A Biblical Perspective on Essential Oils. Teri Secrest NLINE PREVIEW O E PREVIE ONLINE PREV

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1 A Biblical Perspective on ssential Oils VIW ON Teri Secrest ONLIN PV ONLIN PVIW IN PVIW PVI NLIN PVIW O

2 Introduction VIW ON One of the most powerful examples of God s provision for us throughout the ages comes in the form of exquisite drops of oil, known as essential oils. Who could have predicted that these tiny drops of liquid gold would make such an impact on 21st century health? Yet, after anointing my family and myself with essential oils on a daily basis for the last twenty years, I predict that essential oils will prove to be the most powerful natural health solution for today and for future generations. You might say that the rediscovery of essential oils is the missing link to modern medicine! There are many books available to teach you the chemistry of essential oils. A simple online search will also lead you to the modern day uses of essential oils. My passion is to share with you the drama, romance and spiritual history of essential plant oils which is laced as a golden thread all throughout Scripture. How is it possible that something so exciting and so vital for enjoying a full life could be hidden right in front of our eyes? Year after year, as a child, our family read the Christmas story and I always wondered why the wise men brought Frankincense and Myrrh to the Christ child. But no one could ever answer my question! I concluded that it must be just some kind of fairy tale! ONLIN PV ONLIN PVIW IN PVIW NLIN PVIW O PVI 2

3 Fast forward to 1995, after a profound experience with an There is a treasure to be desired essential oil involving the birth of my third child, Joseph, suddenly the Scriptures began to unfold and come alive in regard to wise. and oil in the dwelling of the essential oils. For the next several years, I read every book available, traveled the world in search of understanding and searched Proverbs 21:20 And when they had opened the Scriptures from Genesis all the way to evelation to gain their treasures, they presented every clue possible about these treasures. unto him gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh. My greatest hope is that this booklet gives you a glimpse of the deep love and care our Creator has for every aspect of our 2:10 lives, our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. May this fragrance of Heaven be received in a way that brings the eternal comfort and lasting joy that our Lord so desires for each of His children. VIW ONMatthew 3 ONLIN PV Teri Secrest ONLIN PVIW IN PVIW NLIN PVIW O PVI

4 VIW ON ONLIN PV The Anointing of Aaron You shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve Me as priests. xodus 28:41 So Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him. Leviticus 8:30 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron s beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments. Psalm 133:2 ONLIN PVIW IN PVIW NLIN PVIW O PVI 4

5 What Are ssential Oils? ssential oils are the life blood of aromatic plants, the immune system of the plant that protects it from harm. This liquid gold is distilled from the leaves, flowers, roots and stems of plants and the bark of trees. If we walk outside, take a leaf off a tree and tear it, the liquid that drips out of the vein is its essential oil! This was God s provision for us in Biblical times and it is still His provision for us today! During Christ s lifetime on earth, certain essential oils were so expensive they were traded on the world market in the same way we trade gold and silver today. The wealth of a king or ruler was determined by the amount of oil he possessed. In India, cinnamon oil was the measure of wealth. In the Holy Land, frankincense was the measure of wealth. Throughout Scripture, we have discovered that essential oils were in every part of life. They were used as anointing oil to consecrate priests and kings. They were used to beautify. They were used to bring joy to the heart through perfume. ssential oils were also used to cleanse: we see examples of oils being used on people s clothes and even on their beds. ssential oils were such a common part of everyday life throughout Biblical times that Scripture includes over five hundred references to essential oils and aromatic plants. VIW ON 5 ONLIN PV ONLIN PVIW And the leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations. evelation 22:2 IN PVIW NLIN PVIW O PVI

