anointing with oil

[DanL]

The other night, the subject of anointing with oil came up. This intrigued me, so I did some research.

The Bible mentions anointing with oil over 50 times. And, as with everything in the Bible, the use is consistent. Anointing with oil marks someone or something as consecrated or “set apart” for God. To me, it’s synonymous with a lavish outpouring of love which marks someone or something as God’s own. Olive oil is not a cheap oil now, nor was it in Biblical times. It takes over 40 pounds of olives to make a gallon of olive oil. (Anointing oil is always olive oil.)

God even went so far as to give Moses a recipe for a special anointing oil for the temple in Exodus 30: 22-33:

“22 Moreover the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 23 “Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, 24 five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil. 26 With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony; 27 the table and all its utensils, the lamp stand and its utensils, and the altar of incense; 28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them must be holy.[a] 30 And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests.

31 “And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on man’s flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, shall be cut off from his people.’”

In Psalm 23:5 we read:

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.”

So, when confronted with enemies all around and even walking through the valley of the shadow of death, our God, the creator of the entire universe, marks us as His own with a lavish outpouring of love. What greater protection and love could we experience than that?

Then, there’s the verse in James 5:14

“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

Now, to be clear, the oil in the verse is not a magic potion that heals disease. It’s the mark of a lavish outpouring of God’s love and protection. Just as the anointing oil in the Exodus verse marked the temple as holy and set apart for God, so too is the oil in the verse in James. Scripture tells us our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit, so the anointing with oil in James anoints a temple in the same way the oil in Exodus does. It means we belong to God.

We also know the word “Christ” means “The Anointed One.” Anointing was done to mark priests and kings. Christ is our High Priest and King of Kings.

Now, the part that got really interesting to me was when I looked up the ingredients in the recipe in Exodus. We all know the word “Christ” means “the anointed one” and He is our High Priest. Obviously, we all know what cinnamon smells like, so it’s not hard to imagine that. Cassia also smells like cinnamon. Sweet-smelling cane—hmmm—must smell sweet. And as for myrrh, I found it’s made from the resin of a thorny shrub and it smells a lot like a balsam tree.

So, what would the smell of cinnamon, sugar, and evergreen make you think of?

That’s right, Christmas—when we celebrate the birth of The Anointed One.

[Laura]

Bump

[Floatingaxe]

I thought this would be a great place to post this:

THE OIL OF ANOINTING

Exodus 30:22-33 God gives His recipe for the anointing oil…

5 INGREDIENTS TO THE OIL:

1. MYRRH: Pain-killing properties. Enables the anointing to remove the pain of our pasts. Gives us the ability to cast off our baggage. The hurts no longer sting.

2. CALAMUS: (cane) A reed-like plant, like grass, which smells like ginger, and has a sweet-smelling flower: It’s sweet aroma is noted in scripture: The sweet smell blows on the wind and could be detected for over 30 miles from Jericho! It represents the gladness that we receive—the sweet joy that comes with the anointing. As a child craves sugar, we should be craving the sweet savour of the Holy Spirit’s anointing. Just as David said, “Take not thy spirit from me”, as in our desire for sweet sugar or honey, we should crave the anointing. God wants us to enjoy a fresh walk DAILY, to charge our spirits DAILY, and to taste good DAILY. Walking without the anointing is religion---religion tastes really bad. Religion is bitter, but the spirit is sweet.

3. CASSIA: Smells like cinnamon, used as a preservative, and used in embalming. Signifies our protection, preservation. We are secure and can walk in safety.

4. CINNAMON: Distinction! It is a distinctive enhancer of sweet flavour. There is a distinctive flavour that comes about one who is anointed. Things improve, get better. Cinnamon changes things, makes the taste better, enhances the already sweet savour of anything. “Oh taste and see that I am good!” Cinnamon represents that “I taste good”, “I have a pleasant aroma.” The anointed church seems sweeter, more refreshing, more savvy, containing more flavour and savour. People will enter an anointed body of believers and notice the goodness, the aroma of goodness, the refreshing dynamic—all from the anointing. In the New Testament, Jesus refers to us, the church, as SALT. In the Old Testament the symbol of CINNAMON is used for the same meaning. Salt is also an enhancer. Eaten alone, as salt, it has no real measure of pleasantness except that when it is ADDED, it ENHANCES the sweetness or savouriness. Both symbols reveal that we contain FLAVOUR to the world! When we come to church, we should be “bouncing off the walls” like kids high on sugar! A bouncing church is an anointed church---as we worship with the JOY OF GLADNESS, protected and in safety, preserved in Christ, with our healing in hand, and free of pain and unburdened by cares!

5. OLIVE OIL: The oil added gives the ability to be poured. The olives had to be crushed, just as Christ was, in order that the oil be released. In Jesus, that oil is the anointing. Oil acts as a healing remedy when placed on the skin. Oil is beneficial for our health. In the tabernacle, oil was used for ILLUMINATION. True illumination, revelation from God, the Word, the Holy Spirit, cannot come without the anointing. We cannot have a revelation from God’s word unless the Holy Spirit gives it. Also, oil represents UNDERSTANDING: Those who have understanding of the ways of God and His word, have the anointing. The church that operates this way has the anointing. Oil also represents HEALING: Comes from the anointing, breaking the yoke of disease. Oil also represents the Spirit of God Himself!