Kinnamon. The tree grows about 30 feet high with cluster of yellow and white flowers. Its most sought after part is the bark. Its very fragrant bark yields golden yellow oil which is used as an ingredient for the anointing oil. It is referred to as being sweet. The Hebrew word for sweet is ‘bosem’ which means fragrance. Kinnamon means to erect with upright rolls. The figurative meaning of cinnamon in the holy anointing oil can be taken from its Hebrew meaning; “to erect with upright rolls.” Also from its descriptive meaning “sweet” from the Hebrew word, meaning fragrant and spicy; all rolled up into the spice of life. We find it living in the anointed life of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to be erect, upright and a sweet fragrance to the world. Anointing of Cinnamon is symbolic of the world. We are to be the symbolic fragrance of the world. This fragrance would be an outreach to the world. The world would obtain some kind of freedom from bondage through this anointed ingredient. We are would a type of provision and intercession made for the Gentile world who did not know God.
The third ingredient listed in the anointing oil is the fragrance cane or sweet calamas. In some translation it is fragrance cane. In the Hebrew Calamas, cane or reed are used as the same Hebrew word throughout the Old Testament. When we refer to Calamas we will sometimes use the word cane or reed. It means to erect, that is, to create. When the wind’s breeze kisses the reed it creates a beautiful fragrance that is carried by the wind. It is the same with us. When the wind of the Holy Spirit kisses us, we bend with the wind of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit draws out the fragrance of the Lord Jesus Christ in us. From there the Holy Spirit begins to create an anointed atmosphere for Father God and Jesus to show up. Like the reed found in the tree, we are flexible and bendable to His every move. The wind, represented by the Holy Spirit was the determining factor to release the fragrance. That is why it is so important to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. Because when the Holy Spirit touches us, He releases the sweet fragrance of what is hidden in the inner man that has been there all the time. The fragrance can be prophecy, teaching, healing, miracles, signs and wonders, a downloaded word to someone in the silent presence of God.
Cassia is the fourth ingredient in the anointing oil. Cassia is an aromatic bark similar to cinnamon. However cassia bark is darker, thicker and coarser. The dried Cassia flower served as perfumes. The root word is ‘qadad’ which means to shrivel up; contract or bend the body or neck in deference. It is to bow down the head; to stoop. This is to acknowledge the Lordship of Christ in our lives. The ingredient Cassia is a reminder to us of Christ as the Messiah or the Anointed One. We always see Christ as love and grace and mercy. The world uses the name of Jesus as part of its vulgarity curses. Jesus is made fun of in movies, speeches etc. Yet we must understand the Cassia brings out the fragrance of Christ. We live a life that acknowledged the Lordship of Christ in our lives. There is respect, deference because He is Christo; the Anointed One. The anointing oil is to proclaim the Anointed One. How we live our lives is important because He has made the sacrifice on our behalf and that He became our propitiation and our substitute. There is a warning against duplicating the ingredients for a profane purpose or a profane person. If we are a profane person and we use Christ for a profane purpose we incur the wrath of God. Recently there is a funeral conducted for a prominent bishop and it was held in a prominent church in United States; a rather beautiful sanctuary. The Bishop of the church is quite a prominent person and supposedly a well known preacher. Then a Spanish lady singer was invited to sing in the funeral service. And this lady’s skirt was so low cut that people are criticizing why she is wearing such a dress in a prominent church funeral service. Even Bill Clinton was one of the speakers. But after the singing of this lady, this Bishop hold her above her waist and videos seems to indicate that he was actually touching her breast. After the video went viral, he had to apologize. I mean there is no more respect for Christ and we conduct our lives shabbily and everything done was profane and the purpose of the church was also profane. Cassia tells us that Christ is the Lord of our live and there is deference in our conduct towards Christ. If you cannot respect Christ in your conduct don’t expect any anointing. Rather expect the wrath of God.
The final ingredient is olive oil. A hin of olive oil is equivalent to 4 kilos. The Hebrew word for oil is ‘shemen’ which means grease, especially liquid as from olive. Figuratively it means richness; like the richness of the anointing; fat, fruitful. The root word is ‘shaman’ meaning to shine, to make oily. Olive oil is thought of as a service providing fuel for light. The main source of light came from oil. The olive tree is an evergreen tree. In one of the tourist attraction places in Singapore is the Garden By the Bay. Inside the Garden by the Bay is olive tree, some more than 1000 years old. Recently one Olive tree which is more than 100 years old started producing fruit and flowers. There will be such richness in our anointing. And as a result of the anointing we will be fruitful. The anointing provides light to others. When we are anointed we are evergreen.
