Saturday, March 03, 2007

Exiled for incorrect use of fragrances

Exodus 30:30-38 “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests. Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. Do not pour it on men’s bodies and do not make any oil with the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred. Whoever makes perfume like it and whoever puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from his people.’ “

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and sacred. Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the LORD. Whoever makes any like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from his people.”

PERSONAL COMMENTARY

This is one of those issues that you say “surely, God is bigger than this.” Why the constant threat of exile?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Again, you ignore the aspect of the holiness of God.

Anonymous said...

God says in verse 25 that the oil is a "holy anointing oil". Everything in the tabernacle including Aaron and his sons were to be consecrated with this same oil. It obviously wasn't something to be taken lightly...