Message 157
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Scripture Reading: Exo. 30:22-33; Psa. 133:2; 1 John 2:20, 27
In this message we shall begin to consider the holy anointing oil. This oil is a compound of four spices blended with oil. The first thing we need to see is the position of this ointment in the divine record in Exodus. We need to find out why it is revealed at the end of chapter thirty. If we understand the position of the ointment, then we shall know the relationship between it and the tabernacle.
The book of Exodus begins with God’s chosen people suffering as slaves in Egypt. Eventually, the children of Israel made a great exodus from that condition of slavery, crossed the Red Sea, came into the wilderness, and enjoyed God’s provision. Even while they were in Egypt, they enjoyed the Passover. They also experienced God’s mighty salvation, for God delivered them out of Egypt and rescued them from the strong hand of Pharaoh and his army. In the wilderness God’s people tasted the heavenly food, the manna, and also drank living water out of the cleft rock. By God’s mercy they experienced many miracles.
The children of Israel were brought to Mount Sinai, where they stayed for probably ten months or more. At Mount Sinai they received the revelation from God that He wanted them to build a tabernacle for Him to have a dwelling place on earth. Furthermore, through this tabernacle God could have the best communion, the best fellowship, with His people. Therefore, at Mount Sinai God gave Moses the heavenly design of the tabernacle.
Beginning with chapter twenty-five of Exodus, we have a detailed description of the tabernacle and all its furniture and utensils. This record is completed at the end of chapter twenty-seven. Then in chapter twenty-eight the divine revelation comes to the matter of the priests. First we have a record of the clothing of the priests. Then in chapter twenty-nine God reveals what kind of food the priests should eat. This chapter shows how the priests are sanctified and filled with the riches of the things required by God. Therefore, by the end of Exodus 29 the priests are ready.
In chapter thirty we first have the incense altar and then the census for the divine draft to form God’s army. In foregoing messages we have pointed out why the draft for the formation of God’s army follows the description of the incense altar. The reason is that the incense altar is the motivating factor for God’s move, and God’s move requires an army. The army must fight for God’s move so that the way is clear for God to go on.
In Exodus 30 we also have the laver, which was not far from the entrance of the tabernacle. Before entering the tabernacle to serve God, the priests had to wash their hands and feet in the laver.
Following the description of the laver, we have the record concerning the holy anointing oil, the compound ointment. This ointment sanctified the priests, the tabernacle, and all the furniture and utensils. In other words, there was the need for the tabernacle, the furniture, the utensils, and also the priests to be anointed with this oil. Before the end of chapter thirty, the time was not right for God to speak of the anointing oil. Now we can understand why the record of the anointing oil is found toward the end of chapter thirty.
God’s revelation is progressive. It proceeds step by step and even section by section. In Egypt the children of Israel enjoyed the Passover lamb. In the wilderness they enjoyed the manna and the water from the rock.
Many Christians know the Passover lamb, the heavenly manna, and the living water. A number of hymns have been written on the Passover, the manna, and the living water. However, many Christians have never read a book or listened to a message on the compound ointment.
Recently I looked into what others had to say regarding the compound ointment in Exodus 30. In his Synopsis J. N. Darby has only a short word on the ointment and the incense. In his notes on the Pentateuch, C. H. Mackintosh says that in the holy anointing oil “we discern a type of the varied graces of the Holy Ghost, which were found, in all their divine fullness, in Christ.” But he does not tell us what these graces are. The writing of C. A. Coates on Exodus 30 shows a great improvement. With respect to the ointment, he uses the term the Spirit of Christ many times. Few writers use this expression; most speak of the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, or even the Holy Ghost. Furthermore, Coates speaks of “the Spirit of the Man of God’s pleasure” and also of “the Spirit of another Man — even of the Man who is at God’s right hand.” This indicates that Coates saw that the Spirit of Christ is not only the Spirit of God, but also the Spirit of another Man. Concerning the four spices, Coates says that they “represent all those features of grace which were so perfectly blended and harmonized in the Spirit of Christ.” Coates realized something concerning the blending of the spices with the olive oil. Four kinds of spices were compounded with the olive oil to make the ointment.
The anointing oil in Exodus 30 certainly signifies one of the deeper truths in the Bible. I am concerned that some among us have not yet realized much concerning this deeper truth. Therefore, we need to know the significance of the compound ointment.
The compound ointment was used to anoint the tabernacle with all its furniture, the altar with all its utensils, the laver with its base, and the priests (30:26-30). This ointment signifies God, who is triune, after a long process becoming the all-inclusive compound Spirit to reach His chosen and redeemed people to be one with them.
It certainly was good for the children of Israel to enjoy the Passover, the manna from heaven, and the water from the rock. But none of these enjoyments can compare with the enjoyment of the anointing oil. The anointing oil signifies that now the Triune God — the Father, the Son, and the Spirit — can reach His chosen and regenerated people to be one with them. This is much more than the Savior or the Redeemer typified by the lamb. It is also much more than the manna and the living water. This ointment typifies the Triune God — the very God in His divine Trinity — after a long process becoming the all-inclusive compound Spirit to reach us, to make us one with Him, and to make Himself one with us. How marvelous!
For centuries this wonderful matter of the compound ointment has been neglected by Christians. This is the reason there are not any hymns on this subject. However, it is easy to find hymns on the Passover. For example, one well-known hymn says, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” A number of hymns have been written about manna, and some deeper Christians have written hymns on the living water. But where can you find a hymn on the compound ointment?
