How The Most High Intended Medicine

The Ancient Oils of Scripture

Essential Oils (EO’s) have been used throughout history to heal with profound success in all areas of the mind, body, and spirit. In the early 1900s scientists were able to isolate certain compounds in EO’s to better understand how they impacted our bodies and the benefits they can offer. Of course, with this type of advancement comes the desire to create cheaper alternatives to be mass produced. They did this by altering compounds in inferior plants or by doctoring them with lab created alternatives. I cannot stress this enough: creation cannot be replicated in a lab. EO’s are the life-blood of the plant with one drop containing 40 million-trillion molecules. That’s 40 with 18 zeros after it. Our body contains 100 trillion cells, so any single drop of an EO can enter every cell in our body with tens of thousands of life-giving molecules. It’s no wonder in Revelation 22:2 we are told that the leaves of the tree of life will be for the healing of the nations. Our Heavenly Father gave us everything we needed to be healed.

Three kinds of healing

To heal is an incredibly complex concept. So complex that the Greek language has 3 words with different and distinct meanings. Just so you know the English language has 1. Let’s look at these 3 now; go ahead and look up these verses: John 3:16-17, Matthew 15:28, and Mark 6:13.

John 3:16-17 – Sozo Our first distinct meaning is directly translated over 100 times as “Salvation”. Strong’s concordance defines this as – “to deliver out of danger into safety”. This deliverance refers to a total restoration of the body, mind, and spirit. Please read verse 17 again with the word “saved” replacing the word “healed”. To Yah they are one and the same.

Matthew 15:28 – Laomai This is used 27 times in scripture and refers almost exclusively to the supernatural healing performed by The Messiah to bring attention to Himself as the great physician. This is to remind the nations and us today that Yah gave us everything we needed to be healed, even His Son.

Mark 6:13 – Therapeuo Our last king of healing, translated over 40 times, means reversing a physical condition to restore a person having an illness of infirmity. When the Messiah was on the earth, He was the supernatural healer and sent His disciples out to provide therapy. He commanded them and us to care for the sick, and help them find healing by applying His natural medicine. Yah provides the healing in His own time according to His purposes and we are blessed to join Him in this restorative process of anointing the broken and weak of body and spirit.

Anointing oils

Read Exodus 30:22-25

Yah spoke to Moses in Exodus 30 and was very specific in the way He instructed the Israelites to create His holy anointing oil. The precise recipe was to be followed and used only by the priests. This oil was used on the tent of meeting, the arc of testimony, the table and utensils, alter of incense, alter of burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons. Not only was Yah separating these items and people as holy for His purposes, they were also to be anointed with this oil for purification, both physically and spiritually. The commonality of all of these items and people was that they were in contact with the physical and spiritual sin of the entire nation of Israel. Yah links our spiritual, emotional, and physical health all together. For this reason, the priests of Israel were not just responsible for ceremonial sacrifices and the cleansing of spiritual sin, they were also responsible for diagnosing and prescribing remedies for the people for physical ailments related to that sin.

*James 5:14

Pouring of oil – Laying on of Hands – Prayer – Blessing

Myrrh

Read Song of Songs 3:6

Myrrh is not just the 1st oil listed in our holy anointing recipe; it is also the 1st oil listed in scripture in Genesis 37:25. Myrrh rivals frankincense to be the most spoken of oil in scripture. It was there when Joseph was sold as a slave headed for Egypt; it was there in Matthew 2:11 as a gift given to the King of Kings; it was there at the cross in Mark 15:23 when our Passover lamb took on the sins of the world; it was brought in bulk to anoint His body in burial in John 19:39; and it will be there at the fall of Babylon as the merchants grieve in Revelation 18:13. This rock like, gum-resin that comes from the myrrh tree is seen from cover to cover because of how powerful an oil it is. When inhaled it has a direct effect on the hypothalamus, pituitary, and amygdala, the seat of our emotions. The list is too long to tell you all the uses and benefits of this oil, but here are just a few:

used as perfume, medicine, abrasions, bruises, sprains, ingest for relief of ulcers, colds, coughs, asthma, congestion, arthritis, circulatory system, skin conditions, sun and bug repellent

Its regenerative properties for mind, body, and spirit made it a common daily use in biblical times. I often tell people to use a carrier oil when applying EO’s so that it will have a time-release effect. Myrrh is so thick it WAS the carrier oil for other oils. Myrrh was mixed with everything they applied to their skin and even used in recipes they ate. This is the reason it was added to Esther’s beauty routine for 6 months, why Sarah was so desired by pharaoh even into her 60s, and the Egyptians used it in the mummification process. Here are a few places in scripture you can find it:

*Genesis 37:25 *Exodus 30:23 *John 19:39

*Revelation 18:13 *Esther 2:12 *Matthew 2:11

*Psalm 45:8 *Mark 15:23 *Song of Solomon 3:6

Cassia

Read Psalm 45:7-8

Cassia is our second oil mentioned in the holy anointing recipe and comes from the bark of an evergreen tree found in southern China, and for that reason it was a more expensive oil, considering how far it had to travel to get to the middle east. We see it being traded in Ezekiel 27:19. It was known as the “Oil of Gladness or Joy” because of its emotionally uplifting effects. This oil has also been used to support the immune system and help the digestive system function smoothly.

