Oil on Aaron’s Beard

Psalm 133:1-2; Lev. 8:10-12

Introduction: Some of you may have heard or studied this image in scripture of oil soaking Aaron’s beard and dripping down all the way to his toes.

This comes from Psalm 133:1-2 & Leviticus 8:10-12.

I sensed the Lord was putting this in my heart and mind and what the significance was, so I did a little research and found something unexpected. For a few days, I decided that as a preaching/teaching point, I wasn’t ready to pursue it because of the theme found in the context of the study.

But…As I reconsidered, I sensed, again, that God was in it and that it was His timing for me to us.

Transition: So let me start with Leviticus

Context of Leviticus – Lev. 9:8-9

1. The Anointing as a Separation

What is happening in Lev. 9 is God appointing a separation of objects and people for His service.

The word ‘holy’ always signifies or speaks of ‘separation’.  A separation unto God from ‘casual’ or ‘normal’ use or purpose.

The Lord tells Moses to ‘anoint!’ The Lord is setting aside utensils, locations, instruments, and individuals for His purposes.

The painstaking detail of this historic description is important. Each element of Aaron’s priestly attire carries significance.

• The coat was an undergarment, like a shirt, which usually reached past the waist.
• The sash was made of linen and served as a belt that wrapped around the waist, binding up the shirt close to the body so that it would not hinder movement under the outer robe.
• The robe was the main outer garment which stretched down past the knees. It was made of blue and was embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet pomegranates and gold bells at the hem which allowed his movements to be heard while behind the veil in the most holy place (Exod. 28:31–35).
• The ephod was similar to an apron, which covered from the chest to the thighs, and attached to the body with two shoulder pieces. It was made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twisted linen, and on it shoulders were set in gold filigree two onyx stones on which the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraved so that the high priest would “bear their names before Yahweh” (Exod. 28:9–14). The band was a waistband that wrapped around the ephod, keeping it tight to the body. It was also made of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twisted linen.
• The breast piece was a piece of linen in like kind to the ephod and the waistband, roughly 9 inches square.
  • Set in the breast piece
  were four rows of three stones, each different, representing the names of the twelve Israelite tribes (Exod. 28:15–21).The breast piece
  • was attached to the ephod with braided cords made of pure gold, with gold rings at the ends.
  • The breast piece was called “a breast piece of judgment/decision” which indicates its purpose.

• Not only was it important for the high priest to bear the names of Israel’s tribes before Yahweh, but it also held the Urim and Thummim.
  
  
  • Not much is known about the Urim and Thummim, although they seemed to be familiar to Moses and the people
  • They were held in a pocket in the breastpiece and were used to determine the will of God on matters that were beyond human knowledge (cf. 1 Sam. 14:36–42).
• The turban was perhaps more of a turban-like headband that wrapped around the forehead, made of wrapped linen. A gold piece was attached to the turban with a blue cord so that it was positioned over the forehead. It was engraved with the phrase, “Holiness to Yahweh” (Exod. 28:36–37).

The Breastplate (which by the way covered the heart), It was the most important garment and more than any other piece distinguished the high priest from the rest of the priesthood.

It symbolized the unity of the nation as well as its dependence on the ministry of the high priest. (More about this when we look at Psalm 133.

1. Aaron becomes and is installed as Israel’s first High Priest.

There were priests, and then there was one High Priest.

God tells Moses to ‘anoint’ the priests and then God tells Moses to ‘anoint’ their first High Priest.

‘God’s anointing was actuated for separation!’

1. The Uniqueness of an ‘Anointing’

Application: In the Old Testament, we had particular individuals that God anointed. Some include Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Elisha, Samson, Saul, David, Samuel, etc. These individuals had specific encounters with God that released them into different realms of anointing backed up by all kinds of manifestations.

Ceremonial anointing in the Old Testament was a physical act involving the smearing, rubbing, or pouring of sacred oil on someone’s head (or on an object) as an outward symbol that God had chosen and set apart the person (or object) for a specific holy purpose.

Kings, priests, and prophets were anointed outwardly with oil to symbolize a more profound spiritual reality—that God’s presence was with them and His favor was upon them (Psalm 20:6; 28:8). While David was still a young shepherd, God told Samuel to anoint him to become king over Israel (1 Samuel 16:3). From that day forward, the Spirit of the Lord rested powerfully upon David’s life (1 Samuel 16:13; Psalm 89:20).

