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Day 81 – Sweet Aroma Exodus 30:22 Moreover JEHOVAH spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, 24 five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25 You will make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It will be a holy anointing oil. 26 With it you will anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony; 27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense; 28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base. 29 You will consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them must be holy. 30 You will anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests. 31 “You will speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘This will be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 32 It will not be poured on man’s flesh; nor will you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it will be holy to you. 33 Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, will be cut off from his people.’” 34 JEHOVAH said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there will be equal amounts of each. 35 You will make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36 You will beat some of it very fine and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It will be most holy to you. 37 As for the incense which you will make, you will not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It will be to you holy for JEHOVAH. 38 Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he will be cut off from his people.” God’s name: JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal Theos – Mighty God – Greek Iesous – Jesus God’s character: Apothecary Christos – Anointed One - Greek Weights and Measures: 500 Shekels – 48 lbs. 4 oz. 250 Shekels – 24 lbs. 2 oz. One hin – 5 quarts Stacte is the gum which spontaneously flows from the tree which produces myrrh. Onycha is the external crust of the shell-fish purpura or murex and is the basis of the principal perfumes made in the East Indies. Galbanum - chelbenah, the bubon gummiferum or African ferula; it rises with a ligneous stalk from eight to ten feet and is garnished with leaves at each joint. The top of the stock is terminated by an umbel of yellow flowers, which are succeeded by oblong channeled seeds, which have a thin membrane or wing on their border. When any part of the plant is broken, there issues a little thin milk of a cream color. The gummy resinous juice which proceeds from this plant is what is commonly called galbanum, from the chelbench of the Hebrews. Pure Frankincense is a dry resinous substance, in pieces or drops of a pale yellowish white color, has a strong smell, and bitter acrid taste. The tree which produces it is not well known. Dioscorides mentions it as gotten in India. What is called here pure frankincense is no doubt the same as the mascula thura of Virgil and signifies what is first obtained from the tree—that which is strongest and most free from all adventitious mixtures. (Adam Clark’s Commentary) When you put certain spices and oils together, you get unique odors. It takes a person gifted in the art of perfuming to bring the spices and oils together, so they have a pleasant aroma. JEHOVAH instructed Moses to mix a certain amount of the spices to create an anointing oil and incense. He told Moses the only people allowed to use it were the priests to anoint the Holy of Holies and Aaron and his sons for the ministry in the tabernacle. JEHOVAH also told Moses that anyone who used the anointing oil or incense other than its intended use would be cut off from the people. I have been to a Catholic funeral mass where incense was used abundantly filling the church with an overpowering odor. For me, it wasn’t pleasant. It also made me wonder why so much needed to be used that a thick cloud of incense covered the sanctuary. Many people use incense in their homes and many churches use anointing oil in their services. As JEHOVAH told Moses only the priests were to make those oils and incense, I’m guessing they aren’t the same measures of ingredients used today. Paul told the Corinthians they were to be a sweet aroma before Theos. 2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to Theos the fragrance of Christos among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of Theos; but as of sincerity, but as from Theos, we speak in the sight of Theos in Christos. Your lives are to be a rich aroma before JEHOVAH so that He will smell the aroma of life on your lives when you present the gospel of Iesous Christos to the world. Do people know you are a Christian? Does your life bring an urgency to them to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, or do they only guess at your Christianity because you participate in their activities? Your life should be an aroma of life or death to those around you. Life to those who accept Jesus as Savior and Lord and death to those who reject Him. You cannot be both. Let God’s anointing fill your life so people will know you belong to Him and will want what you have, a life filled with the love of Jesus Christ. Let’s pray: Father, let Your anointing fill me so people will know I belong to You. Help me shun the world with its pleasures, and keep me on the path of life, bringing with me those who smell the aroma of life on me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 8 April 2024 by Valerie Routhieaux The image belongs to me.