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Scripture Reading: Exo. 30:31-33; Rom. 8:7-8
According to Exodus 30, the holy anointing oil had two functions. The first function was to anoint the tabernacle with its furniture and utensils (vv. 26-28). The second function was to anoint the priests (v. 30). The tabernacle with its furniture and utensils were for the testimony of God, for the service to God, and for the dwelling place of God. Hence, the tabernacle is called the Tabernacle of the Testimony (38:21; Num. 1:50), and the Ark is called the Ark of the Testimony (Exo. 25:22; 26:33). The word covenant in the Ark of the Covenant (cf. Josh. 3:3) refers to the law. The law that was given through Moses is the testimony of God in the Old Testament, because the law speaks forth God’s being. The law shows who God is. He is a holy God, a righteous God, a loving God, and a shining God. These four attributes—holiness, righteousness, love, and light—are the intrinsic essence of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are ten laws, and the intrinsic essence of the Ten Commandments is holiness, righteousness, love, and light. Hence, the Ten Commandments speak forth God and testify of God. The law is the testimony of God (Exo. 16:34; 31:18; 32:15; 40:20; Psa. 19:7). This testimony is also a type of Christ because Christ is the holiness, righteousness, love, and light of God. The Ark typifies Christ.
The tabernacle also typifies Christ. The Tabernacle of the Testimony is a testimony of God. The tabernacle was the dwelling place of God on earth; it was the place where God dwelt. This testimony and dwelling place were also the means by which man served God. Where could man serve God, and by what means could man serve God? In the Old Testament any person who wanted to serve God had to go to the tabernacle. All the activities of serving God had to be carried out through the furniture and utensils in the tabernacle. The altar and the laver were in the outer court of the tabernacle. In the Holy Place of the tabernacle there were the table of the bread of the Presence, the golden lampstand, and the golden incense altar. Behind the veil in the Holy Place there was the Ark in the Holy of Holies. These pieces of furniture were the means by which man served God.
The first step in serving God involved offering sacrifices at the altar. The altar typifies the cross of Christ. The next step involved the laver, which typifies the renewing of the Holy Spirit. After the altar and the laver, a person advanced into the Holy Place, where there was the table of the bread of the Presence, which typifies Christ as the bread of life. There were also the lampstand, which typifies the shining forth of the light of life, and the golden incense altar, which typifies man’s fellowship with God. In the last step a person entered into the Holy of Holies. In this step he could enjoy Christ, typified by the Ark. Every step of the service to God was carried out through these pieces of furniture.
The same principle applies to us today. If we want to serve God, we must enter into the tabernacle of God. The tabernacle of God typifies not only Christ but also the church. According to typology, the Ark of the Testimony typifies the individual Christ, but the Tabernacle of the Testimony typifies not only the individual Christ but also the corporate Christ, which is the church. Christ is the Ark of the Testimony, and the church is the Tabernacle of the Testimony. These two, Christ and the church, are joined together as one to be the testimony of God, the dwelling place of God, and the means by which man serves God. Where do we serve God? We need to serve Him in Christ and in the church, that is, in the place with the Ark of the Testimony and the Tabernacle of the Testimony. In other words, we must be wherever the church is in order to serve God. Christ is in the church.
The first function of the holy anointing oil was to anoint the tabernacle with its furniture and utensils. The second function was to anoint the priests. The priestly service was to bring God to man and to bring man to God. The priests came forth from God, thus bringing God to man, and they returned to God from man, thus bringing man to God. Therefore, the priests were mediators between God and man. We are priests if we have fellowship with God, bring God to man by coming forth from God, and also bring man to God.
To preach the gospel is a priestly service, because we must first contact God. We need to pray until our prayer is thorough and unhindered and until we are filled within with the Spirit. Then when we contact people with the gospel, our gospel will be God. Galatians 3:14 says that the blessing God promised Abraham is the blessing of the gospel, which is the Spirit. It may seem as though we are doing the work of the evangelists by first fellowshipping with God to be filled with the Spirit and then going to contact sinners and bringing them to God, but in reality we are today’s priests.
Similarly, when we visit people, we first need to pray ourselves into God. The more we pray, the more we will be filled within with the Spirit, that is, filled with God and the anointing oil. Then we can go to visit people. Visiting people in this way will not be our going on our own. There is no value to going on our own, because visiting without the anointing oil does not have any fragrance or beauty. We need to go with God, with the anointing oil, with the Spirit. Then our going will bring God to man. After bringing God to someone, we need to pray with him in order to bring him into God. This is our service as priests.
We can also function as priests while cleaning the meeting hall. No matter what we do, as long as we do it with God and in fellowship to bring people into God, we are functioning as priests. Hence, before we begin cleaning, we should first pray until our prayer is thorough and unhindered and until we are filled with the Spirit. It does not matter what we are cleaning, because cleaning is only a means. We need to serve together with the saints. While we are cleaning, we should flow out life, minister life, to bring the Spirit to others. This is what it means to serve as priests.
We all have had such experiences in our service in the church. While we are cleaning, a sister may speak a word that causes us to touch God and hence brings us into God. By speaking in such a way, this sister is serving as a priest. To minister God to others does not require the giving of a message. Whether we are cleaning the restrooms or the chairs and tables, we can supply others. Standing at the podium is not the measure of who a priest is; the measure of a priest is the ministering of God to people. If we contact God and are filled with Him, with the Spirit, and with the anointing oil, people will touch the anointing oil when they touch us, no matter how we serve. This is to serve as a priest.
