◄ Exodus 30:31 ►
And you are to tell the Israelites, 'This will be My sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.
Study Bible
And you are to tell the Israelites
This phrase establishes a direct command from God to Moses, emphasizing the importance of communication between God and His chosen people, the Israelites. The Hebrew root for "tell" is "dabar," which means to speak or declare. This highlights the authoritative nature of God's instructions. Historically, the Israelites were a covenant community, and God's directives were central to their identity and relationship with Him. This command underscores the continuity of God's covenant and His desire for His people to adhere to His statutes.

This will be My sacred anointing oil
The term "sacred" in Hebrew is "qodesh," signifying something set apart for a holy purpose. The anointing oil was not merely a physical substance but a symbol of consecration and divine presence. In the ancient Near Eastern context, anointing with oil was a common practice for setting apart priests, kings, and sacred objects. The oil's composition, as described earlier in Exodus 30, was unique and not to be replicated for common use, signifying its exclusive role in worship and service to God. This sacred oil represents the Holy Spirit's work in consecrating and empowering individuals for God's service.

for the generations to come
This phrase indicates the perpetual nature of God's commandments and the enduring significance of the anointing oil. The Hebrew word for "generations" is "dor," which implies a continuous lineage or succession. This highlights the timeless relevance of God's instructions and the importance of passing down His statutes through successive generations. The anointing oil serves as a tangible reminder of God's unchanging nature and His ongoing relationship with His people. It calls believers to remember their heritage and the divine calling that transcends time, urging them to live in obedience and faithfulness to God's eternal covenant.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, who received the commandments and instructions from God on Mount Sinai, including the instructions for the sacred anointing oil.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who were to use the sacred anointing oil as a symbol of consecration and holiness.

3. Sacred Anointing Oil
A holy mixture prescribed by God, used for anointing the tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priests, signifying sanctification and dedication to God.

4. Tabernacle
The portable dwelling place for the presence of God among the Israelites, which was to be anointed with the sacred oil.

5. Generations to Come
This phrase emphasizes the perpetual nature of the command, indicating that the sacred anointing oil was to be a lasting ordinance for the Israelites.
Teaching Points
Symbol of Holiness
The sacred anointing oil represents holiness and being set apart for God's service. As believers, we are called to live lives that reflect God's holiness.

Perpetual Ordinance
The command for the sacred anointing oil to be used for generations signifies the enduring nature of God's instructions. We are reminded of the timelessness of God's Word and its relevance today.

Consecration and Dedication
Just as the tabernacle and priests were consecrated with oil, we are to dedicate our lives to God's service, seeking to be vessels of His presence.

Unity and Blessing
The anointing oil is a symbol of unity and blessing among God's people. We should strive for unity in the body of Christ, recognizing the blessings that flow from it.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of anointing in Exodus 30:31 relate to the New Testament understanding of being anointed by the Holy Spirit?

2. In what ways can we apply the principle of being "set apart" in our daily lives as believers?

3. How does the use of anointing oil in the Old Testament enhance our understanding of Jesus as the "Anointed One" (Messiah)?

4. What are some practical ways we can promote unity within our church community, reflecting the symbolism of the anointing oil?

5. How can the idea of a "perpetual ordinance" in Exodus 30:31 encourage us to maintain spiritual disciplines and traditions in our faith journey?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 8
Describes the anointing of Aaron and his sons, connecting the use of the sacred anointing oil to the consecration of the priesthood.

1 Samuel 16
The anointing of David by Samuel, illustrating the use of anointing oil in setting apart individuals for God's purposes.

Psalm 133
Highlights the unity and blessing associated with the anointing oil, symbolizing harmony among God's people.

James 5:14
In the New Testament, anointing with oil is mentioned in the context of prayer and healing, showing continuity in the symbolic use of oil.
Sermons
The Golden Altar and the PerfumeJ. Orr Exodus 30:1-11, 34-38
The Laver and the Anointing OilJ. Orr Exodus 30:17-34
The Anointing OilC. Simeon, M. A.Exodus 30:22-33
The Holy Anointing OilJ. Spencer.Exodus 30:22-33
The Holy Anointing OilJ. G. Murphy, LL. D.Exodus 30:22-33
The Use of Oil in Daily Life and in the Symbolism of WorshipJ. H. Kurtz, D. D.Exodus 30:22-33
People
Aaron, Israelites, Moses
Places
Mount Sinai
Topics
Anointing, Generation, Generations, Holy, Lord's, Oil, Sacred, Saying, Sons, Speak, Throughout
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 30:22-33