1 Chronicles 16:22, & Psalm 105:15 NKJ “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.”

In the NT, Jesus is described as

Question: And what was that uniqueness exactly? Well, the high priest was the one man set apart by God to represent the people before him. Thus, the entire nation—every man, woman, and child in Israel—was summed up and represented by Aaron as he stood before Yahweh in the Tabernacle. Thus, the names of the tribes were inscribed on the onyx stones set in the shoulders of the ephod, and Aaron bore, inset on the breast piece, a stone for each Israelite tribe. The entire nation was unified and represented by this lone individual.

The Hebrew term mashach meant “to anoint or smear with oil.” The oil used for religious anointing was carefully blended with fine spices according to a specific formula prescribed by the Lord (Exodus 30:22–32).

Using this oil for any other purpose was a serious offense carrying the penalty of being “cut off” from the community (Exodus 30:33).

1. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ reveals Himself as our anointed King, Priest, and Prophet.

Jesus is the Holy one Of Israel – Book of Isaiah

He is God’s Holy and chosen Son, the Messiah.

Messiah, which means “anointed one,” is derived from the Hebrew word for “anointed.” Christ (Gr. Christos) means “the anointed one.”

• Jesus declared at the launch of His ministry, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor . . . to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18; cf. Isaiah 61:1).

Question: Is the Lord’s ‘anointing’ a permanent status? Can one ‘lose’ or have ‘remove’ His blessings/approval/anointing?

• God gave Saul the qualities necessary to be king of Israel (1 Sam. 10:9), but Saul from the outset disobeyed Samuel’s charge to do nothing apart from him. (1 Sam. 10:7-8) In impatience, Saul put his own choices above God’s.

King Saul disobeyed God in several ways, including:

Offering a sacrifice

Saul disobeyed God by offering a sacrifice instead of waiting for Samuel to do so. This was a duty reserved for priests, not kings.

Not destroying the Amalekites

Saul disobeyed God by sparing the Amalekites’ king, Agag, and taking some of their best animals home with him. God had commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites and leave nothing behind.

Demanding a fast

Saul disobeyed God by demanding his soldiers fast without consulting his priest. This led to the soldiers starving and sinning when they finally ate.

Surrounding himself with people who opposed God

Saul surrounded himself with people who opposed God’s voice, including Ahijah, the grandson of the unfaithful priest Eli.

• Samson – “She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as I have time after time and shake myself free.” For Samson did not know that the LORD had departed from him”.

Transition: What I found most ‘enlightening’ about this passage in Psalms was its usage/context.

There is an ‘anointing’ when people gather together in unity!

Context of:

• Psalm 133 is actually the first of a pair of psalms (along with Ps. 134) found among a string of “Songs of Ascent” which were sung by pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for the various yearly feasts.
• There was undoubtedly much enthusiasm and anticipation among these pilgrims as they trekked, sometimes long distances, to the capital city to celebrate together. Along with enthusiasm came the inevitable discord that comes whenever large amounts of people congregate together and are required to share the same resources, from water to food to lodging. What is intended to be a unifying event can create disharmony and disunity as tensions rise amidst families and between different traveling parties. Just go to the Alaska State Fair and you’ll see the same dynamics at work.

Thus, Psalm 133 announces the beauty and pleasantness experienced by brothers—whether kinfolk or otherwise—when they dwell together in unity. To illustrate that unity, David uses what seems to be a most interesting and unrelated image: Aaron and his exuberantly oiled beard.

Not surprisingly, there’s more going on here than just a reference to dripping oil, and it’s all in the way David has skillfully constructed this second verse.

Notice how he builds upon the progress of the oil as it flows, pulled by gravity, down from the head to the beard to the collar of the robes. You can almost see it happening.

• But it’s only after the second of these mental images that we’re given the key piece of information that makes this illustration come together: it’s not just anyone’s beard. It’s Aaron’s beard. It’s the beard of Israel’s first high priest.

The mention of Aaron here is highly significant. By David’s time, Aaron had been dead some 400 years, which means he’s not describing some recent event in the minds of these worshippers as much as he’s digging deep into the most significant events of their history as a nation. He’s taking them back to the beginning, to the time when Aaron was first installed as Israel’s high priest. Leviticus 8 describes this momentous event:

Uniqueness of an ‘Anointing’

And what was that uniqueness exactly? Well, the high priest was the one man set apart by God to represent the people before him. Thus, the entire nation—every man, woman, and child in Israel—was summed up and represented by Aaron as he stood before Yahweh in the Tabernacle. Thus, the names of the tribes were inscribed on the onyx stones set in the shoulders of the ephod, and Aaron bore, inset on the breast piece, a stone for each Israelite tribe. The entire nation was unified and represented by this lone individual.

1. God’s ‘anointing’ speaks of His approval, blessing, and presence.
2. There is an ‘anointing’ when people gather together in unity!