When certain Christians hear us speak about the compound ointment, they may say, “What are you talking about? What is this — the Triune God after a long process becoming the all-inclusive compound Spirit? Can God the Spirit be compounded? And what do you mean by this Spirit reaching us? We know that on the day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost came upon the believers. But the Father remained on the throne with the Son beside Him. What is this you are saying about the Triune God reaching us to be one with us?” Who knows these things today? And who talks about them?
Over the years, I have been burdened to speak again and again concerning the compound Spirit. Repetition of important matters is a principle in the Bible. In the Scriptures certain things are repeated again and again. For example, consider how many times in the New Testament we hear about believing in the Lord Jesus. Why does God repeat this so much? He repeats it because it is extremely important. Likewise, because the compound Spirit is so crucial, I cannot avoid speaking about it repeatedly. Furthermore, I am concerned about the influence of today’s religious atmosphere. Due to this influence, many believers care only for superficial things. They may know about the Lamb, the heavenly manna, or even a little about the living water. But when it comes to a message on the compound ointment in Exodus 30, few Christians have any ear. They like messages that tickle their ear, but they do not want to hear things that are deep and weighty.
I hope that all of us will be deeply impressed with the fact that it is not God’s eternal intention merely to give us a Redeemer, or to supply us with heavenly manna and living water. It is God’s eternal intention that He would reach us as the all-inclusive compound Spirit, as the Spirit who includes divinity, humanity, incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. All this is blended to form the compound ointment, and this ointment is for the anointing of God’s chosen and redeemed people.
Painting can be used to illustrate anointing. When we paint a particular object, the paint reaches it and becomes one with it. Likewise, when God anoints us with Himself, He reaches us and makes Himself one with us.
What is involved with God’s anointing us is much more complicated than His creation of the heavens and the earth. In creation, when God wanted something, He only had to speak. For example, God said, “Let the dry land appear,” and the dry land appeared. But God had to go through a process to produce the ointment, the divine “paint.” The elements of this ointment include divinity and humanity. Other ingredients are Christ’s incarnation and human living.
The very God lived on this earth for thirty-three and one half years. This is a great thing! The almighty Creator lived as a human being in a poor family in a despised country. After thirty-three and a half years, He died on the cross, He was buried in the tomb, and He took a tour of Hades. Then, in resurrection, He came out from among the dead, and later He ascended to the heavens. All these steps were necessary for the compounding of the spices with the oil to produce the ointment.
According to Exodus 30, the basic element of the compound ointment is olive oil. This olive oil signifies the Spirit of God, the Third of the Godhead. We have seen that the ingredients of the compound Spirit include divinity, humanity, incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. These elements have been compounded with the divine Spirit. Now the divine Spirit is no longer oil alone, but has become an ointment.
Nothing can compare with this marvelous ointment. What comparison is there between the ointment and the Lamb? It is a wonderful fact that God has become our Savior and Redeemer. Jesus is Jehovah our Savior, and I appreciate His salvation very much. Nevertheless, the Lamb cannot compare with the Triune God processed to become the all-inclusive compound Spirit to reach us, to make Himself one with us, and to make us one with Him. According to 1 Corinthians 6:17, he who is joined to the Lord is even one spirit with Him. How great this is!
It is not sufficient to be impressed with this matter in a doctrinal way. We need to pray, “Lord, show me the vision of the all-inclusive Spirit. Show me that today You are the all-inclusive Spirit compounded of divinity, humanity, incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Lord, I need to see that Your uplifted humanity, Your all-inclusive, wonderful and mysterious death, and Your indescribable resurrection have been compounded into the Spirit.” If we see this vision, we shall pray, “Lord, I thank You that the Spirit is now the compound Spirit. This all-inclusive life-giving Spirit is the Triune God Himself reaching me, anointing me, making Himself one with me, and making me one with Him.”
This all-inclusive Spirit is greater than the Passover lamb, the manna, and the living water. In fact, this Spirit is greater than everything else. Nothing can surpass the Triune God undergoing a long process to become the life-giving Spirit. Now not only do we enjoy this Spirit — we become one with Him!
In this universe many of the angels rebelled against God, and mankind became fallen. Now the earth is in a state of rebellion against God. It seems that it is not possible for God to find a dwelling place anywhere on earth. But He does have a number of His chosen people to become His dwelling place. Therefore, He would come to them, He would make Himself one with them, and make them one with Him. He would even make them His dwelling place by entering into them and dwelling among them. Furthermore, they can serve Him, commune with Him, be one with Him, and abide with Him. This is real sanctification. This is to sanctify a people to be God’s dwelling place on earth. These people are priests serving God, contacting God, communing with God, and even being one with God.
God could not have such a dwelling place in Egypt or in the wilderness on the way to Mount Sinai. Rather, He had to bring the people into His presence at Mount Sinai and show them the heavenly revelation concerning the tabernacle with its furniture and utensils, the sanctification of the priests, and the anointing oil. The ointment used to anoint the tabernacle and the priests was a symbol of the Triune God Himself who, after being processed, has become the compound ointment to reach His chosen and redeemed people.
After the record concerning the ointment in Exodus 30, we have a description of the incense. The ointment reveals how God comes to reach us in Christ and with Christ. The incense signifies how we go back to God in Christ and with Christ. Therefore, here we have God coming to us in Christ and with Christ and our going back to Him in Christ and with Christ. This corresponds to the revelation in the Gospel of John. In chapters one through thirteen of John we have the coming of God in Christ and with Christ to reach us. Then, especially in chapters fourteen through seventeen, we have the Lord Jesus showing us the way for us to go back to God in Christ and with Christ. First God came to us in Christ and with Christ, and now we go back to Him in Christ and with Christ. What a marvelous divine traffic! We all need to learn to partake of the anointing and to offer Christ to God at the incense altar as sweet incense for God’s satisfaction.
