The Holy Anointing Oil

 

Exodus 30:22-25, 31-33  22 Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 23 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 calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, 24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: 25 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. 31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. 32 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. 33 Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.

The Holy Anointing Oil is symbolic throughout Scripture of Holy Ghost quickening power resting upon the person or object that is anointed, so they might function in a particular sphere of ministry.  This is proved by the language of the Bible:  HEBREW:  “Mashiyach” = “anointed” or “Messiah”    GREEK:  “Christos” = “The Anointed” or “Christ”

The anointing oil was contained in and poured out of the horn from a sacrificed animal:

1 Samuel 16:13 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

1 Kings 1:39 39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

Psalm 18:1-2 1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Psalm 92:10 10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.

Luke 1:68-69 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

THERE COULD BE NO HORN WITHOUT A SACRIFICE.  NO BLOOD, NO ANOINTING!

Horns, the chief source of attack and defense for animals that have them, are figurative of POWER!

Isaiah told Israel that the yoke of Assyria would be destroyed when the remnant returned and the holy anointing oil was properly used in Israel once again.

Isaiah 10:27 27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

SOME THINGS REMOVE YOKES TEMPORARILY; ONLY THE ANOINTING DESTROYS THEM!

WE CAN LEARN MUCH ABOUT THE ANOINTING BY LOOKING AT THE ANOINTING OIL:

1.   MYRRH   –   used for embalming, very bitter   –   SYMBOLIC OF TRIALS

·        John the Baptist (Matthew 11:2-6)  –  Isaiah 35:4-6 & Isaiah 61:1 only partly fulfilled!

·        Disciples toiled all night while Jesus watched! (Mark 6:45-50)  –  seven hours alone!

·        David, the fugitive from Saul in the Cave of Adullam  –  writes Psalm 34

2.   CINNAMON   –   hot in taste   –   SYMBOLIC OF ZEAL

·        God wants a zealous people  –  Laodicea (Revelation 3:15-16, Colossians 4:13)

·        Zeal always causes a visible reaction  –  Jeremiah 20:9

·        Whenever the ark was moved, the word ARISE was used (2 Chron. 6:41, Psalm 132:8-9)

3.   CALAMUS   –   a reed with a weak stem   –   SYMBOLIC OF WEAKNESS

·        Paul’s thorn in the flesh  –  2 Corinthians 12:8-10  –  God’s strength in our weakness

·        David’s prayer of repentance  –  Psalm 51:17 (“crushed” heart)  –  ingredients crushed

·        Known strength can be a weakness; known weakness can be a strength!

4.   CASSIA   –   a low growing plant   –   SYMBOLIC OF HUMILITY

·        Moses, the meek man  –  Numbers 12:3, 8, 13  –  begged for Miriam’s healing

·        Moses thought highly of others and wanted to share the anointing  –  Numbers 11:29

·        Dream:  Man: “I didn’t know I was that anointed” God: “You’re not, but now I can trust you”

5.   OLIVE OIL   –   a leading article of commerce   –   SYMBOLIC OF FRUITFULNESS

·        The major ingredient of anointing oil (6 pints)  –  anointing manifests itself in a fruitful life!

·        The realm of emotion with move us, but the realm of anointing will heal us!  (Jeremiah 8:11, 22)

·        Rewards for fruitfulness are not for our glory, but for our Redeemer (Revelation 4:10)

GOD’S COMMANDMENTS CONCERNING THE ANOINTING OIL ARE SIGNIFICANT:

1.    It was not to be poured upon man’s flesh.  Emotion is not anointing!

Romans 8:5-9 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

2.    It was not to be poured upon strangers.  Real anointing comes only by regeneration!

Ephesians 2:18-22 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

3.    It was not to be imitated by man.  If there is a true anointing, there is a false anointing!

Matthew 24:23-24 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.  (CHRIST = ANOINTED ONE)

4.    It was to continue through all generations.  We can’t live on a past generation’s anointing!

Judges 2:10-12 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. 11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

ANOINTING, LIKE MANY PRINCIPLES IN SCRIPTURE, IS A PROGRESSIVE EXPERIENCE.  ONE GOOD EXAMPLE IS THE LIFE OF DAVID, WHO HAD THREE SEPARATE ANOINTINGS:

1.    David was anointed in the midst of his brethren, when only God could see his potential.

1 Samuel 16:7 7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

·        God opens the anointing to any man “after his own heart (will)” – 1 Samuel 13:14

2.    David was anointed King over Judah, after years of unjust suffering as a fugitive.

2 Samuel 2:4 4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.

·        David learned (by Saul’s persecution) what NOT to do before he learned what to do!

3.    David was anointed King over all Israel, after years of consistently growing strong in war.

2 Samuel 3:1 1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

2 Samuel 5:3 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.

·        Many things in the Spirit come only through consistency, and NOT GIVING UP!