Oils of the Bible (Class)
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Download all slides and text (zip file) or download and copy/paste individually below.
Download all slides and text (zip file) or download and copy/paste individually below.
WELCOME!
Hi, friends! We are so excited to have you join us for this class on essential oils of the Bible! This is a class that we truly love teaching and sharing with others.
Ever since I started my oils journey, I feel like I have been drawn closer to God through His creation. The more that I learn and experience, the more fascinated I have become. And isn’t it truly amazing how essential oils go back thousands of years? In fact, they are talked about all throughout the Bible!
So, let’s get started and dive in! We have so much goodness in store for you!
WHAT IS AN ESSENTIAL OIL?
Essential oils are considered the life blood of plants — the immune system of the plant that protects it from harm. These bottles of “liquid gold” that we have in our homes are distilled from the leaves, flowers, roots, and stems of plants and the bark of trees. If you were to walk outside and take a leaf off a tree right now and tear it in half, 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!
Here is a little more about their history –
“During Christ’s lifetime on earth, certain essential oils were so expensive they were traded on the world market in the same way that 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. Essential oils were also used to cleanse: we see examples of oils being used on people’s clothes and even on their beds. Essential oils were such a common part of everyday life throughout Biblical times that Scripture includes over six hundred references to essential oils and aromatic plants.” – Teri Secrest
So why Young Living specifically??
They are pure and unadulterated oils — so many of the oils that are sold in health food stores or at the grocery store contain synthetic ingredients. Actually, there is no official regulations on the purity of oils so anyone can slap a label on a bottle and claim they are 100% pure even if they contain synthetic ingredients.
We trust Young Living more than any other company on the market because of their Seed to Seal process, in which they ensure that every single part of a plant’s development to the distillation and bottling process is regulated and pure, without any use of pesticides or other harmful ingredients. They meet rigorous testing requirements to ensure that they meet purity standards. These amazing, pure oils most resemble the purity of oils that we are going to be talking about from Biblical times. There is no other brand that we would trust to use for ourselves and our families.
ESSENTIAL OILS ARE CREATED BY GOD
Genesis 1:29 states, “Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.’ “
When God created the world, He spoke everything into being — including the very plants, trees, flowers, etc. that make up our precious bottles of oils. From the beginning of creation, God made this natural world to be so much more than what we see with our eyes. In that moment that He spoke creation into existence, He also spoke essential oils into existence. That natural world points to His glory in so many ways. I mean, He even placed Adam and Eve in a garden and dwelt there among them.
Do you ever have moments where you just feel more at peace and more fulfilled after spending time outdoors?? I sure do! In some ways, when we are outside in nature and enjoying God’s creation, we’re essentially playing around in God’s diffuser. He designed plants’ aromas and essential oils to be in the world that we live in.
The aromas of plants come from the essential oils in them and are important for emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental support and function.
There are over 600 references to essential oils listed in the Bible, with 33 specific oils and aromatics mentioned.
“Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s house,” Proverbs 21:20.
PRIESTS WERE THE ORIGINAL HEALERS
Exodus 30:22-31 states, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘ Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet smelling cinnamon half as much, that is 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin and its stand. You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy. You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations.’”
God was very, very specific in the way he instructed the Israelites to make this blend of oil—there was purpose and meaning behind all of it. The holy anointing oil blend of Myrrh, Cinnamon, Myrtle, and Cassia would have been extremely purifying and cleansing, as you can just imagine the smell and potential for bacteria with all the sacrifices in the temple. And how incredible is it that we have access to these very same oils today?? We can actually know exactly what this sacred anointing oil that God ordained the priests to use smells like.
Priests were the ones who were chosen to use this holy essential oil blend to cleanse and bless the offerings brought into the tent of meeting, and later into the temple itself. They would also anoint God’s people, and even structures!
Next time you pull out a bottle of oil, try to imagine these priests thousands of years ago doing the same thing!
WE ARE NOW THE PRIESTS!
Priests were the ones who were given the charge to use the holy anointing oil, but now we are the priests in a sense! Everything in the Old Testament temple and laws were symbolic of the new covenant and a shadow of the Redeemer to come. When Jesus died, the temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom, and those who put their trust in Him became His disciples and a carrier of His message and power in the world, and the same is true of all of us today who put our trust in Him! We are God’s vessel to this broken world! There is a responsibility on us to go out into the world and spread His love and message and be carriers of the same message that these priests were thousands of years ago — redemption. Just as God used temple priests to heal and anoint, He can do the same through us today. We are the priests!