6 VIW ON ssential Oils are ichly Woven Through History Oils as a sign of friendship and hospitality According to Jewish tradition, it was an act of hospitality to wash and then anoint the head and feet of a visitor who had traveled a long distance. Naturally, the scent of the oils covered up any unpleasant smell associated with traveling in the heat and dust. Yet, the best part of this ritual is that it created a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere the moment your guest arrived. Today, many people use essential oil diffusers in their homes to create the same welcoming scent. As an added benefit, certain citrus scents such as Lemon, Orange, Tangerine and Grapefruit have been known to be emotionally uplifting! We read dozens of stories about anointing the head, feet, clothing and bedding with oils along with numerous beautiful examples of diffusing their exquisite scents into the air! We see oils used to lift the spirit, oils used during prayer time and, of course, oils used for anointing the sick. In Healing Oils of the Bible, author David Stewart writes, The Hebrew word for anoint is masach, which means to smear, spread or massage. In some cases, it means to pour oil all over the head and body. That is no small amount of oil! The word precious was never applied to olive oil, but always indicated the use of essential oils such as cassia, hyssop, and frankincense. 6 ONLIN PV ONLIN PVIW IN PVIW NLIN PVIW O PVI

7 Oils are not just for symbolic rituals. If they were, you could use olive oil or any oil. I believe that essential plant oils are one of the greatest hidden treasures in Scripture. And I believe they will prove to be one of the most important missing links to modern medicine. This important verse makes the distinction between the fragrant oils used for anointing and those oils used for lamps. Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil and for sweet incense. xodus 25:6 Depending on which plant or tree the oil is from determines the health benefits of that oil. For example, most oils extracted from trees such as Frankincense, Cedarwood and Sandalwood possess properties that support good bone health. The essential oil from Cypress trees supports good circulation. If you want to maintain strong muscles, think about anointing your muscles with Marjoram essential oil. And if you desire to maintain your connective tissue and ligaments, consider using Lemongrass oil. There are literally hundreds of plants given to us to help support the body s core strength and vitality. VIW ON 7 ONLIN PV Plants were God s gift to us on the third day of creation: The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the third day. Genesis 1:12-13 ONLIN PVIW IN PVIW NLIN PVIW O PVI

8 O V N O L IW N IN L N IN O LI P N P IN P V P V I P I V V I W W I Holy Anointing Oil W xodus 30:23-24 contains the recipe given by God to Moses for a Holy Anointing Oil which was used by the priests to anoint and cleanse everything in the temple. It was made from Myrrh, Cassia, Cinnamon, Calamus and olive oil. Modern calculations conclude that the recipe yielded nearly six gallons of anointing oil! You see what I mean? No one would use six gallons of oil if it was just a nice little symbolic act! Then God gives Moses the formula for His own exquisite perfume! This consists of equal parts of Frankincense, Onycha, Galbanum and Stacte, another Biblical word for Myrrh. We find this text in xodus 30: This formula is not to be copied or made for personal use, as it is holy unto the Lord for His pleasure. Imagine our Creator loves scent! 8

9 O V N O L IW N IN L N IN O LI P N P IN P V P V I P I V V I W W I W Queen sther Women, how would you like to capture the heart of your king? The intriguing story of sther and the secret of her beauty is found in the oil of Myrrh and other beauty oils. Imagine bathing in exquisite perfume for twelve months! ach young woman s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of Myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women. sther 2:12 The king loved sther more than all the other women and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. sther 2:17 This has to be one of the greatest love stories ever written! 9

10 VIW ON Five xquisite ssential Oils of the Bible Frankincense is considered to be the most universal of all the Biblical oils. It is extracted from the Boswellia tree by carefully cutting the bark and gathering the white sap that forms around the cut. The Hebrew and Greek word incense is translated into Frankincense. There are fifty-two references to Frankincense from xodus 30:34 to evelation 18:13. This is a beautiful oil for immune and respiratory system support. It is also my favorite oil to breathe before prayer time. Myrrh is the most mentioned of any oil in Scripture I have perfumed my bed with Myrrh, Aloes, and Cinnamon. Proverbs 7:17 I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my Myrrh with my spice. Song of Solomon 5:1 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dripped with Myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling Myrrh upon the handles of the lock. Song of Solomon 5:5 ONLIN PV In addition to the multiple times Myrrh appears in relation to beauty and romance, modern science is using Myrrh as a main ingredient in numerous oral hygiene applications such as many brands of toothpaste. Myrrh is also commonly used as a fixative to prolong the life of the fragrances of perfumes and ointments. ONLIN PVIW IN PVIW NLIN PVIW O PVI 10