ANOINTING OIL (2)

1. How were Aaron and his sons consecrated?

a) Washing them with water

6Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them with water. (Leviticus 8:6 NIV)

i) Why use water? For washing and cleansing

2Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. (Psalm 51:2 NIV)

David cried to God for mercy after the prophet Nathan had come to inform him of God's judgment against because of his adultery with Bathsheda, and his murder of Uriah, her husband.

@1. How do we get washed / cleansed?

i) By the Word of God

3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. (John 15:3 NIV)

ii) By the Blood of Jesus

7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7 NIV)

iii) By the Spirit of God

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God's elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work (making holy) of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. (1 Peter 1:1, 2 NIV)

b) Pouring out anointing oil upon Aaron's head only

12He (Moses) poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him. (Leviticus 8:12 NIV)

Why? Moses was setting Aaron apart for the priestly work.

i) Why only Aaron's head?

@1. Aaron was specially anointed as high priest.

ii) What was the significance of anointing Aaron as high priest?

@1. The high priest had special duties that no other priests had. He alone could enter the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle on the yearly Day of Atonement to atone for the sins of the nation. Therefore, he was in charge of all the other priests.

c) Killing the ram (a male sheep) of consecration

i) Moses presented and killed the ram of consecration.

22He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. (Leviticus 8:22 NIV)

ii) Moses took the ram's blood and smeared it upon the lobes of Aaron and his sons' right ears, and the thumbs of their right hands and the big toes of their right feet.

23Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24Moses also brought Aaron's sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splashed blood against the sides of the altar. (Leviticus 8:23, 24 NIV)

iii) Why use the blood?

@1. Signifies human life.

11For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I (God) have given it to you to make atonement (reparation - anything paid or done to make up for something else; compensation - for an offense; restoration to good condition) for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. (Leviticus 17:11 NIV)

@2. Effective for forgiveness of sins.

22In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22 NIV)

d) Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood and sprinkled it upon Aaron and sons and their clothes.

30Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments. (Leviticus 8:30 NIV)

i) Why use anointing oil?

@1. Signifies the Spirit of God

13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah. (1 Samuel 16:13 NIV)

@2. For consecration to sacred duty

30"Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me (the Lord) as priests. (Exodus 30:30 NIV)

@3. For divine appointment

1Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance? (1 Samuel 10:1 NIV)

e) Consecration instruction and the penalty for disobedience

i) Not to leave the Tabernacle entrance for 7 days

ii) Penalty for disobedience - death

33Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days. 34What has been done today was commanded by the Lord to make atonement for you. 35You must stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and do what the Lord requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded." (Leviticus 8:33-35 NIV)

2. What caused Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, death?

a) Placing unholy (strange) fire in their censers

1Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. (Leviticus 10:1, 2 NIV)

3. Why was there penalty of death for mourning?

a) Because the anointing oil of God was upon them

6Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not let your hair become unkempt and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives, all the Israelites, may mourn for those the Lord has destroyed by fire. 7Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting or you will die, because the Lord's anointing oil is on you." So they did as Moses said. (Leviticus 10:6, 7 NIV)

4. What would happen when they followed the Lord's instructions?

a) The glory of the Lord appeared to them

6Then Moses said, "This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you." (Leviticus 9:6 NIV)

22Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down. 23Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown. (Leviticus 9:22-24 NIV)

33Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. 34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. (Exodus 40:33-35 NIV)

5. Prayer focus

a) Prophetic challenge

i) When anointing oil of God is upon us, we choose not to look at our current situations and circumstances for 7 days but to stay close to God by reading his Word, pray and worship him for the 7 days period, after which we will receive a testimony in our experience for a miraculous breakthrough in our situations and circumstances in life.

b) Just as the anointing of God was upon Aaron and his sons for their priestly works, surely we can expect the anointing of God to be upon us in our assignment in the marketplace or ministry.

c) Just as God had appointed Bezalel (son of Uri, and grandson of Hur, the tribe of Judah), and filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and skill in constructing the Tabernacle and everything it contains (Exodus 31:1-3) and special skill to all who are known as experts (Exodus 31:6), we can also expect to receive the same anointing of God so that we can have great power to overcome our situations and circumstances in life.

i) 1Then the Lord said to Moses, 2"See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you: 7the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— 8the table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, 9the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand— 10and also the woven garments, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, 11and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you." (Exodus 31:1-11 NIV)