Exodus 30:25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.

The Book of Exodus records that Moses, assisted by Aaron, was appointed by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt where they had been enslaved for some 400 years. The exit from Egypt also represented a new beginning for God’s people. In that process the Lord established new rules of conduct for their daily lives, established the priesthood by way of Aaron and his sons and ordered the building of a tabernacle with an inner sanctuary for worship.

The Lord’s instructions to Moses for construction of the tabernacle and sanctuary and their contents were detailed and specific. So too were the instructions for making the garments of the priests and the rituals they were to perform to atone for the sins of the people. In verses 22 to 38 of Chapter 30 instructions were given for the preparation of the anointing oil and incense to be prepared in the manner in which perfumes are made. The contents and formula for each were precise and specific. The resulting compounds were fragrant and were to be considered holy and sacred as the oil would be used to anoint the Tent of Meeting and its contents which would be used in worship as well as to anoint the priests and no one else. The incense was to be placed in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting where the Lord said: “I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.” The punishment for the misuse of the anointing oil and incense was death.

God in mercy does not require of believers today the strenuous rituals of worship which were outlined for the Israelites. We are under a new covenant established by the shedding of the blood of Jesus. That is most sacred and we must continually give thanks for that and the fact that we live in the age of grace. For this reason the Apostle Paul issues the following charge to us: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2) Consider your body sacred.