Spices and Oil

“...oil for the light, spices for anointing oil and for sweet incense,” (Exodus 25:6)

God directed Moses to gather certain things for the sanctuary. Oil and spices were a couple of them. The Lord was very specific. The oil was to be used for the light. The light would come from seven lamps on a lampstand which would not be extinguished at all. Exodus 25:31-37.  It’s no coincidence that in Revelation Jesus holds a candlestick on which are seven candles representing the seven churches in Asia which symbolize the paths the church may take.  Everything in the Old Testament is a shadow of what will happen after the redemption.

The church is the light of the world. Jesus told His disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14) We get our light from Jesus. “Then Jesus spoke again to them, saying, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12) The church has the light that the world needs. Jesus left us to continue His work of giving light to mankind. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

So how do we accomplish that? By prayer we bind the works of the devil. “Truly I say to you, Whatever you shall bind on earth shall occur, having been bound in Heaven; and whatever you shall loose on earth shall occur, having been loosed in Heaven.” (Matthew 18:18) When the devil is bound and cannot do his dirty work, then the people can have a moment of clarity to understand the Gospel. Notice the Scripture says, “... whatever you shall loose on earth shall occur, having been loosed in Heaven.”  What is loosed is heaven? Is it not mercy and grace? Is it not forgiveness, life, joy and love? These are the divine things that are loosed in heaven. When the devil is bound, he cannot blind people and prevent them from understanding the Gospel and receiving these divine things.

The other thing this Scripture speaks about is spices. The spices were usually frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, cassia and coriander. These spices were used for cooking but were also used in worship, consecration or had spiritual implications. Moses was commanded to use these spices in specific ways. Frankincense was used in worship, prayer and incense offerings in the Tabernacle representing the prayer of the people rising to heaven. Myrrh was used in burial embalming and foreshadowed the sacrifice and death of Jesus. Cinnamon represented the sweetness and scent of the presence of the Lord. Cassia was used to make an oil to consecrate priests and kings and represents holiness and purification. Coriander represents the taste of the Bread of Life Who is Jesus. “And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes on Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)

Today, we may use these spices without any clue of their spiritual significance. But these spices once were only found in the Middle East and were used not only in cooking, but in spiritual rituals. The Lord specifically chose certain spices for their aroma and properties that were beneficial to the people. The recipe for holy oil was forbidden to be duplicated and used indiscriminately. “And you shall speak to the sons of Israel saying, This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. It shall not be poured upon man's flesh, neither shall you make any other like it, according to the way it is made. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.” (Exodus 30:31-33) This was a serious offense to use those things set apart by God and holy to be used in an unauthorized way because the holy oil represented God’s touch for consecration, for His purposes and blessings. This only belongs to the Lord. Ethan the Ezrahite wrote: “I have found David, My servant; with My holy oil I have anointed him.” (Psalm 89:20) Samuel anointed David, but it was at the direction of the Lord. And that was the way it was in the Old Testament, prophets anointed as they were directed by the Lord.

In the New Testament church, God still anoints and appoints, but the oil is not used as much. There is a danger of people taking on themselves the work of the Lord they have not been appointed to and anointed by the Lord to do. They are moving in “strange fire.” The term “strange fire” refers to the actions of the sons of Aaron who took it upon themselves to offer incense before the Lord, something they were not appointed nor anointed to do. “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, and put incense on it, and offered strange fire before Jehovah, which He had not commanded them. And there went out fire from Jehovah and devoured them, and they died before Jehovah. Then Moses said to Aaron, It is that which Jehovah spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.” (Leviticus 10:1-3)

In some churches, the pastor may appoint and anoint with or without oil for certain work. It’s understood that the pastor has prayed and been impressed by the Lord to choose certain people to certain positions. Hearing from the Holy Spirit is confirmed by all involved.

To sum it up, the oil in the Old Testament represented the work of the Holy Spirit. That is why it was so holy. It was a foreshadow of the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those redeemed by the Lord.  He is the one Who appoints, anoints, empowers and enables God’s people for the work of the ministry.