The Fragrance of Holiness: Text: Exodus 30:22-33
Introduction: God Cares About the Details
We live in a sloppy age. We are an unserious people who have convinced ourselves that sincerity is a fine substitute for obedience. We think God is primarily interested in the vague, sentimental condition of our hearts, and that He is largely indifferent to the external forms of our worship and life. As long as you "mean it," the details do not much matter. But the book of Exodus, and particularly these chapters dealing with the construction and consecration of the Tabernacle, stands as a massive rebuke to this entire mindset. God is a God of glorious, intricate, and meaningful detail.
He does not just say, "Build me a tent." He specifies the exact dimensions, the materials, the colors, the furniture, and the procedures. He does not just say, "Set some things apart for me." He gives a precise recipe for the holy anointing oil, a divine perfume, and He attaches the death penalty to its misuse. Why? Because God is holy, and this holiness is not a vague, ethereal concept. It is a brilliant, sharp-edged, glorious reality. And He uses physical things, tangible realities, to teach His people what holiness means. The Old Testament rituals were a gigantic audio-visual aid, teaching Israel the grammar of holiness for centuries, so that when Christ came, we would understand what He accomplished. These ceremonial laws were fulfilled in Christ, but fulfilled does not mean they became irrelevant. It means their meaning has been crucified and raised in Him, and we are to understand the spiritual reality by studying the physical type.
In our text today, God gives Moses the recipe for the holy anointing oil. This oil was to be used to consecrate, to set apart, the Tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priests. Everything and everyone that was to be involved in the formal worship of God had to be marked by this oil. It was a sign that these common things were being elevated to a holy purpose. They were being claimed by God for His exclusive use. And in this, we see a picture of a far greater anointing, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which sets us apart as a holy priesthood to God.
The Text
Moreover, Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “But as for you, take for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh 500 shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, 250, and of fragrant cane 250, and of cassia 500, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. And You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. And with it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand. You shall also set them apart as holy, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy. And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and you shall set them apart as holy, that they may minister as priests to Me. And you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on anyone’s body, nor shall you make any like it in the same specifications; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever shall mix any like it or whoever puts any of it on a layman shall be cut off from his people.’ ”
(Exodus 30:22-33 LSB)
A Divine Recipe (vv. 22-25)
We begin with the Lord's instructions to Moses.
"Moreover, Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 'But as for you, take for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh 500 shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, 250, and of fragrant cane 250, and of cassia 500, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. And You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.'" (Exodus 30:22-25)
Notice first that this is a divine command. God Himself is the perfumer, giving the recipe to Moses. This is not a suggestion. Worship is not a do-it-yourself project. We do not get to invent our own ways of approaching God; we must come on His terms. The modern church is filled with the unauthorized perfumes of man-made worship, designed to appeal to the consumer, not to honor the King. But true worship begins with listening to what God has said.
The ingredients are specific and precious. Myrrh, cinnamon, cane, cassia. These were expensive, imported spices. Holiness is costly. It cost the Father the life of His Son. It costs us our lives, which we are to present as living sacrifices. The base of the oil is olive oil, a staple of life in the ancient world, often symbolizing prosperity, joy, and the Spirit's presence. The sheer quantities are significant, about 12 pounds of myrrh and cassia each, and 6 pounds of cinnamon and cane, all mixed into about a gallon of olive oil. This was not a small batch. God's holiness is not a small thing.
The result is a "holy anointing oil." The word "holy" means set apart, distinct, other. This oil was not for common use. Its very composition was unique and its fragrance was to be associated with one thing and one thing only: the presence of the holy God among His people. It was a fragrant reminder that God is not like us. He is separate from creation, separate from sin, and glorious in His perfection.
Consecrating the Place of Worship (vv. 26-29)
Next, God instructs Moses on the use of this oil. It is to be applied to the entire Tabernacle and all its furniture.
"And with it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand. You shall also set them apart as holy, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy." (Exodus 30:26-29 LSB)
Every single piece of the Tabernacle apparatus was to be anointed. From the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies to the bronze laver in the courtyard, everything was to be touched by this oil. This act of anointing did two things. First, it set these objects apart. They were no longer common wood, metal, and fabric. They were now holy instruments, dedicated to the service of Yahweh. Second, it unified them. The same scent, the same holiness, permeated the entire space. It marked the whole Tabernacle as God's domain.
