.............................................................................................................................................................
by Wayne Blank
"Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart." (Proverbs 27:9 KJV)
(the
English words fuming and fumes, meaning burning and smoking,
are from the same "fume" as in perfume).
While
perfume literally means through the smoke, it has come to mean
"a pleasant cosmetic fragrance."
Although
ancient people used "perfume" in various forms, the Hebrew word of
the Scriptures, pronounced cet-oh-reth, that is often translated as
"perfume," also means smoke, or more specifically, sweet
smoke (i.e. incense).
Other
non-burning "perfumes," from flowers and spices, were however known
and used by the people of Bible History.
"Ointment and
perfume rejoice the heart"
The perfume used for
worship at the Tabernacle and Temple was a specific blend of spices and
frankincense that was to be used for no other purpose.
"And The Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices,
stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of
each shall there be a like weight: And thou shalt make it a perfume, a
confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in
the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be
unto you most holy.
"And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not
make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee
holy for The Lord. Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall
even be cut off from his people." (Exodus 30:34-38 KJV)
The connection to
perfume (the "fume" of perfume) and smoke is plainly stated in the
Scriptures:
"Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars
of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the
merchant?" (Song of Solomon 3:6 KJV)
Other non-smoke
"perfumes" were known and used however:
"Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart." (Proverbs 27:9 KJV)
"I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved
works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and
cinnamon." (Proverbs 7:16-17 KJV)
The perfume use of
myrrh and aloes as stated above can also be found in the preparation of
Christ's body for burial.
"And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first
came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an
hundred pound weight."
"Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen with
the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury" (John 19:39-40 KJV)
Fact Finder:
Just before His crucifixion, did a friend of Jesus Christ anoint Him with
an ointment from which "the house was filled with the fragrance?"
John 12:3 (RSV)
No comments:
Post a Comment