Sermon Tone Analysis

Anointing as a social custom

In personal grooming

The associations here are of joy and well-being.

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Anointing guests as a mark of honour

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Anointing corpses as a burial preparation

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Anointing religious objects

Anointed objects are set apart (consecrated), to be used only in the performance of religious ceremonies.

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Anointing people for office

Priests

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Kings

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A prophet

the only reference to the anointing of a prophet

Anointing people for other purposes

For purification

For healing

It has been suggested that anointing in a healing context may be related to the use of oil for medicinal purposes.

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The figurative use of anointing

Anointing by God

Israel’s king is frequently referred to as “the Lord’s anointed”.

His physical anointing is seen as symbolising a divine anointing.

The word “Messiah” literally means “the anointed one”; Cyrus, as God’s agent for a specific task, is referred to as “his anointed”.

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God’s people in the OT

Christian believers

See also ; This anointing is not received in an outward ceremony but by sharing in the Holy Spirit’s anointing of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ as God’s Anointed One (the Messiah)

Jesus Christ’s receiving of the Holy Spirit at his baptism was his “anointing” for his Messianic work; Note the link between anointing and the Holy Spirit.

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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.”