*Isaiah 61:1-3 *Psalm 45:8 *Exodus 30:23

Onycha

Read Exodus 30:23

Our third oil mentioned is an obscure oil only mentioned in this verse. Onycha has been linked back to a gum resin used by the ancient Egyptians for perfume and incense. Throughout history this has been used in dental health and care because of its restorative properties and is the primary ingredient found in disinfectants, local anesthetics, and ointments to speed the healing in wounds.

Rose of Sharon

Read SOS 2:1-2

This rose spoken of in Solomon’s love letter is traced back through history to the cistus plant, also known as rock rose. It has a beautiful honey-like scent, and was used as an ingredient for incense and also to treat colds, coughs, menstrual problems, and rheumatism. This oil is not just an anti-inflammatory, it is an anti-viral, anti-bacterial, an anti-fungal, and was used by shepherds on the skin of their goats to aid in healing when injured. There is a story of how sheep would get their head caught in briars, and die trying to get them untangled. They would use these briars to scratch at their faces. A certain type of fly would torment these sheep by laying eggs in their nostrils, which would turn into worms, and drive the sheep to extremes to relieve the pain. Both their eyes and ears were also susceptible to these tormenting insects so shepherds would anoint their whole heads with this oil, forming a barrier of protection against the sheep and its tormentor. What a beautiful allegory for our Shepherd and how He takes care of His sheep.

Cedarwood

Read Numbers 19:6

Cedarwood plays an intricate role in both the temple of Yah and the sacrifices made to Him. We see in 1 Kings 6:11-15 how the cedars of Lebanon were used to panel the interior walls of the temple from floor to ceiling. This may have been a detail that, like me, you may have previously glossed over while reading about all of the building materials used, but this was a specific type of wood, instructed to Solomon by Yah. The oil in this wood would have stayed aromatic for years, even a century. This becomes significant when we understand that cedarwood contains 98% sesquiterpenes. Sesquiterpenes are a type of molecule that can cross the blood-brain barrier and oxygenate the brain simply by smelling it. Cedarwood is an amazing oil to use anytime you need help filtering out the noise and focusing on a task. It improves our ability to think clearly and is linked to the cleansing of certain emotions, most notably conceit and pride. Cedarwood enhances melatonin stimulation, helping to clear your mind so you can rest peacefully, and for this reason is also used while meditating on the Word. With the building of the temple, we can’t help but think about Solomon and his wisdom. How much time he must have spent meditating on Elohim’s word within those walls, breathing this fragrance in daily, allowing his mind to be free and clear in this task given to him by Elohim. At some point Solomon must have stopped visiting the temple with regularity, because he got distracted from The One True Elohim who had supported him and provided for his needs and desires.

Cypress

Read 2 Chronicles 2:8

Cypress is another oil we find used as a building material for the temple as well as other structures. The floors of the temple were covered in cypress as we read in 1 Kings 6:15. Cypress supports feelings of security and stability, perfect for the floors of the temple. Cypress is a hard wood used in the building materials of ships, houses, and even Egyptian sarcophagi. Records dating back to the 1800s BC, mention cypress oil being used for arthritis, laryngitis, scar tissue removal, and cramps.

*Zechariah 11:2 *Ezekiel 31:8 *Song of Solomon 1:17

*Isaiah 60:13 *2 Chronicles 2:8 *Hosea 14:8

Myrtle

Read Nehemiah 8:14-15

Myrtle is a flowering evergreen bush and has been used in religious ceremonies for purification rituals. Myrtle was an important part of the Feast of Tabernacles, one of 4 plants instructed to be used. The 4 plants were: palm branches, myrtle, willow, and citron. A metaphor passed down explains why these 4 are used. The citron has both taste and aroma; the palm has only taste; the myrtle has only aroma; and the willow has neither taste nor aroma. These 4 represent the 4 spiritual mindsets of Yah’s people. It’s a metaphor for the law and good works. We see this acted out in the Book of Esther. The word myrtle in Hebrew is Hadassah, Esther’s Jewish name. Esther was chosen for her beauty, some might say her “aroma”, but when the time came Esther was more than her namesake by holding fast to the Lord and His promises, standing before the king for her people.

