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"The Anointing Oil" By Reverend Reba Johnson, D.D. Leviticus 10:1-7

Ordination of Candidates Receiving their Credentials For Ministry

This is a very solemn and sacred part of the service. We are now entering into a consecration service. After the ministry of the Word there will be a laying on of hands ceremony whereby you are being consecrated (it simply means "set-apart") under God's service and unto God's service.

What is being done here, this day, by the hand of man is simply an outward sign and acknowledgment (an acknowledgment on our part of what we see God has done in your life, and an acknowledgment on your part of the inward witness and call that God has placed upon your life). It's like a marking out of time whereby you are recognized by man as having been called of God, anointed of God, and appointed of God to your field of ministry. As time passes you can look back to this hour and remind the enemy of your soul of what has taken place here, instructing him to be careful not to touch what God has anointed. So we are simply adding our yea and amen to what God has already done.

We see from a study of Scripture, especially the Old Testament, the many references that give us beautiful types and shadows of God's thought and ideas of consecration for priestly service. We see this is very sacred to God. It was certainly not to be taken lightly. In fact it is a matter of life and death, first to the priest, himself, and especially to the well-being of the people. Unless the priest was fully dedicated to service, the people's sins would not be covered over. When we do not, in this hour of the church, place importance on the call of God on our life, and realize the serious consequences, then the people of God suffer. God does not appreciate His people suffering due to the neglect and lack of responsibility of those called and consecrated for priestly service.

Man anoints with oil what God has already anointed with His Spirit. The ceremony represents covenant. The anointed one's life is now covenanted unto God. Now, when you were truly born-again, you entered into covenant with God through Jesus Christ, but this is a furthering of that covenant, entering into a deeper cutting of covenant, with much greater consequences to those that break covenant.

To be called of God to serve his people (as far as I'm concerned) is the greatest calling on earth. This is a great honor and privilege, but with great honor comes great responsibility.

Let me refer you back to our Scripture in Leviticus. There are two key phrases in our scripture reading: 1) Lev. 10:3 "And Aaron held his peace". For deeper understanding we need to step back into time with Aaron and think for a moment what he must have been feeling when he saw the death of his two sons who had just joined him in priestly service.

~ Aaron shows a nobleness of self-restraint which is truly touching.

~ Aaron did not give way to his emotions.

~ Aaron did not enter into quarrelsome complaint against God.
~ Aaron made no attempt to justify his son's actions.

~ Aaron's own actions were those that became a priest of God, he bore the blow in sacred silence, he opened not his mouth.

Lev. 10:3 "Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace,"

Let us again direct our thinking back to the time when the ancient tabernacle was erected, and the first service in that tabernacle was about to begin. The priests had made ready the sacrifice and the altar; when much to their surprise fire came down from heaven and kindled upon the altar. This was no ordinary fire, but holy, celestial fire from the hand of God Himself. The priests were then charged to keep this fire perpetually by placing the coals in golden fire-pans and carrying this fire from encampment to encampment during the wilderness wanderings. Any fire that was man-made was forbidden to be used in the tabernacle service.

Evidently Aaron's two sons did not understand the seriousness of their consecration and sought to produce fire of their own making. This is the difference in ministry in the flesh and ministry that is directed and led by the Holy Spirit. We want to understand three things here. First, the seriousness of our consecration ~ Second, the seriousness of "holding our peace" when things do not go the way we want them to ~ and Third, we are not allowed to make exceptions for special people. Ministers face many serious things, many that are not to our liking, but it is God that is in charge. We are just servants carrying out His good will and purpose. Even when our own hearts are broken we remember to "hold our peace". For if we give way to our emotions, we will not hear God's directions clearly and the good of the people will be thwarted. There will be many times when we will not understand (at the moment) what God is doing, but time will always reveal His divine wisdom.

Even in the depths of what must have been great sorrow to Aaron he was instructed to not mourn the death of his sons. He was to allow the congregation to mourn, but he was not allowed that privilege. Which brings us to our key phrase (2) found in Lev: 10:7. Aaron is given the reason for this restraint,

"for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you".

Before the tabernacle was completed, Aaron and his sons were anointed and consecrated for their priestly duties. The anointing and consecration before entering service is very important to God. The priests were consecrated with both blood and oil. The blood was applied to their right ear, the thumb of their right hand, and the large toe of their right foot. When the ordinary worshiper brought his sacrifice, the blood was offered upon the altar for him. But for priestly duties, one must come into a much closer contact with the blood. The blood must be applied to his very person. First to the ear for consecration of the hearing, that the priest would hear the word of God and know how to minister. Since there was no written word in that day, we understand this to mean the actually hearing of God's voice. Again, this would be the difference in ministry in the flesh and ministry led and directed by the Holy Spirit. The ear (the hearing) becomes consecrated to the hearing of God's word and none other. The hand always represents our service. This must also be consecrated to the serving of God alone, none other. The foot represents our walking in the footsteps of God, wherever He leads and wherever He directs. Let our foot not be found in the wrong place, our hand not be found in service to the wrong things, nor our ear hearing what it should not be hearing because

"the anointing oil of the Lord is upon us", and

"God will be sanctified in those that come near Him", and

"before the people He will be glorified".

After the blood was applied, the oil was applied like a seal over the blood. This was no ordinary anointing. The oil was special, it was costly, and it was applied in such quantity as to cover the whole of the person running from the top of Aaron's head all the way down his robes to his feet. This is the completeness of the blood that purchased the right and the Spirit (oil) that seals that right and gives the power.

As we read on in this chapter, in verse 16-20 we find why it is that Aaron's actions were so important. It says that Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering and found it was burnt instead of eaten in the Holy Place per instructions. Now the order of sacrifice was if the blood was poured out upon the altar in the Holy Place, then the sacrifice was burnt outside the camp. If the blood was not poured upon the altar, then the sacrifice was to be eaten by the priest in the Holy Place. Evidently they lost the purpose of the sacrifice because of the sorrow that was in Aaron's heart which led him to not be able to think clearly, nor follow divine instructions. This would mean that the people did not have their sins covered by the blood in the proper way. The bottom line is that when God's ministers are lost in their own need, their own sorrow, taken up with their own thoughts, even wanting to quarrel with God's divine wisdom.....the people suffer....lives are lost....needs are not met. It is very serious when we do not realize that in our consecration we sign away our privilege to be like the ordinary person (this is the deeper cutting of covenant) and to not realize our responsibility we do despite to the "anointing oil of the Lord that is upon us". The anointed one is now covenanted to God in a special way, over and above the covenant of the ordinary believer with greater responsibility to our relationship with God as well as our service to God's people.

The charge is to understand the seriousness of this covenant relationship. Understand what it means to have "the anointing oil of the Lord upon you", understand the importance of "holding your peace", understand that "God will be sanctified in those that come near him", and "before all the people He will be glorified". This understanding will bring you great success in ministry.