3. The Preparation and the Function of the Anointing Oil
The ingredients obtained are to be preeminent or the finest. They are to be pure in nature. Although others are noted as assisting in the preparation of this oil, it can be inferred that it is Moses who would personally supervise the gathering and preparing of it. Moses is a representation of God overseeing the anointing in our lives. It shall be a holy anointing oil. Thus that which is anointed is considered set apart, or holy. I thank God for the SOZOs. As a result of the SOZOs there is this desire not to do anything unholy to displease God. I want to keep my life pure. I read recently in the bible that an anointed priest’s sins affect the covenant people. Are you sure? The first part of Leviticus 4:3 says ‘If the anointed priest sins so as to bring guilt on the people.’ These ingredients were softened by boiling in water to extract their essence. From this the oil and myrrh would be mixed in and boiled again in order to evaporate the water. The care of the oil after it is made will go to Eleazar, Aaron’s son. The responsibility of making it in the future would go to the priests (1 Chr 9:30). What is the preparation for the anointing? We are to be the finest and pure in character. We are a HOLY anointing oil.
How about the function of the anointing oil? There is a particular order given for the use of the anointing oil. First the tent of meeting would be anointed. This is the tent which in Hebrew means ‘mishkan’ or tabernacle. If it different from the tent of Moses (his personal house). The church has to be anointed. One of the qualities of the church is that it is an anointed church. It says, ‘And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy. What is all that is in the church? Us. Members of the church. After the anointing of the tent, the first item to be mentioned is the Ark of the Testimony. The Ark is the Most Holy Place. The presence of God represents the anointing of God. Next in place are the items in the Holy Place: the Table of Showbread, the Menorah, and the Altar of Incense. The table of showbread representing the word of God in the church is to be anointed. Prayer in the church is to be anointed. After the interior furniture, those outside the tent are next. The anointing of the implements with the anointing oil consecrated them. They had been shaped by man, but they are now to be set apart to God. Only those who were also so set apart to God were, from this time forward to touch them. ‘Whatever touches them shall become holy.’ In other words, if a person who is holy were to touch others these were to be given over to the Lord so that He might deal with them as He saw fit.
After the inanimate objects were consecrated, the consecration of the men who would serve as priest is then conducted. This actually only applies at this time to Aaron. The term ‘Mashakh’ is used here which indicates ‘smearing’. He is the one to be so anointed now. The term ‘and his sons’ must be taken in the future sense concerning the ones who succeed him in his office. Anything anointed with it was solely His and was to be set apart to Him for all generations that the law would remain in effect. This sacred anointing oil is for the generations to come. I emphasize that our goal is to raise the Joshua generation. This sacred anointing oil is for the Joshua generation. Anyone anointing with it is solely His and is to be set apart to him. It shall not be poured on man’s flesh. This anointing is not for humankind. To further add to it no person who was not qualified by being chosen for the anointing was to have the anointing oil put on them. The penalty for this was to be cut off from his people.
However it is to be poured on the priest. The world does not have the anointing. Only we the priest has the anointing.
4. The Anointed One
The Hebrew word for anointing is where we get the word for Messiah, which means the Anointed One or the one set apart for God.
This is the main emphasis of my message. In Luke 4:17 it says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
When we are anointed we are set apart for service. What is the evidence of the anointing that is upon us? We proclaim liberty. I heard that last Sunday when Pastor Lily declared liberty, some of you felt something took place inside you. You are liberated. How about recovery of the sight to the blind? Well in the essential commission for the Youth Church, one of you prayed for the blind and the testimony is that the blind sees. Those who are oppressed are set free. The HRM and the SOZOs and the revival in the youth church have been doing that. This is the year of the Lord’s favor. This scripture is being fulfilled in our church. The purpose of an anointed person is for service. You are set apart or anointed for service. Let’s look at Jesus. We can all agree that He is anointed and he is the anointed one. What are the evidences? He is described as full of the Holy Spirit and being led by the Spirit. He always victorious in the power of the Holy Spirit. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil. And the most important point. God was with him. How about us?
Jesus says his followers will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Pastor Lily and I have been handling cell group for almost two year. Recently wonderful thing is happening on the lives of our cell members. One day Sis Kabayao on her own was baptized by the Holy Spirit. Then just in the recent HRM workshop where the LSBC came to teach us, Sis Vicky was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Just recently in our DJCG essential commission in Cagayan De Oro, brother Robert and Sister Tess were filled with the Holy Spirit in the hotel room when we gathered for prayer. Then just last Friday sis Farida was filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus says His followers will be baptized by the Holy Spirit. Not merely anointed, poured on the head, flowing down on the beard and on the robes, but immersed in, totally submerged in, drenched with the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament prophesies we see promise of the New Covenant blessing of the Spirit poured out.
Isaiah 32:15 says, ‘until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.’
Isaiah 44:3 says, ‘For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.’
Ezekiel 36:27 says, ‘And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.’
Ezekiel 39:29 says, ‘And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord GOD.”
Joel 2:28 says, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
Zechariah 12:10 says, “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.’
These various Hebrew words for ‘pour out’ carry the idea of ‘pour out until nothing is left’ or ’empty out’; ‘pour out or flow like molten metal’; ‘pour or gush out’; the idea of abundance and generosity is captured well by the New Testament word ‘immersed’ or ‘baptized in’. God promised that he would pour out his Spirit on his people, that he would put his Spirit within them.
