God’s Perfume
Tucked into the 30th chapter of Exodus is an interesting passage. It’s basically a recipe for making a certain anointing oil, and a perfume. And after the recipes have been given, God instructs Moses as to its purpose:
“And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.” -Exodus 30:30-31
Thinking of making your own? I wouldn’t recommend it, as in the very same passage, it is warned that this “holy” oil and this holy perfume is not to be made or used by anyone except for the specific purpose that God had intended:
“And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD. Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.” -Exodus 30:37-38
And what’s the significance of this perfume?
Spiritually, it represents God’s Anointing
“For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life.” -2 Corinthians 2:15-16
That is to say, this sweet-smelling oil—which was not to be used for common or everyday things, but was set aside for a specific purpose—represents God’s Spirit in the life of a Christian. See here in Scripture how God’s Spirit is given to those that belong to Christ:
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” -Romans 8:9
And if we have this holy anointing, which is so precious and pure in God’s sight, how then should we live? If we have something abiding in us that God views as holy and sacred, how should we then conduct our lives?
In a word: sober
Sober not only in the sense as being the opposite of drunk, but also in the spiritual sense of being alert, aware, and taking eternal matters seriously. God also puts such exhortations into His Word in many places:
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. -1 Thessalonians 5:6
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. -1 Thessalonians 5:8
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; -1 Timothy 3:2
Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. -1 Timothy 3:11
But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; -Titus 1:8
That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. -Titus 2:2
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, -Titus 2:4
Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. -Titus 2:6
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; -1 Peter 1:13
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. -1 Peter 4:7
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: -1 Peter 5:8
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