“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light,” 1 Peter 2:9.
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” 1 Corinthians 3:16.
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own,” 1 Corinthians 6:19.
“What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said, ‘I will live with them and walk along them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people,’” 2 Corinthians 6:16.
WHAT IS ANOINTING?
“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord,” James 5:14.
“You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows,” Psalm 23:5.
So what is anointing??
“It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down the collar of his robe,” Psalm 133:2.
In Biblical terms, it means “bestowing of divine power,” “to pour oil on someone in a ritualistic fashion,” or “to rub or massage.” In fact, the Hebrew word for anoint is masach, which is very similar to our word for massage.
Anointing someone with oil is mentioned 156 times in Scripture! They anointed anything and everything because of the symbolism and belief of the blessing it bestowed. It was very expensive in those days — they really understood the importance of what they were doing. So, go forth and anoint your kids and loved ones with our beloved essential oils with meaning and purpose!
A TOUCH OF CHEMISTRY
Learning about essential oil chemistry has become something that I geek out over. And it is even more exciting in light of God’s creation — that He purposely and specifically created this natural world with certain properties that support our wellness.
One drop of essential oil contains 40 million trillion molecules! I don’t even know how many zeroes that is! We have 100 trillion cells in our bodies, so 1 drop of EO can cover every cell in our body with 400,000 molecules!
We have the hindsight in our 21st century world of more knowledge and insight into how essential oils work, but we wouldn’t have this knowledge if those who had come before us didn’t also discover the wonderfulness and purpose of God’s creation!
Bear with me for just a second as I get a little science-y on you and throw some big words at you!
Essential oils contain Phenols and Phenylpropanoids, which work to clean off receptor sites to improve communication. They can help to reverse negative thought patterns that become ingrained through neuroplasticity.
Monoterpenes can reprogram miswritten areas of DNA (genotype — can’t change, phenotype — can change).
Sesquiterpenes deliver oxygen to cells, especially the brain. They will reprogram damaged DNA, deleting what should not be there.
These oils are intricate and powerful in so many ways and point back to the genius and brilliance of our Creator God!
ALOES/SANDALWOOD
John 19:38-39 states, “Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.”
Aloes refers to Sandalwood oil and was used in the blend for Jesus’ burial. And given the amount used, it would be worth about $150,000-$200,000 today!!
Sandalwood has been used for centuries to support the look and vitality of skin. Sandalwood is high in sesquiterpenes, and the aroma is uplifting and relaxing.
CASSIA
Psalm 45:8 states, “All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.”
If you’ve ever smelled cassia before, you might recognize something about the scent — that’s because it is from the same family as cinnamon and smells warm and rich. Cassia supports the immune system and circulatory system as well as normal blood sugar levels.
CEDARWOOD
Although we don’t officially know for sure, Cedarwood has long been considered to be the first oil to ever be distilled. It was used by the Egyptians and Sumerians for 5,000 years for embalming and ritual purposes as well as other medicinal purposes.
Cedarwood was used in Leviticus 14 in a cleansing recipe for people with leprosy. Cedarwood and hyssop essential oils were to be placed at the top of the right ear, right thumb, and right toe, kind of like a head, shoulders, knees, and toes dance.
Leprosy was considered a humiliating disease, brought shame to the family, and was often thought to be caused by something within the relationship one had with their parents. In reflexology, the right ear is related to resolving issues with parents, the thumb is a trigger for clearing unknown fears and mental blocks for learning, and the right big toe is for clearing addictions and compulsive behavior, and God told the priest to put cedarwood and hyssop on those points. Leprosy was a humility disease — it brought shame to the family. And cedarwood is a wisdom oil that deals with our conceit and pride.
Solomon’s temple was built from the mighty cedars of Lebanon, and cedarwood oil is mentioned 25 times in 8 different books of the Bible.
It is also high in sesquiterpenes, and its powerful scent is relaxing, calming, and comforting. You can also find Cedarwood in some blends such as Brain Power, Grounding, and Highest Potential.
CYPRESS
“I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together,” Isaiah 41:29.
