Principal Spices Used in Anointing Oil.html
June 2019
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“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 calamus 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.” — Exodus 30:22-31
God told Moses of the five principal spices that were to be used in the holy anointing oil. The anointing oil was and is a type of the Holy Spirit and His working in the lives of believers. God told Moses, “Take thou also unto thee principal spices of myrrh … cinnamon … calamus … cassia … olive oil.” If the anointing oil was made with any other spices, it was an anointing oil that God did not accept. This article gives a brief explanation of each spice and how it applies to our lives today.
MYRRH. It was a thick gummy sap from the stem of a rugged thorny tree in Arabia. A bucket was placed close to the stem of the tree to catch the sap that oozes out so slowly that sometimes it takes years to draw out one bucket, drop by drop. There was also a myrrh that was inferior. It was made by cutting the tree down and splitting it open to get the sap out quickly. This sap was impure and of bad quality and considered “cheap” myrrh.
Application. A continual anointing in one’s life for service takes time. It comes one step at a time—one drop at a time. It comes by staying close to Christ’s side—His finished work on the cross—and allowing Him to drop into us what we need to learn. God will anoint you now, but it’s only a “drop in the bucket” compared to what you will learn in time. The waiting period is different with different people. Are we willing to stay close to Christ, wait, and learn from Him so that He can put in us what is needed for the pure anointing to flow? Attempting to get it any other way results in a cheap anointing. Psalm 37:5 and Isaiah 40:31 are two Scriptures that tell us to wait on the Lord.
SWEET CINNAMON. It came from the inner bark of the native tree grown in Ceylon and islands of the Indian Ocean. The inner bark had to be cut, dried, and crushed before it was useful.
Application. This speaks of the inner man—self—that has to die and be crushed. Through faith in the finished work of Christ (Gal. 2:20), we have been crucified to self. The provision has been made for us to be dead to all self-effort, self-will, self-trust, self-reliance, self-righteousness, and selfish motives. An inactive faith life means an active self-life. We have to be dead to self. Are we willing to be dead to self and alive to Christ—His goals, His righteousness, His ways, His will? It’s a continual process of faith in Christ and death to self.
CASSIA. This aromatic spice is from the outer bark of the tree. The bark was stripped and then boiled for its spice.
Application. This refers to our outer life, the life that people see every day. The Spirit will strip and purify us from all fleshly and worldly control. God has to first deal with what’s on the inside, but He’s
also purifying your outside. Why? Because what the world sees in us will either lift up or tear down the testimony of Christ (Matt. 5:16). How much of Jesus do they see in us? The anointed life is a life that is inwardly and outwardly glorifying Christ.
CALAMUS. It is a small aromatic herb whose roots are the prized spice. The roots are dried, crushed, and used.
Application. This refers to our unseen, private relationship with Christ (Matt. 6:5-6). This is your “root system.” Unless you have that, what people are seeing on the outside is not the real you. What you do when you’re alone is the real you. Also, this speaks of being properly rooted in Christ (Jn. 15:4-5; Matt. 7:24-27): Rooted in Him through faith in His finished work; rooted in Him through His Word; and rooted in Him through a strong private life with God. The tree is only as strong as its roots. The tree (ministry) can’t stand unless its roots are strong. God is developing strong roots in you.
OLIVE OIL. Olive oil only comes one way, through breaking and crushing. The olives must be broken off and crushed, and crushed, and crushed.
Application. This refers to a life that is broken and humble before God. It speaks of our self-will, self-effort, and ego that is crushed and broken. Sometimes we have to go through “breaking” times when God shows us pride, and then He breaks us. Sometimes we face situations that hurt; they’re filled with pain, and we become broken before God. Broken and humble believers know that their only help is in the Lord. We are helpless in ourselves, and we approach God in this manner. Isaiah 66:2 says, “But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”
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