The Holy Anointing Oil

[Exodus 30:22-32] The Lord said to Moses, “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half that amount, that is, 250, and of fragrant cane 250, and of cassia 500, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. You shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 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 with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy. You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.'”

*1 shekel = 11.5 grams **1 hin = 4 liters = 4000 milliliters

The Bible mentions the holy anointing oil over 200 times. The earliest reference is in the book of Exodus, where Moses received God’s laws and instructions for festivals and sacrifices on Mount Sinai. God specifically instructed Moses on the formula and use of the holy anointing oil. All the main items in the Tabernacle—such as the Ark of the Covenant, the lampstand, and the altar of incense—and even the priests themselves were to be anointed with this holy oil.

God gave detailed instructions for the making of the holy anointing oil. It contained several precious ingredients, including myrrh, cinnamon, fragrant cane, cassia, and olive oil. These valuable spices had to be crushed to release their fragrance, just as the Lord Jesus Christ was “crushed” and “suffered” by God’s will (Isaiah 53:10) to release the aroma of His life.

The “holy anointing oil” symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The anointing of the Holy Spirit sets a person apart for God’s possession. Every born-again believer who is saved has received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which makes us “holy” and sets us apart for God’s service.