The Bible speaks often about anointing people. The priests were anointed in Exodus 29:7, David was anointed king in 2 Samuel 2:4, and even prophets were anointed in 1 Kings 19:16. And of course, Jesus refers to Himself as being “anointed” in Luke 4:18. The word “Christ”—an often used designation for Jesus—means “the anointed One.”
All of these anointings were performed to set someone apart for a specific purpose or office. During the construction of the Tabernacle, the priests were also told to anoint the furnishings as well.
The ingredients for the holy anointing oil were very specific. Moses was to take five hundred shekels of Myrrh, 250 shekels of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane, 500 shekels of cassia, and a hin of olive oil. It’s hard to tell from the ancient measurements, but all of that together would weigh nearly 50 pounds.
Once the oil was created, Moses is given a few more instructions: Don’t use it on laymen and don’t create similar products for everyday use. The second warning is particularly fascinating, given the fact that an entire cottage industry has cropped up, with people selling “holy anointing oil” by the bottle. Presumably, none of those people have read (or care) about the prohibition in Exodus 30:32-33.
The reason for it’s exclusivity is written in the name: It is “holy.” The very idea of anything that is “holy” is that it is not used in everyday life. The holy anointing oil was designed for a singular, consecrating purpose—not for people to apply however they want to in any given scenario.
Some would argue that because we’re priests under the New Covenant (1 Peter 2:9) that we’re allowed to use it, but that’s a gross misapplication of the Text. Our priesthood is spiritual, not ritualistic, like that found in the Old Testament. Using holy anointing oil isn’t any more appropriate than putting showbread on your kitchen table every night.
We have an anointing from God: It comes in the form of the knowledge of His will and our separation to the work of God (1 John 2:20-27). No oil can make us any more holy than we already are through Him.