*Esther 2:12 *Zechariah 1:11

*Exodus 30:23 *Isaiah 55:13

Frankincense

Read Leviticus 24:7

Just like myrrh, frankincense is a rock-like, gum resin, taken from the Boswellia tree. And just like myrrh we find frankincense being mentioned throughout the Bible. Its benefits and uses are too numerous to name, but just a few are: anti-arthritic, anti-bacterial, anti-depressant, anti-inflammatory, immune enhancer, and an anti-oxidant. The similarities between frankincense and our Messiah are too many to disregard. You see frankincense is harvested by wounding the tree in a process called “tapping”. Well trained harvesters will slit the tree so that the sap runs. This “blood” of the tree runs to the surface to heal the wound. The resin hardens on the surface of the tree, sealing the slit. It is only after the tree has been wounded and bleeds, does it create the life-giving resin that is so long sought after. Isn’t that the very picture of our perfect Messiah? That is why, when I smell this oil, I am reminded of our Messiah, because both are anti-pain, anti-sickness, anti-depressant, immune building, and given to us by Our Heavenly Father.

*Revelation 18:13 *Jeremiah 6:20 *Nehemiah 13:9 *Leviticus 24:7

*Matthew 2:11 *Isaiah 60:6 *Song of Solomon 4:14

*Exodus 30:34 *Genesis 43:11

Hyssop

Read Exodus 12:22

Hyssop comes from a brightly colored shrub that resembles lavender. Historically hyssop has been used to make strong teas that help with nose, throat, and lung afflictions. In scripture we find it primarily used for ritual cleansing and ceremonial offerings. In Leviticus 13-14 we find instructions for cleansing lepers, and a complicated recipe for cleansing skin diseases and mold. In Exodus the Jews were given clear instructions involving hyssop during Passover. The soaking of these leaves into the blood, would have amplified the pungent smell throughout the land, forever linking this event to the olfactory memory areas within the brain, which would be revisited when our Messiah was on the cross. It was customary to offer those being crucified a cheap pain killer of wine mixed with myrrh to help dull their senses. We see this being done in John 19:28-30 when a wine-soaked sponge is placed on a stalk of hyssop and lifted to the Messiah. This is the last thing He smelled and tasted before proclaiming “it is finished”.

*Exodus 12:22 * 1 Kings 4:33 *Leviticus 14:49

*Psalm 51:7 *John 19:29

Aloes (Sandalwood)

Read Proverbs 7:15-18

The term “Aloes” comes from the aloe wood tree, today known as sandalwood. This is the most valuable tree in the world, and creates a deeply aromatic oil. Historically sandalwood has been used for meditation and embalming. It also is filled with sesquiterpenes helping you to think clearly and focus, just like cedarwood. Its regenerative properties rival those of myrrh and has been used for centuries in skin care. Sandalwood is mentioned in Psalms 45:8, alongside myrrh and cassia as a perfume and this combination is repeated in Proverbs 7:17 as an aphrodisiac. In John 19:38-42, we see the mixture of myrrh and sandalwood being offered by Nicodemus for the preserving of the Messiah’s body. The volume that Nicodemus brought would cost between $150,000 - $200,000 today. Both Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus understood the enormity of what the Messiah had done and were willing to offer up the most valuable to honor His sacrifice.

*Proverbs 7:17 *Psalm 45:8 *Numbers 24:6

* John 19:39 *Song of Solomon 4:14

For me, learning about these oil’s benefits and uses, both biblically and historically, has revealed the scriptures to me with a whole new light. Yah’s specific instructions detailing these plants and the oils that come from them, how they are to be used and when, are still beneficial today. As I said earlier, Yah links our spiritual, emotional, and physical health all together. He created the chemical compounds in these EOs to work together in harmony. When you separate them or amplify one more than the other, you not only miss out on the full benefits available, you may also suffer adverse effects. It is only with modern advancement that not only these compounds, but the concepts of mind, body, and spirit have become separated in modern medicine. And just like the oils, when you separate the spiritual, the emotional, and the physical, or amplify the health of one over the others, you miss out on the benefits of whole-body wellness and may even suffer the consequences of adverse effects. As I spoke about in the beginning, the priests were responsible for prescribing remedies for the people. We are told in 2 Corinthians that we are the temple of the living Elohim, and in 1 Peter 2:9 that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Yah’s special possession that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful life. I challenge you to think about your role as a priest in Elohim’s holy nation and prayerfully consider how you are caring for His temple.

Author: Jessica Currie