Exodus 40:1 – 16 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “On the first day of the first month you are to set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting. Put the ark of the Testimony in it and screen off the ark with the veil. Then bring in the table and set out its arrangement; bring in the lampstand as well, and set up its lamps. Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony, and hang the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting. And place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it. Set up the surrounding courtyard and hang the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard.
Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it along with all its furnishings, and it shall be holy. Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it shall be most holy. Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them. Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. And you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, anoint him, and consecrate him, so that he may serve Me as a priest. Bring his sons forward and clothe them with tunics. Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may also serve Me as priests. Their anointing will qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”
Moses did everything just as the LORD had commanded him. So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year.”
When Moses was setting up the Tabernacle for the first time, God had him anoint everything in it and everyone who would minister with the special anointing oil. Earlier when God had given instructions regarding the creation of this oil, He put strong restrictions in place against anybody who would duplicate it for their own purposes. God wanted this oil to be reserved solely for anointing items of worship and the people who would carry out that worship.
As indicated by the recipe quoted in the photo, this oil had a distinct and unusual scent. The oil was to be applied to indicate that everything and everyone it touched was holy. More than that, the very scent of the oil would permeate all the items, all the clothing, and even remain on the bodies of the priests. Anyone smelling that scent would understand that they were in the presence of something holy and dedicated to the Lord.
APPLICATION: When I was growing up on a midwestern farm, there were lots of scents in my environment, some quite lovely and some quite pungent. We had several old rose bushes in our yard, and the scents were wonderful. There was the fragrance of new – mown hay, the scents of our garden vegetables blooming, the fresh scent of a morning in May. On the other hand, there were other scents that could only be described as penetrating and noxious. We raised hogs, sheep, cattle, and chickens. As any farm kid can tell you, the smells of manure concentrated in one place can make your eyes water! Working with hogs in a confinement set – up will leave you with hair that smells like pig manure, a scent that is very difficult to erase. For better or worse, when we worked in a stinky area, we wound up stinking as well.
How do you tell when something is holy? For the Israelites, the distinctive scent of the anointing oil gave an unspoken message that these items and these people had been dedicated to the Lord. For those working in the Tabernacle, that fragrance would certainly serve as a reminder of their dedication to God.
When we were first came to one town in northern Ghana, we were interviewing men for the position of night watchman. One young man came to us applying for the job. Despite the fact that this fellow looked all right, there was something about him that disturbed both of us deeply and caused us to reject his application. Later we learned that this young man was an apprentice fetish priest; evidently, it was the demonic influence that we were sensing. When rail travel in Great Britain was at its height in the nineteenth century, one unassuming believer entered a passenger car, only for all those already seated there to come under the influence of the Holy Spirit and to begin to confess their sins. This man had not said anything, but the Spirit of Holiness was so strongly present with him that the fragrance of holiness accompanied him wherever he went.
As we go throughout our days, each of us carry a fragrance with us. The question we must ask ourselves is this: what are people sensing when they are around me? Am I an encouragement to holiness or am I a discouragement? If you feel you need to change, God is ready and willing to help you. He is only a prayer away.
PRAYER: Father God, help! Many of us feel as if Your fragrance is not on our lives. We confess that we are sinners and that without Your help, we can do nothing. Lord, please change us into Your likeness so that when we are around others, they will feel Your presence. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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