The holy anointing oil was never to be put upon man’s flesh, but it is beautiful to notice that Aaron’s sons were anointed with it after the blood had been applied to them first. In this we see that a man must be cleansed in the precious blood of Christ before he can be indwelt by the Spirit of God and bear fruit for God. We find many today who are trying to do something for God, and yet they are still unsaved. Their hearts are still defiled by sin, and the Word of God tells us that in this state they “cannot please God” (Rom. 8:88So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:8)). The very first thing a sinner can do to please God is to own his guilt and be cleansed from it in the precious blood of Christ.
Anointed With Oil
All the vessels and furniture of the tabernacle were to be anointed with this precious anointing oil, for they all spoke of Christ in the varied aspects of His Person and work. How lovely to connect this with the verse in Psalm 45:88All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. (Psalm 45:8), “All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia.” There we see Christ, as it were, fragrant with all these lovely spices. If we are near to Him and are filled with the Spirit, we will be enjoying this, and something of His loveliness will be seen in us too. This ointment was “most holy,” telling us that if we are to bear any fruit for God there must be the judgment of any and every failure in our lives. Holiness becomes God’s house and is particularly connected with worship in all these types.
There was to be no imitation of this ointment, and the one who attempted to make any imitation of it was to be cut off from his people. What a warning to those who would attempt to imitate the work of the Spirit of God by excitement and other means. It is a very solemn thing to try to imitate the work of God — such attempts are the work of the enemy. We find unsaved people who are trying to imitate the life of Christ apart from new birth, and this also is hateful to God. Have you accepted Christ as your own personal Saviour? If not, why not do so today?
The Sweet Perfume
Next there was the sweet perfume, and although we are told the kinds of spices which were to be used, we are not told how much of each was to be used in this wonderful perfume. There was, however, an equal quantity of each, for there was a perfect evenness in every grace in Christ, and yet each was infinite; it could not be measured. Some of this perfume was beaten “very small” and put before the testimony where God met with them. When we think of it being beaten very small, we think of the blessed Lord Jesus being “beaten” for us on the cross. Into those three hours were compressed all the suffering which our sins deserved, and yet we can surely say that there was never a time when the Lord Jesus was so pleasing to His Father as when He was accomplishing His will even unto death. The sweet perfume of this wonderful work of redemption is always before God, and it is because of this that He can meet with us, the very ones who deserved the judgment which Jesus bore.
Further Meditation
1. What does the fragrance of the spices remind us of?
2. Can you give several examples from the New Testament of God’s satisfaction with the “sweet fragrance” of His Son?
3. If you don’t make regular use of the Concise Bible Dictionary by G. Morrish you might want to. You would find it a real help in looking up brief answers on many subjects such as the meaning of each of the spices that composed the sweet perfume.