THE FRAGRANT AROMA OF KINGDOM PRIESTS

June 5, 2013

THE FRAGRANT AROMA OF KINGDOM PRIESTS

Exodus 40

Sue Bohlin

Central Truth

The God who created smell as a powerful trigger of associated memories anoints His priests with the fragrance of holiness so they -- and we -- trigger good associations in those we meet and minister to.

"You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me . . . ." (Exodus 40:13-15a)

The Tabernacle Erected

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. 3 And you shall put in it the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil. 4 And you shall bring in the table and arrange it, and you shall bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 And you shall put the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and set up the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 6 You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, 7 and place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 8 And you shall set up the court all around, and hang up the screen for the gate of the court.

9 Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. 10 You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar may become most holy. 11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water 13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. 14 You shall bring his sons also and put coats on them, 15 and anoint them, as you anointed their father, that they may serve me as priests. And their anointing shall admit them to a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”

16 This Moses did; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so he did. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. 18 Moses erected the tabernacle. He laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars. 19 And he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 20 He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark. 21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 22 He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil, 23 and arranged the bread on it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 24 He put the lampstand in the tent of meeting, opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle, 25 and set up the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 26 He put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil, 27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 28 He put in place the screen for the door of the tabernacle. 29 And he set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 30 He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, 31 with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet. 32 When they went into the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, as the LORD commanded Moses. 33 And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.

The Glory of the LORD

34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 36 Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. 37 But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

Several years ago, I attended a conference at a facility that required a lot of walking. The unhappy trinity of post-polio syndrome -- weakness, fatigue, and pain -- combined to make me absolutely miserable. A friend who was on the prayer ministry team "happened" to spot me at one point when my entire body was screaming with pain and I was on the edge of tears. He gave me a hug and asked if he could pray for me, pulling out a small vial of anointing oil. As he prayed, he made a small cross on my forehead with the delightfully aromatic oil. Although my pain diminished significantly and immediately, what I most remember is how the fragrance of the oil stayed with me for the rest of the day, blessing me with the reminder of how I had been ministered to.

God had given Moses the recipe for His holy anointing oil in Exodus 30: myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, and cassia in an olive oil base. It was an exquisite perfume that smelled like the beauty of holiness. Moses anointed Aaron and his sons with this special oil as they were consecrated; for the rest of their lives, they would all associate the fragrance of the anointing oil with the privilege of serving Yahweh as His priests.

Peter and John both tell us that God has made His people a kingdom of priests (1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6). Like Aaron and his sons, we New Testament priests have been anointed, but with something even better than the Exodus recipe. What clings to us is the fragrance of Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16a says that God "manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life."

The fragrance of Christ clings to His followers like anointing oil. It says, "You are Mine, and you are loved."

1. What are the smells that trigger powerful memories in you? Did you ever think that this is part of God's intentional creation?

2. Did you know the Bible says that if you have trusted Christ, you are part of a royal priesthood? What does it mean to you that you are both kingdom royalty and a priest?

3. The Old Testament priests interceded before God on behalf of His people. Who are you interceding (praying) for in your role as priest?

4. Not everybody enjoys the fragrance of Christ. It smells like death to those who are spiritually dead. Are there people who "wrinkle their nose" around you because you smell like Jesus? Can you give them grace because they are offended by the Lord's aroma and not you?