     4492   olive
     7304   anointing

Exodus 30:23-33

     4488   oil

Exodus 30:30-32

     7767   priests, OT institution

Library
The Altar of Incense
'Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon.' --EXODUS xxx. 1. Ceremonies are embodied thoughts. Religious ceremonies are moulded by, and seek to express, the worshipper's conception of his God, and his own relation to Him; his aspirations and his need. Of late years scholars have been busy studying the religions of the more backward races, and explaining rude and repulsive rites by pointing to the often profound and sometimes beautiful ideas underlying them. When that process is applied to Australian …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ransom for Souls --I.
Then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul.' --EXODUS xxx. 12. This remarkable provision had a religious intention. Connect it with the tax-money which Peter found in the fish's mouth. I. Its meaning. Try to realise an Israelite's thoughts at the census. 'I am enrolled among the people and army of God: am I worthy? What am I, to serve so holy a God?' The payment was meant-- (a) To excite the sense of sin. This should be present in all approach to God, in all service; accompanying the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ransom for Souls --ii.
'The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel....'--EXODUS xxx. 15. This tax was exacted on numbering the people. It was a very small amount, about fifteen pence, so it was clearly symbolical in its significance. Notice-- I. The broad principle of equality of all souls in the sight of God. Contrast the reign of caste and class in heathendom with the democracy of Judaism and of Christianity. II. The universal sinfulness. Payment of the tax was a confession that …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

"Whereby we Cry, Abba, Father. "
Rom. viii. 15.--"Whereby we cry, Abba, Father." As there is a light of grace in bestowing such incomparably high dignities and excellent gifts on poor sinners, such as, to make them the sons of God who were the children of the devil, and heirs of a kingdom who were heirs of wrath; so there is a depth of wisdom in the Lord's allowance and manner of dispensing his love and grace in this life. For though the love be wonderful, that we should be called the sons of God; yet, as that apostle speaks, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Jesus Pays the Tribute Money.
(Capernaum, Autumn, a.d. 29) ^A Matt. XVII. 24-27. ^a 24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received the half-shekel came to Peter, and said, Doth not your teacher pay the half-shekel? [The law of Moses required from every male of twenty years and upward the payment of a tax of half a shekel for the support of the temple (Ex. xxx. 12-16; II. Chron. xxiv. 5, 6). This tax was collected annually. We are told that a dispute existed between the Pharisees and Sadducees as to whether the payment …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

How a Private Man must Begin the Morning with Piety.
As soon as ever thou awakest in the morning, keep the door of thy heart fast shut, that no earthly thought may enter, before that God come in first; and let him, before all others, have the first place there. So all evil thoughts either will not dare to come in, or shall the easier be kept out; and the heart will more savour of piety and godliness all the day after; but if thy heart be not, at thy first waking, filled with some meditations of God and his word, and dressed, like the lamp in the tabernacle …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Copies of Things in the Heavens
'And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2. On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. 3. And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail. 4. And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof. 5. And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision A. Jesus Cleanses the Temple. ^D John II. 13-25. ^d 13 And the passover of the Jews was at hand [We get our information as to the length of our Lord's ministry from John's Gospel. He groups his narrative around six Jewish festivals: 1, He here mentions the first passover; 2, another feast, which we take to have been also a passover (v. 1); 3, another passover (vi. 4); 4, the feast of tabernacles (vii. 2); 5, dedication (x. 22); 6, passover (xi. 55). This …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
(at Jerusalem. Probably b.c. 6.) ^C Luke I. 5-25. ^c 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa from b.c. 40 to a.d. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Last Events in Galilee - the Tribute-Money, the Dispute by the Way, the Forbidding of Him who could not Follow with the Disciples, and The
Now that the Lord's retreat in the utmost borders of the land, at Cæsarea Philippi, was known to the Scribes, and that He was again surrounded and followed by the multitude, there could be no further object in His retirement. Indeed, the time was coming that He should meet that for which He had been, and was still, preparing the minds of His disciples - His Decease at Jerusalem. Accordingly, we find Him once more with His disciples in Galilee - not to abide there, [3743] nor to traverse it …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Epistle xxviii. To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli .
To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli [136] . Gregory to Augustine, &c. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke ii. 14); because a grain of wheat, falling into the earth, has died, that it might not reign in heaven alone; even He by whose death we live, by whose weakness we are made strong, by whose suffering we are rescued from suffering, through whose love we seek in Britain for brethren whom we knew not, by whose gift we find those whom without knowing them we sought. …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Prayer
But I give myself unto prayer.' Psa 109: 4. I shall not here expatiate upon prayer, as it will be considered more fully in the Lord's prayer. It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer: he who prays frequently, is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the soul's trading with heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer. What is prayer? It is an offering …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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