Exodus 30.22-38-The Lord Gives Moses Instructions Concerning Formulation And Use Of Anointing Oil And Incense
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday July 15, 2012
Journey Through The Bible Series: Exodus 30:22-38-The Lord Gives Moses Instructions Concerning Formulation And Use Of Anointing Oil And Incense
Lesson # 43
Please turn in your Bibles to Exodus 30:17.
This morning we will complete our study of Exodus chapter 30 by noting verses 22-38, which record the Lord giving Moses instructions concerning formulation and use of anointing oil and incense.
Exodus 30:22 Moreover, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred (twelve and a half pounds) shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty (six and a quarter pounds), and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty (six and a quarter pounds), 24 and of cassia five hundred (twelve and a half pounds), according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin (four quarts). 25 You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26 With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, 27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28 and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand. 29 You shall also consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy. 30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister as priests to Me. 31 You shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on anyone’s body, nor shall you make any like it in the same proportions; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 Whoever shall mix any like it or whoever puts any of it on a layman shall be cut off from his people.’” (NASB95)
In verses 22-33, we have the Lord giving Moses instructions concerning the formulation and use of the “anointing oil.”
In verses 22-25, we have the Lord giving Moses instructions concerning the formula for the tabernacle anointing oil.
The amount of the ingredients listed here in this passage was a sizeable quantity in that it was about a gallon in modern measurement.
The formula for this anointing oil was unique as the product was holy in that it contained about twelve and a half pounds of myrrh, six and a half pounds of cinnamon, six and a half pounds of cane, twelve and a half pounds of cassia and four quarts of olive oil.
The quantity of these ingredients was about thirty-eight pounds in modern measurement.
When mixed together, these ingredients would produce a fragrant blend.
In Exodus 30:26-33, we have the Lord instructing Moses concerning how this anointing oil was to be used and warns about misuse.
This anointing oil was to be used to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the table of showbread and all its utensils, the golden lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the bronze laver of water and its base.
Therefore, verses 26-30 describes how all the articles mentioned in chapters 25-30 were required to be anointed with this special oil with the exception of the high priest’s clothing, including the ephod and its breastpiece.
Exodus 29:7 records the Lord instructing Moses to anoint Aaron and Exodus 29:21 records the Lord instructing Moses to anoint his clothes.
Anointing these articles of the tabernacle would sanctify them meaning that they were qualified to be used in serving God in the tabernacle.
It means that they would be set apart to be used exclusively for worshipping the Lord in the tabernacle.
The anointing oil was also to be applied to Aaron and his sons so that they like the articles of the tabernacle could be set apart to be used exclusively to worship and serve Him in the tabernacle.
Therefore, the Israelites were being taught by the Lord that the anointing of the tabernacle and its furniture as well as Aaron and his sons and their clothing were set apart to be exclusively used in the worship and service of the Lord in the tabernacle.
The Israelites are told by God that this anointing oil was to be used throughout their generations as a nation.
He warned them that it must not be applied to the body of any Israelite.
It could only be applied to Aaron and his sons and their future generations.
The Israelites were also warned to not use this same recipe since it was holy meaning that God wanted this anointing oil to be used exclusively for His purposes in the service and worship of Himself in the tabernacle.
The Lord warns the Israelites that failure to comply with this order would result in being cut off, i.e. executed, i.e. the death penalty.
This anointing oil was related to ceremonial cleanness and was a symbol of holiness.
The Lord demanded that his priests who would serve in His house be clean and pure.
This anointing oil applied to them would symbolize that they were.
Interestingly, this anointing oil had a practical use in that it actually killed lice, which was endemic in biblical times.
To have lice would constitute a person as unclean and impure in God’s judgment and among human beings today.
Anointing the articles of the tabernacle would help protect them from any lice accidentally transmitted by a priest or his clothing which was not properly anointed with this oil.
The priest and his clothing could receive lice from contact with those Israelites who had lice.
Lice are not holy so the Lord wanted the articles of the tabernacle and its priests to be free from lice.
Exodus 30:34 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. 35 With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36 You shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you. 37 The incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the LORD. 38 Whoever shall make any like it, to use as perfume, shall be cut off from his people.” (NASB95)
In verses 34-38, we have the Lord giving Moses instructions concerning the formulation and use of a special incense, which was to be placed in front of the ark of the testimony in the tent of meeting.
This indicates that it was to be burned on the altar of incense, which was in front of the curtain to the most holy place.
Like the anointing oil mentioned in verses 22-33, this special incense was to be used exclusively for use in the tabernacle.
It was to be prepared by mixing equal amounts of three spices and frankincense.
The mixture of the spices listed in Exodus 30:34 were properly salted and then ground to powder and placed on the incense altar, which was located in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting.
When this powder was burned, it would give off a fragrant smoke, which honored God and symbolized the prayers of the Israelites.
In Exodus 30:1-10, the Lord gave Moses instructions concerning the purpose of this special or sacred incense and the procedure to be followed in its employment and instructions concerning when it was to be burned within the tabernacle.
In Exodus 30:25, the Lord instructs Moses to add salt to the formula for the incense since salt was the only preservative known in Moses’ day in the ancient world.
Salt has powerful antibacterial properties, which were unknown in Moses’ day.
Thus it was used to preserve foods which would putrefy quickly especially in a hot climate such as the Middle East.
Salt then symbolized purity and preserved in contrast to old and rancid.
Thus, the adding of salt to the formula for the incense symbolized that this special incense was pure and preserved in contrast to being old and rancid.
Therefore, when the Lord instructed that this special incense was to be salted, it was to be a permanent symbol of the covenant between the Lord and Israel, which is pure and holy with His people, Israel who are to reflect His holiness and that He is pure and His promises permanent.
In Exodus 30:36-37, the Lord instructs Moses to remind the Israelites of the holiness of this incense, which means that it was to be used exclusively in the tabernacle worship and for no other purpose.
Like the anointing oil, the recipe for this incense was not to be copied for some other use.
Failure to comply would result in being cut off from the Israelites, which refers to the death penalty.
This final warning completes the description of the tabernacle and its furnishings.