Ver. 30.—And thou shalt anoint Aaron, etc. Not till all his surroundings had received sanctification was Aaron to be consecrated. The tent, the ark, the table, the candlestick, the altar of incense, the brazen altar, the laver, and its base, each and all were to be touched with the holy oil, and thereby formally dedicated to God’s service (Lev. 8:10, 11), and then at last was Moses to “pour of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head, and anoint him, to sanctify him” (ib. 12). So God constantly prepares men’s spheres for them before he inducts them into their spheres. Even in the next world our Blessed Lord “prepares places for us.”

Ver. 32.—Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured—i.e., “it shall not be used by any privately as a mere unguent, but shall be reserved wholly for sacred purposes.” Neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it. Rather, “after its proportion.” The Israelites were not forbidden the use of the different materials in their unguents, or even the combination of the same materials, provided they varied the proportions. The object is simply that the holy oil should remain a thing separate and apart, never applied to any but a holy use.

Ver. 33.—Upon a stranger. A “stranger” here means any one not of the family of Aaron Compare ch. 29:33

HOMILETICS

Vers. 23–25.—The sweetness of the Holy anointing Oil. The holy oil had infused into it the essence of four “principal spices”—myrrh, that scents the garments of the great king (Ps. 45:8; Cant. 3:6); cinnamon, the choicest of the spices of distant Ind; sweet calamus, that exhales its best fragrance when bruised; cassia, which, together with sweet calamus, formed one of the glories of the market of Tyre (Ezek. 27:19). How passing sweet must have been the odour of these blended perfumes—each delicious alone—all enhanced by the combination, which had taxed the best skill of the “apothecary” (ver. 25)! But the sweetness of our anointing oil is greater. “We have an unction from the Holy One.” Our “anointing oil” is the Blessed Spirit of God. What is there in all the experiences of this world so sweet to the weary soul as he? How sweet and dear is he—

I. IN THE SOFT GENTLENESS OF HIS DESCENT UPON US. Silently, unperceivedly, without sight, or sound, or stir, the gentle influence comes—steals into the heart—only by degrees makes its presence known to us. A crisis—a manifest change—“tongues of fire,” or the rush of a “mighty wind” would cause the weak believer to tremble with fear, and perhaps draw back to his undoing. Our “anointing oil” descends upon us soft as “the dew of Hermon, which fell upon the hill of Sion.”

“He comes, sweet influence to impart,

A gracious willing guest,

While he can find one humble heart

Wherein to rest.”

II. IN THE METHOD OF HIS ORDINARY WORKING. Not by rude shocks, or sudden terrible alarms; but by the mild coercion of little checks and scarcely-felt restraints—by whispers softly breathed into the ear of the soul—by the suggestion of good thoughts—by the presentation of holy memories—does he effect his ends. Wise as any serpent, harmless as his own emblem, the dove, he feeds us as we are able to receive of him. He has “milk” for such as stand in need of milk. He has “strong meat” for such as can bear it. Manifold and diverse are his gifts, but given to every man “to profit withal” (1 Cor. 12:7).

“His is that gentle voice we hear,

Soft as the breath of even,

That checks each fault, that calms each fear,

And speaks of Heaven.

‘And every virtue we possess,

And every conquest won,

And every thought of holiness,

Are his alone.”

III. IN HIS PATIENCE WITH US WHEN WE ARE WAYWARD. God once declared, “My spirit shall not always strive with man” (Gen. 6:3); and Scripture warns us that the Holy Ghost may be “resisted” (Acts. 7:51) and even “quenched” (1 Thess. 5:19). But how wonderful is his patience and forbearance towards those who thwart and oppose him! How unwilling is he to give them up! How loth to quit their souls, and leave them to their own guidance! Assuredly he is “provoked every day” by each one of us. But he is not even angry—he simply “grieves” (Eph. 4:30)—is “vexed” (Is. 63:10)—made sorrowful. No sooner do we show any signs of relenting than he forgives—encourages us, cheers, comforts, consoles. “There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” Such a friend to man is “the Comforter.”

IV. IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARDS US WHEN WE TURN TO HIM. It is the Christian’s privilege to speak with God “as a man to his friend” (Ex. 33:11). With the in-dwelling Spirit we may ever have this “mystic sweet communion.” Would we speak to him at any moment, his ear is attent to hear. Unworthy as we are, unclean as we are, rebellious as we are, and self-willed, and self-seeking, he will commune with us, if we will commune with him—he will tell us of the things of heaven, “guide us into all truth” (John 16:13), “receive of Christ’s and show it unto us” (ib. 14). The sweetness of such commune is inexpressible—it may well “ravish our heart” (Cant. 4:9) and make us “sick of love” (ib. 5:8).

23:5 Anointing Guests

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Anointing was an ancient custom practiced by the Egyptians and afterward by the Greeks and Romans and other nations. Olive oil was used, either pure or mixed with fragrant and costly spices, often brought from a long distance. (See note at Matthew 26:7 Alabaster—Tables) Anointing was done not only as a part of the ceremony in connection with the coronation of kings (see 2 Kings 11:12 Coronation Ceremonies) and at the installation of the High Priest (Psalm 133:2), but also as an act of courtesy and hospitality toward a guest. Thus Jesus accuses Simon of lacking hospitality in neglecting to anoint His head when Simon invited Him to eat with him (Luke 7:46).

There are illustrations on Egyptian monuments showing guests having their heads anointed. Oil was used for other parts of the body as well as for the head, and at home as well as when visiting. Biblical references are numerous: Deuteronomy 28:40, Ruth 3:3, Psalm 92:10 and 104:15, Ecclesiastes 9:8, Micah 6:15, Matthew 6:17, and many others. The neglect of anointing was considered a sign of mourning (see Samuel 14:2 and Daniel 10:3). Conversely, an anointed face was a sign of joy, and so we read of being anointed with the “oil of joy (gladness, KJV)” (Psalm 45:7 and Hebrews 1:9). In our text-verse, the Psalmist represents himself as an honored guest of the LORD, who prepares a table for him, hospitably anoints him, and pours out for him such an abundance that his cup overflows.

In a book published in the early 1800s, Oriental Customs, a Captain Wilson wrote about an experience he had that was like that spoken of by the Psalmist: “I once had this ceremony performed on me in the house of a great and rich Indian, in the presence of a large company. The gentleman of the house poured upon my hands and arms a delightful odoriferous perfume, put a golden cup into my hands, and poured wine into it until it ran over. Assuring me at the same time that it was a great pleasure to him to receive me, and that I should find a rich supply of my needs in his house.”

Anointing a gues