Today’s reading includes Exodus 30:11-31:18, Matthew 26:47-68, Psalm 32:1-11, Proverbs 8:27-32.
Today’s reading was much like a recipe book. It laid out the recipe for the anointing oil and for the incense to be placed in front of the Ark of the Covenant. What was the Ark of the Covenant? In the most basic terms, it was a holy box. It was said that the presence of God was in the box, representing the everlasting presence of God. Placed inside were the Stones of the Ten Commandments, a sample of the Manna, the bread from heaven, and Aaron’s staff that sprouted. There is so much to the Ark of the Covenant and what it represents. In fact, you can find all of the Trinity represented. But today, my mind is on the Holy Spirit.
I love the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t always get the emphasis from Christian teachers, maybe because He is more mysterious. We can understand the concept of the Father, and we can understand the concept of the Son. But God the Holy Spirit is not as tangible, and yet, the Holy Spirit is represented throughout the Bible.
Oswald Chambers said, “The Spirit is the first power we practically experience, but the last power we come to understand.”
In Exodus 30, we see the recipe for the anointing oil that is to be applied to the priests and the Tabernacle, and the recipe for the incense that is to be placed in front of the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies.
Rev. John Schultz said, “Most of the ingredients were not locally available. Apart from the myrrh, everything was imported from a far distant source. The cinnamon may have come from India, or even from the Far East. This presupposes that a vast trade among countries and, maybe even continents, existed already at that time. God does not use only local ingredients since His field is the world from which He harvests His perfumes. We could say that there is a missionary flavor conveyed by the anointing oil.”
This thought appeals to my soul. The anointing oil and the incense, both which represent the Holy Spirit, contained international ingredients, most likely gathered from traders in the wilderness. The end result was very valuable and very holy. I have traveled to many different parts of the world and have spoken with believers in China, Costa Rica, Peru, England, and Ecuador. And all could express an experience with God, a knowledge deep down of His presence. They could express times when they saw miraculous answers to prayer, and gentle whispers of peace. They could express times when the Word of God became alive for the them; when the ancient Word was applicable and perfect for their current situations. These are all workings of the Holy Spirit and the work of the Holy Spirit is found throughout the world. So, how precious is the knowledge of that the oil which was a reflection of the Spirit of God was made from ingredients from around the world.
The word anointing means to bless, make holy, consecrate, set apart for a specific purpose. There are only two types of anointing found in the Bible, anointing with oil and anointing with the Holy Spirit.
Throughout the Bible, the oil represents the Holy Spirit, either by way of reflection or by way of remembrance. In the Old Testament, the oil was a reflection of the presence and anointing which would come through the Holy Spirit. And in the New Testament the oil was a reminder that the Holy Spirit had come and is at work in our lives.
In the Old Testament, we find it is mostly the priests who had the opportunity for anointing, although we do see examples of the Spirit of God filling others who had a great mission of God to fulfill. But in the New Testament, after Jesus dies and is resurrected, we see a new promise fulfilled. In John 14, this is what is promised:
15 “If you love me, obey[a] my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,[b] who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.[c] 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.
And in 1John 2: 20, we find these words:
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
Who is the “you”? Who had the anointing from the Holy Spirit? It was written in a letter to Christian believers. It is not specified who those believers were. It was to all of us. And how is that different from the instructions laid out in Exodus 30? In that passage, only the priests were to be anointed with the oil; but after the completed work of Jesus, all believers can be anointed by the Holy Spirit.
Another interesting thought is this one: When the promise of the coming Advocate, the Holy Spirit, was fulfilled it was fulfilled in a dramatic way. We find that account in Acts 2. When all the believers were together in one place, they were unified not only in proximity but also were unified in their spirits. And when the Holy Spirit came upon them, there was a great sound like the rushing of the wind, and those present, spoke in languages from all over the world. And then look what happened:
5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
Acts 2:5-6
Jerusalem was a very “metropolitan” city with representatives of many nations residing there. When the Holy Spirit came upon the believers the native languages of many nations were represented and the people were shocked to hear their own languages spoken in such a holy way. What does this fact have to do with our Exodus 30 reading? Think about the “recipe” for the anointing oil. It’s ingredients represented many nations. When the Holy Spirit came upon the believers, the anointing of the Holy Spirit represented many nations. No longer was this “international” anointing oil only for the priests. With the finished work of Jesus came the anointing of all men from every nation.
The Book of Revelation shows us a veiled picture of the end of time. Revelation 7:9-12 tells us:
9After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying:
“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”
The anointing of the Holy Spirit brings about truth for all men. Pray that the anointing of the Holy Spirit enables you to change the world, especially your corner of the world. Keith Green wrote a song many years ago which I have used as a daily prayer for almost four decades. It is called Rushing Wind and here are the lyrics. Read these aloud today as a prayer.
Rushing wind blow through this temple,
Blowing out the dust within,
Come and breathe you breath upon me,
I’ve been born again.
Holy spirit, I surrender, take me where you want to go,
Plant me by your living water,
Plant me deep so I can grow.
Jesus, you’re the one, who sets my spirit free,
Use me lord, glorify, your holy name through me.
Separate me from this world lord.
Sanctify my life for you.
Daily change me to your image,
Help me bear good fruit.
Every day you’re drawing closer.
Trials come to test my faith.
But when all is said and done lord,
You know, it was worth the wait.
Jesus, you’re the one, who set my spirit free,
Use me lord, glorify, your holy name through me.
Rushing wind blow through this temple,
Blowing out the dust within,
Come and breathe you breath upon me,
For I’ve been born again.
