HOLY ANOINTING OIL

A HEBREW SAGE MIGHT SAY. . .
In life we often discover what we did not know we were seeking.

HOLY ANOINTING OIL (Part 1)
"The LORD spoke to Moses saying, 'Take choice spices: five hundred weight of flowing myrrh, half as much - two hundred and fifty - of fragrant cinnamon, two hundred and fifty of aromatic calamus cane, five hundred - by the sanctuary weight - of cassia, and a hin of olive oil. Make of this a sacred anointing oil, a compound of ingredients expertly blended, to serve as sacred anointing oil.'" [Exodus (Shemot) 30. 22 - 23 Tanakh, Torah]

[In most cases BIBLICAL spices are uncertain as to what they really were. But, they are concluded to be comparable to many of the spices of today with different names. A Shekel is a weight and also the name of a coin. The Shekel in this passage, according to medical language equals 9 drops. Thus, 500 shekels would be 4,500 drops.]

The Tabernacle study began with ALMIGHTY GOD's desire to dwell withIN HIS people by the filling of the HOLY SPIRIT and now ends with the anointing oil and the GLORY CLOUD filling the finished Sanctuary.

The LORD MOST HOLY instructed that the Tabernacle, with all its features, be built and every detail of the services, as well as the clothing of the priests be made "according to the pattern" Moses saw on the mountain. And this was done as GOD commanded. Nevertheless nothing supernatural occurred until the directions for the anointing oil were carried out and everything received this ointment. Only then did the HOLY SPIRIT begin to move in HIS Holy Habitation!

MYRRH is first spice, a bitter plant, but from which sweetness was obtained after it was bruised. The word is taken from the Hebrew "mor" which means "to drop on from a container above" or in other words, it is distilled. It was to be pure, the best of the myrrh which exudes spontaneously from the bark. The inferior myrrh comes out more abundantly by splitting the bark. Myrrh was used as a perfume, as a medicine for deadening pain [Mark 15. 23], for preparing the dead for burial [John 19. 39 - 40], as a modifier of other medicines, and for purification. Through the power of the ETERNAL SPIRIT, MESSIAH JESUS gave HIMSELF freely. He was made "sin or bitter." But, from HIS bruising, comes forth the sweetness of the HOLY SPIRIT. CHRIST THE LORD was dead, HIS body was anointed with the myrrh. YESHUA is our purification. [Hebrews 9. 13 - 14] HIS life that HE gave was sweet to GOD THE FATHER, sweet to the saints, and HIS life is a healing medicine for those who are sick in spirit, soul or body.

SCRIPTURE records that during six of the twelve months for Esther's preparation and purification to be among the number who were to stand before the king, she was rubbed down daily with this spice. [Esther/Ester 2. 12] It was Hadassah, the one who gave forth the fragrance of myrrh, who was chosen to be his bride queen. As we stand before KING JESUS, the holy anointing oil with the sweet smell of myrrh should be upon our garments of salvation. Freely are we to give ourselves even as HE freely gave. . . DIE TO SELF for "unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain." [John 12. 24] We are to apply this anointing oil daily, to purify ourselves even as the LORD YESHUA is pure, as we prepare for the Marriage Supper of the LAMB!

SWEET CINNAMON is the second ingredient. Cinnamon bark comes as upright rolls. It is used for flavouring, as a medicine, and it is a stimulant. The fragrance, no doubt counter-acted the stench of the butchering, burning and cooking of animals in the Tabernacle Court. Though the Cross of CHRIST JESUS revealed an ugly and awful death, yet there was fulfillment in it of the burning, scorched flesh of all the Old COVENANT sacrifices which was acceptable to GOD on behalf of the people because of the "cinnamon fragrance" which accompanied it.

We are instructed to "present our bodies as a living sacrifice upon GOD's Altar which is our reasonable service." [Romans 12. 1] Though there is sin, death, and decay included in this offering; yet by the application of the cinnamon this is all counteracted and we become a sweet smelling savour in the nostrils of the LIVING GOD. [2 Corinthians 13. 14]

Cinnamon has a warm, sweet, pleasing, and peculiar aroma. YESHUA ha'MASHIACH, with the HOLY SPIRIT or "DIVINE CINNAMON" resting upon HIM, gave forth that feeling of warmth which is sweet, pleasing and peculiar. This is the case with those whose lives have been anointed with the Cinnamon.

The third ingredient, SWEET CALAMUS grows in Arabia and India; it is a fragrant cane whose root is highly prized as a spice. [Song of Songs (Shir ha'Shirim) 4. 14; Ezekiel 27. 19] The root word means "to stand upright" - hence, a cane or reed. It usually grows in miry soil. The more this bark is beaten the sweeter is its fragrance. How like YESHUA ha'MASHIACH WHO grew in the mire of this world UPRIGHT and FRAGRANT to ALMIGHTY GOD. The LORD YESHUA was beaten, humiliated, spit upon and nailed to the Cross of Agony. Yet, HE prayed on behalf of HIS persecutors, "FATHER, forgive them for they know not what they do." We are to do as YESHUA did: "Love your enemies, pray for them that despitefully use you" were HIS commands. The more we are persecuted the sweeter are we to be by the enablement of the HOLY SPIRIT, the HEAVENLY CALAMUS.

CASSIA, the fourth spice, is derived from a root word meaning "to split" and refers to the rolls of bark being split. It is said to resemble cinnamon and to be of the same family, but to be less fragrant. It was used for flavouring and as a medicine. It was a bitter medicine, but one which purges that it may heal. This aromatic bark comes from a shrub which grows only on great heights of around 8,000 feet. As this plant flourished, where other plants could not grow, so we see at Calvary's height the perfection of MESSIAH in HIS faithfulness. In the place of HIS sacrifice for sin, there was yielded a "peculiar" fragrance such as from no other death. Coming from the heights of Calvary, is the HOLY SPIRIT WHO elevates the receiver to heavenly places above the elements of the world.

Four spices were to be combined with a "hin" (6 quarts) of pure olive oil. The "vehicle" of these four ingredients for their exhibition was the OLIVE OIL, a symbol of the HOLY SPIRIT. All true witnesses to the graces and excellencies of MESSIAH JESUS must be in and by the HOLY SPIRIT. The spices are dry apart from the oil.

Oil also is a lubricant which is used to heal and energize as well as to aid in giving light and fire. This is characteristic of the HOLY SPIRIT in the life and ministry of YESHUA ha'MASHIACH and HIS saints.

There are four principal spices with the oil. In the four corners of the earth, OMNIPOTENT GOD anoints HIS own with the HOLY SPIRIT. "The promise is to as many as the LORD our GOD will call." [Acts 2. 39]

. . . to be continued