The purpose is stated clearly: "that they may be most holy." And this holiness was contagious. "Whatever touches them shall be holy." This is what we might call consecrated holiness. In the Old Covenant, the primary lesson was separation. The common, if it touched the holy, would defile it. But here we see a hint of a different kind of holiness, a powerful, sanctifying holiness. An object, once consecrated, could in turn consecrate that which touched it. This points forward to the conquering holiness of Christ. When the unclean woman touched the hem of Jesus' garment, she did not make Him unclean. His holiness flowed out and made her clean. Christ is the ultimate reality to which this anointing oil pointed. He is the Holy One of God, and all that He touches is made holy.
Consecrating the Priests (v. 30)
Not only was the place of worship anointed, but the ministers of worship were as well.
"And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and you shall set them apart as holy, that they may minister as priests to Me." (Genesis 30:30 LSB)
The priests, who were to stand between God and the people, had to be consecrated. They could not serve in their own strength or on their own merits. They had to be marked by God, set apart for His service. The anointing signified their divine commissioning. They were being equipped and authorized for their office. The oil was poured over Aaron's head so lavishly that it ran down his beard and onto the collar of his robes (Psalm 133:2). This was a picture of a complete and abundant endowment for service.
This anointing of the priests is a type of a greater reality. The very title "Christ" means "Anointed One." Jesus is our great High Priest, not anointed with a physical oil, but anointed "with the Holy Spirit and with power" (Acts 10:38). And because we are united to Him by faith, we too share in His anointing. We are a "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9). The Holy Spirit has been poured out on the Church, setting us apart as holy and equipping us to minister to God. Every believer is a priest. Every believer has been anointed by the Holy Spirit, consecrated for service.
A Strict Prohibition (vv. 31-33)
The passage concludes with a stern warning against the misuse of this holy oil.
"And you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on anyone’s body, nor shall you make any like it in the same specifications; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever shall mix any like it or whoever puts any of it on a layman shall be cut off from his people.’ ” (Exodus 30:31-33 LSB)
The prohibition is twofold. First, no one was to replicate the recipe. This was God's signature scent, and it was not to be counterfeited. Second, it was not to be used for any common purpose. It was not to be poured on a "layman," that is, anyone who was not a priest, or on any object that was not part of the Tabernacle. This was not a personal perfume. To use it for common adornment was to profane what God had declared holy.
The penalty for violating this command was severe: "shall be cut off from his people." This meant excommunication, and in some cases, execution. God takes the profaning of holy things with the utmost seriousness. Why? Because to treat the holy as common is to commit treason against the King of heaven. It is to say that God's things are no different from our things, that His presence is not special, that His name is not to be hallowed. It is to drag the transcendent down into the mud of the mundane.
This is a permanent lesson for the church. We are warned not to "grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). The Holy Spirit is the reality to which this oil pointed. He is the one who anoints and sets us apart. To live a profane life, to treat our bodies, which are temples of the Spirit, as common things to be used for sin, is to violate the principle laid down here. To bring counterfeit worship, man-made spiritualities, into the house of God is to mix an oil of our own devising. We must treat holy things as holy.
The Anointing of the Spirit
As with all the Old Testament ceremonial laws, we must read this passage through the lens of the finished work of Christ. This holy anointing oil was a shadow, but the substance is Christ and the gift of His Spirit.
Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One. He is the Tabernacle, the place where God meets man. He is the Priest, who offers the perfect sacrifice. And He is the King, who reigns forever. He was anointed by the Spirit at His baptism, not for His own sake, but for ours. That anointing, that power, that holiness, now flows down from Him, our Head, to us, His body.
John tells us, "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge... As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you" (1 John 2:20, 27). The Holy Spirit Himself is our anointing. He sets us apart as holy unto the Lord. He consecrates us, making us living stones in a spiritual house, a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5). He equips us for service, gifting each believer for the work of ministry.
The fragrance of that ancient oil was to fill the Tabernacle, a constant reminder of God's holy presence. In the New Covenant, we are to be that fragrance. Paul says, "For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing" (2 Corinthians 2:15). The holiness that the Spirit works in us, the love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness, is a sweet-smelling aroma to God. It is the evidence of our anointing.
Therefore, let us take the warning of this passage to heart. Let us not treat our anointing as a common thing. Let us not grieve the Holy Spirit by whom we were sealed. Let us not offer counterfeit worship or live profane lives. We have been set apart by a holy anointing, purchased with a holy blood, for a holy purpose. Let us therefore be holy in all our conduct, because He who called us is holy.