Exodus 30:22-25
(Part Four in a series of Biblical Healing teachings)
(Part Four in a series of Biblical Healing teachings)
“Then the LORD said to
Moses, “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels(1) of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is,
250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus, 500 shekels
of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin(3) of olive oil. Make these into a sacred
anointing(2) oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a
perfumer.
It will be the sacred anointing oil.”
For much of my early “Bible reading
life”, when I ran across passages such as Exodus 30:22-25, I would quickly
peruse and jump to the next verse that I could perhaps understand without the
aid of translation. Truth is, Leviticus is one of my favorite “peruse” books in
the Bible with all its rules and specifications! Perhaps one day I will be led
back to Leviticus as I am now being led to learn what the Holy Spirit is
telling me about Biblical healing.
For decades my journey has focused me
on health and all that health encompasses. It started a long time ago when I
read a statement that “milk is bad for you”! My response was very defensive in
favor of milk being a healthy commodity because I was told that my whole life,
at least up to that point - milk is
healthy and builds strong bones! Do you remember those TV commercials and
media ads. How about the white moustache! Fond memories for sure, but all lies
and deceit because milk (processed cow’s milk) is actually very bad for the
human body. Do the research or check out www.notmilk.com for starters because I am taking this
conversation back to Biblical healing.
Another clarification is that I will
be referring to “essential oils” as the modern day equivalent to the oils
mentioned in the Holy Bible. The current day process of extracting oils from
plants did not exist back in the Biblical times. Instead, to remedy, the sap of
a plant, its resin, the aroma of the whole leaf/plant, or brewed as in a tea,
were the administration techniques employed then. Herbal teas and aromatherapy
should be familiar terms to you which have been carried down over the centuries
but perhaps we do not quite look at them as having healing properties that they
actually possess.
One more piece of information that we all must
understand before we put the pieces together. The word “inflammation” appears a
lot for one critical reason - and I cannot stress this enough for our
understanding of healing properties. INFLAMMATION
is the root cause of all diseases! I did not make that up, those are not my
words, that is not my educated guess, but rather that of modern scientific
research. Again, do the research as I did.
Basically everything from a cough to
cancer finds its origins from inflammation. Why? Because inflammation either
creates or is born in an acidic environment in which disease thrives. Again,
not my knowledge base but from countless medical and scientific professionals
across the world and through the ages, disease, such as cancer, cannot exist in
an alkaline environment. It’s that simple yet vastly complex. Just to add a
note here – food for thought - I have also learned that every time you take prescription
medicine you add to the acidity level in your body, but almost without
exception, every time you consume a plant-based (God creation) element you
reduce your acidic level! Hmmm.
OK, no more clarifications but you
will find below my disclaimer to protect me from governing agencies that don’t
like the “truth” be told.
Let’s now breakdown the individual
elements Exodus 30:22-25 to understand how they are considered by God as
“sacred annointing oils”.
Six oils are mentioned, five specific
and one general: balsam, myrrh, cinnamon, fragrant reed, cassia, and olive oil.
Of these six, Myrrh and olive oil should be familiar to all as myrrh was
presented to young Jesus by the Wise men (Matthew 2:11) else mentioned 17 times
in the NKJV; and one does not have to be Italian to recognize olive oil
mentioned 8 times as “olive oil” but 221 times as “oil” in the NKJV.
Oops, another clarification. To truly
understand the healing authorities of essential oils one must investigate the
scientific chemical breakdown of each element to realize that this is not
modern-age babble but “real stuff” here! The process of essential oil analysis
is called “Gas
Chromatography” which,
well, just Google it! Credit below goes to numerous internet sources, too
numerous to bore you with, but I can recommend some sites to you on an
individual basis.
Now we are almost ready. The
applications below are not, by any means, limited to what is presented. We are
just hitting the highlights.
- Balsam Oil: Fights sore throats and respiratory infections, fatigue, muscle aches and arthritis. Used topically to treat wounds, ulcers, and hemorrhoids (good to know). Considered an anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, stimulant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, with expectant qualities.
- Myrrh: Mentioned 18 times in the Holy Bible (NIV). Potent anti-oxidant, anti-cancer benefits, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, skin health, and relaxation agents.
- Cinnamon Oil: Anti-oxidant, digestive aid, blood sugar stabilizer, blood circulation booster, combats cardiovascular diseases, fights infections, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory (remember discussion above), anti-platelet, anti-viral (immunity enhancement), relieves depression, stimulates libido (good to know too), and diabetes.
- Fragrant Reed: OK, this can be any one of many fragrances that most you are familiar with, such as lavender, vanilla, cedar wood, rosemary, hyssop, etc,. Pick one such as Hyssop: The health benefits of Hyssop essential oil can be attributed to its properties as an astringent, stimulant, anti-Spasmodic, anti-rheumatic, antiseptic, carminative, scar tissue healing, digestive, diuretic, emmenagogue (menstrual flow stimulant), expectorant, hypertensive, nervine, induces sweating, tonic, febrifuge, vermifuge (destroy parasitic intestinal worms), and wound healing substance. That is a lot of good stuff! BTW, if hyssop sounds familiar, look at Exodus 12:22, otherwise mentioned 12 times NKJV.
- Cassia: Similar benefits to cinnamon but also treats diarrhea, relieves menstrual symptoms and arthritis, fights bacteria (the bad kind), astringent, bug repellent, diabetes.
- Olive Oil: Considered one of the most important foods in the Bible, which holds true for us today. (Just beware of fake olive oils!) Anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, heart healing/fights heart disease, macronutrients, depression, brain health, fights dementia, free radicals, skin health, anti-cancer, balances hormones, fights mood disorders. Note: Coconut oil is a great substitute for olive oil.
Again, we are just touching the
surface here but perhaps you can understand why God considered this small piece
of His creation as “sacred anointing oil” and if you read the verses immediately
following Ex30:25 you would note that this oil blend was used to “anoint” every
object in the temple, probably to purify every surface from any contaminant or
bacteria. Better than any anti-bacterial spray sold today!
So what does this mean for us today.
What can we take away from Exodus 30 or from other healing/sanctifying oil
reference in the Holy Bible? Good question, what is your answer? Should we
follow God’s provisions or man’s? Is there evidence in the Holy Bible that
should cause us to pause before we pop another pill? Does sin also come in the
form of poor healthy habits? If we trust our soul to God, can we trust our body
to Him also? You decide!
Disclaimer (I borrowed from the
Internet):
The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute
for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content is for
general information purposes only. I make no representation and assume no
responsibility for the accuracy of information contained in or available
through this article, and such information is subject to change without notice.
You are encouraged to confirm any information obtained from or through this web
site with other sources, and review all information regarding any medical
condition or treatment with your physician. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL
MEDICAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE
READ ON OR ACCESSED THROUGH THIS ARTICLE.
In
Christ alone we trust.
Notes:
(1) Shekel: weight, the common standard both of weight and value among the
Hebrews. It is estimated at 220 English grains, or a little more than half an
ounce avoirdupois (a system of
weights based on a pound of 16 ounces)
(2) Anointing: The Hebrew word for
anointing means to rub or massage a person with oil. This meant using healing
oils of the Bible, not vegetable oil to bless that person on a physical and
spiritual basis. True anointing is another lost art and science. Jesus’ feet
were anointed with oil several times in the Bible with spikenard (see Luke
7:36-50 and John 12:1-8). (excerpt from: http://www.experience-essential-oils.com/healing-oils-of-the-bible.html)
(3) Hin: an ancient Hebrew unit of liquid measure equal to about one and
one half gallons (5.7 liters).
