Holy Anointing Oil
“Take… principal spices … pure myrrh 500 shekels … sweet cinnamon … 250 shekels sweet calamus 250 shekels … cassia 500 shekels … and of oil olive an hin make it an oil of holy anointment” (Exodus 30.-23-25)
The precious oil used to anoint both high priests and kings consisted of five ingredients: olive oil, myrrh, cinnamon, calamus and cassia. It was neither to be made nor used for any purpose other than specified by Jehovah, under penalty of death (Exodus 30:31-33).
Chief Spices: Represent the component parts of the holy Spirit. Isaiah 11:2 refers to them as “the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”
Flowing Myrrh: A symbol of wisdom -knowing what to do. There are two kinds of myrrh, one yielded only after the bark is punctured, the other yielded freely. It is the latter that was used in the holy anointing oil. The wisdom so typified is yielded freely, like the myrrh-stacte. Myrrh is a substance fragrant to the smell but bitter to the taste. This suggests submission and a willingness to serve (fragrance), even to the extent of difficult suffering (bitterness). Like the “wise men from the East,” we bring our gifts in loving adoration of our Savior (R4534:6, R3703:4,5). Myrrh could be used as an astringent, a stimulant, a medicine, and even an antiseptic. The holy Spirit stimulates us similarly to do good to all (Galatians 6:10), to heal the brokenhearted, and comfort the mourners. (Isaiah 61:1,3).
500 Shekels: The amount of myrrh was equal to the amounts of cinnamon and calamus combined, so God in our anointing gives us wisdom equal to our understanding and knowledge combined.
Sweet Cinnamon: A symbol of understanding, the Godly knowledge. The sweet cinnamon is very fragrant, and comes from the bark of an evergreen native to Ceylon. It may grow to a height of 30 feet. The tree belongs to the laurel family, which is a symbol of distinction. A crown of laurel indicated academic or other honors.
The constancy of our loyalty to Jesus and of our friendship toward the brethren is indicated by cinnamon. Who will deny that the holy Spirit binds this grace to us?
Sweet Calamus: A symbol of knowledge which we receive from God’s word. The sweet calamus was also very fragrant. It came from a reed plant known as the sweet flag. It is easily bruised or broken, but it will perfume the instrument that bruises or breaks it. This is a wonderful picture of those whose sense of justice, of right and wrong, has been made very keen through the word of truth. They may therefore be unusually sensitive to unkindness from those who should know better. But instead of retaliating or reviling, they shower kindness upon the offender. This is another grace bound to us by the holy Spirit. Do you find kind things to say about those who hurt you? Can you bless those who speak evil against you? If so, it is an indication that the anointing which came upon Jesus has come upon you also (I Cor. 4:12).
250 Shekels: The amounts of cinnamon and calamus were equal, showing that God by his holy Spirit gives us understanding of whatever knowledge we obtain from his word.
Cassia: This symbolizes counsel and might. God gives us knowledge to give us understanding, then gives us wisdom to know what is expected of us (full consecration), and finally blesses us with the advice and ability (counsel or might) necessary to accomplish his purposes. From God we receive knowledge, understanding, wisdom, counsel and might. With more than this he cannot anoint us.
Cassia was used as an unguent, and as a perfume at funerals. Two beautiful thoughts are suggested here. (1) We seek to allay suffering, to ease the sting of every “burn” to which humankind is heir. (2) The fragrance of our new creature’s life should veil, as a perfume, the foulness of the “old man” and his evil ways. Seeing how much we need this perfume to cover our own shortcomings, how kindly we should be disposed toward others similarly afflicted. We should know our brethren no longer according to the flesh (2 Cor. 5:16). Let us breathe the “fragrance” of their lives rather than expose their little weaknesses and frailties which sometimes may annoy us.
Olive Oil: A symbol of light through the holy Spirit. Olive oil was used for light, food, medicine, and as a balm.
The holy anointing was very, very fragrant. One did not have to see the high priest to know he was present, nor ask him if he had been anointed. The fragrance could be detected by all those nearby. So it should be with us who have been anointed of God’s holy Spirit. The fragrance of that anointing should be discernible by all who come in contact with us.
The oil represents the holy Spirit of God, by which Jesus and his Church have been anointed as the great antitypical High Priest. The fragrance represents those sweet and benign spiritual influences which flow from the hearts and lives of those anointed (2 Cor. 1:21, Psalms 45:7, Hebrews 1:9, Psalms 133:1,2). These fragrant spices are:
2 units myrrh: submission to God’s will (consecration)
1 unit cinnamon: constancy, steadfastness (loyalty)
1 unit calamus: long-suffering kindness 2 units cassia: self-denial
all suspended in:
1 unit olive oil: the holy Spirit
This totals seven units, a symbol of divine perfection.
The oil which held these aromatic spices in suspension was obtained by crushing the olive. Though the whole olive might be used for food, it was the crushed olive which yielded oil for light, food, and medicine as a healing and protecting balm.
We cannot help but think of Jesus as the choicest, ripest, richest olive. He had to be crushed, that there might flow from him the holy Spirit which so richly benefits us. This crushing began at Gethsemane, so named because it was the place of an olive press.
But the olive oil was not itself the precious ointment. It was the base, but the aromatic spices were necessary ingredients also. How beautifully this reflects the function of the holy Spirit binding to us those sweet, benevolent elements of character that also graced our Lord.
The proportions of the spices may be significant, but in a qualitative rather than quantitative sense. At first it might appear that submissiveness (myrrh) and self-denial (cassia) are more important than constancy (cinnamon) and longsuffering kindness (calamus) because of their proportions. But this does not take into account that the potency of the ingredients used in lesser amount may exceed the potency of the others. It is the fragrance of the compound, and not the preponderance of any one or two ingredients, that is sought after.
Submissiveness to the will of God (myrrh) and self-denial (cassia) are important. In fact, there is no acceptable consecration to God without them (Matthew 16:24, Luke 9:23). Yet who is able to be perfectly submissive? Because of the imperfections inherent in the fallen flesh, we waver, sometimes doing quite well and at other times not nearly so. The element most often lacking- is it not constancy, steadfastness (cinnamon)?
Essentially, the fragrance of this “holy anointing oil” is love -the love of God and of our fellow man (Matthew 22:37, 39, Romans 13:10). The former is manifested in our submission to God, the latter in an unfeigned love for the brethren, and the desire to do good to all as we have opportunity (1 Peter 1:22, Galatians 6:10).
Sometimes our submission wavers, for we lack constancy. Sometimes our self-denial does not have all the longsuffering kindness it should. But because we have a willing heart (2 Corinthians 8:12), we have imputed to us what we lack. The “fragrance” can always be the same, though the measure of it be less.
The will of God is that we be sanctified (1 Thessalonians 4:3). But it is the doing of God’s will that sanctifies us (Leviticus 20:7,8, T41). The life that is lived in obedience will breathe out upon others a sweet fragrance. Thus does the anointing of the holy Spirit bind to the antitypical High Priest (Jesus the head, the church his body) the sweetness of the surrendered life. In self-denial, long-suffering kindness, etc., it blesses even now those with whom he comes in contact.
– Adapted from the notes of Anton Frey