Exodus 30:32-33 says that the holy anointing oil was not to be poured upon the flesh of any person, not even on a stranger. Verse 32 says, “Upon the flesh of man it shall not be poured.” Verse 33 says, “Whoever puts any of it upon a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.” The word stranger refers to people outside of the priesthood. Anyone who is not a priest, one bringing God to man and bringing man to God, is a stranger. Sometimes we clean the meeting hall as priests, but at other times we clean the meeting hall as strangers. If we pray in a thorough and unhindered way and are filled with the Spirit, we will do the cleaning as a priest. Sometimes we come to serve without praying or touching God. Although matters may be taken care of, we will not bring God to man or man to God. At such times we are serving as strangers.
Concerning not pouring the anointing oil upon the flesh of man, we need to consider the three parts of man. Man has a body, a spirit, and a soul, which is in between the body and the spirit. The mind is the primary part in the soul. Romans 8 speaks of the three parts of man. Verse 10 says, “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is life because of righteousness.” This verse shows that the spirit becomes life. Verse 6 says, “The mind set on the spirit is life and peace.” This verse shows that the mind can stand on the side of the spirit to reject the flesh. Formerly, our mind cooperated with the flesh to do evil, but now that we have received grace, our mind no longer has to be an ally with our flesh. Rather, our mind should stand on the side of our spirit and be set on our spirit. The mind set on the spirit is life. Verse 11 says, “If the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.” Our mortal body will also receive life. These three verses show that all three parts of a believer will become life.
Concerning the holy anointing oil, Exodus 30:32 says, “Upon the flesh of man it shall not be poured.” In other words, we must not live by the flesh if we want to enjoy the holy anointing oil. When we live by the flesh, we cannot partake of the holy anointing oil. The holy anointing oil leaks out when we speak or walk by the flesh, express our opinions, or treat others according to the flesh. Therefore, we must allow the cross to work in our being. Galatians 5:19 through 21 list many works of the flesh, and verses 22 and 23 list the fruit of the Spirit. Verse 24 says, “They who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and its lusts.” When the flesh is active, the anointing oil is not manifested. This is the law of God. Hence, Romans 8:7 says, “The mind set on the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, for neither can it be,” and verse 8 says, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
God will never allow His Spirit to be poured out upon our flesh, nor will He allow His Spirit to work together with our flesh. Therefore, our flesh must be put on the cross. Romans 8 is the commentary and fulfillment of Exodus 30. Exodus 30 has the holy anointing oil, and Romans 8 has the Spirit. Exodus 30 has the flesh, and Romans 8 also has the flesh. However, Romans 8 addresses the flesh more thoroughly. The flesh cannot please God. The flesh is enmity against God. The flesh prevents man from keeping the law of God. Hence, the flesh has nothing to do with the Spirit, the holy anointing oil.
It is easy for us to live in the flesh. The flesh is working when two brothers dislike each other and also when two sisters love each other and intimately confide in each other. The flesh is working when the young people want to spend time only with other young people, can barely carry on a conversation with older saints, and are not fond of the older saints. The flesh is also working when the older saints will not have anything to do with the younger saints. The flesh is not allowed in the service of the church. The younger ones should not reject the older ones, and the older ones need to cover the younger ones. The church needs both the older saints and the younger saints. First John 2:13 speaks of “fathers,” “young men,” and “young children.” John puts these three kinds of people together as a test to the flesh. Naughty children are a test, young men who think that they are capable are a test, and long-winded older people are also a test. However, we must remember that the church is not just the army of God but also the family of God. In a normal family there should be these three kinds of people. Fathers, young men, and young children are indispensable.
The flesh refers to doing everything according to one’s own will and feeling. When we come to serve in the church, we must do everything according to the spirit and set our mind on the spirit. In the church the younger saints have their function, the middle-aged saints have their function, and the older saints also have their function. No one should have his own concept. Whenever we have our own concept, we are in the flesh. The flesh causes us to lose the Spirit, the anointing oil. In the flesh we should not rebuke people, nor should we praise people. This is not easy. When Peter went to Antioch, Paul opposed him to his face because he stood condemned (Gal. 2:11). However, Paul was not in the flesh. When we speak and do things in the church, we must learn to reject our flesh.
If we clean the meeting hall without the Spirit, we might be cleaning in the flesh. If we are in the flesh, we will stop cleaning when the elders rebuke us but clean more when we are praised. This is the flesh, not the spirit. Even though we may not have conflicts in the church, we do not have enough of the Spirit. When an outsider comes among us, he will sense that the one accord is not sufficient. If we do not have the presence of the Holy Spirit or the Lord’s blessing, people will not receive a supply when they come to the church. Hence, if we are not in the spirit, the church will suffer loss.
Everything that we do in the church must be done in our spirit. Instead of serving in the flesh, we must reject the flesh. When we reject the flesh, we will be able to handle both criticism and praise, both positive and negative remarks. When we reject the flesh, the Spirit as the anointing oil is present, and we become priests to bring God to man and man to God. Thus, we become a pure channel between God and man that can flow the pure divine life into man and bring man into God. Through us God and man can have fellowship. Then together we become the tabernacle with the Ark, which is Christ in our midst. What a glorious scene this is!