Can you just picture the horizon clustered with all these brilliant trees? God places every tree, plant, hill, and person exactly as He designs!
Cypress is rich in monoterpenes. Its scent is refreshing and supports feelings of security and stability. Next time you breathe in the scent of cypress, praise God that He is your safe and secure resting place!
FRANKINCENSE
Beloved Frank! This oil was used in the holy incense blend from Exodus 30:34. An old Egyptian saying states, “Frankincense is good for everything from gout to a broken head.”
In Numbers 16:46-50, Aaron puts on the holy incense and stands between the living and the dead and stops a plague from spreading, preventing more people from death. Aaron himself literally acted as a diffuser. And separating the living from the dead is symbolic of what Jesus has done for us — He stands between the living and the dead.
The holy incense was burned 24/7 in the temple. It activates a part in our brain that is only activated by prayer. It supports our focus and prayer and worship of the Lord.
HYSSOP
Hyssop was used during the first Passover in Exodus 12:22 — “Strike the lintel and the two side posts.” This would have bruised the hyssop leaves as they struck their doors and released the scent of oil to protect them from the death coming.
Psalm 51:7 states, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”
King David had an affair, got the woman pregnant, and then killed her husband, but he wasn’t repentant until the prophet Nathan confronted him. Suddenly he snapped out of it, saw his sin with clarity, and called for hyssop to cleanse him of his deep sin.
Historically, hyssop has been thought to be spiritually purifying and aid in cleansing oneself from sin, immorality, evil thoughts, or bad habits. Hyssop was also part of the leprosy recipe we talked about earlier along with cedarwood.
There is scientific basis for this:
Contains 50% ketones, which act like phenols and cleanse receptor sites.
Contains 5-10% sesquiterpenes that have been shown to delete addictions at the cellular level and help with compulsive behavior.
Contains 20-30% monoterpenes, which reprogram DNA and can restore normal function.
Known for its purifying properties, hyssop has a high ORAC value (antioxidant value).
In John 19:29, Hyssop was mixed with sour wine and offered to Jesus on the cross. Crucifixion, more than anything else, was a slow death by suffocation, and hyssop is supportive of the respiratory system. It was offered to ease His suffering.
MYRRH
Fun fact: Myrrh was the first oil to be mentioned in the Bible when Joseph was sold by his brothers to Myrrh traders. It is also the last oil to be mentioned in the Bible in Revelation 18:13.
Myrrh was given to Mary and Joseph as a gift for Jesus in Matthew 2:11. Myrrh promotes feelings of bonding and security.
In Esther 2:12, Esther was massaged with Myrrh for 6 months to prepare for her marriage to the king. Myrrh is emotionally balancing, promoting feelings of peace, security, and bonding and also supports the skin — all things Esther would want before her marriage.
Myrrh is one of the most versatile oils — it is purifying, restorative, revitalizing, and uplifting.
MYRTLE
Speaking of Esther again, her Hebrew name was Hadassah, which is Hebrew for “myrtle.”
Myrtle was part of the perfume oil blend for the year of preparation she had to go through to become the wife of the king.
Myrtle is a wonderful hormone support oil and is also known to be soothing to the respiratory system and excellent for skin and hair.
You can also find myrtle in these blends: EndoFlex, Purification, and R.C.
ONYCHA
Onycha was used in the holy incense recipe in Exodus 30:34. It is the heaviest of all the oils — you often need a toothpick to get it out of the bottle. It contains vanillin aldehyde, an organic compound also found in vanilla bean, which is why it smells like hints of vanilla.
Historically, Onycha was valuable for its ability to speed healing of wounds and prevent infection. Today it is used to support digestion, organ function, blood sugar balancing, and is soothing for skin.
ROSE OF SHARON/CISTUS
Cistus (Cistus ladanifer) goes by multiple different names in the Bible — Rose of Sharon, rock rose, cistus, ladanum, and labdanum. Shepherds used the gum of the rock rose to rub into the skin of their goats or sheep when they had cuts or abrasions to promote healing.
Cistus supports joints, the circulatory system, and proper immune function. It is also great for the skin as it “holds everything together.”
Cistus is also found in ImmuPower.
OTHER BLENDS
Here are some amazing Young Living blends that also contain oils that are mentioned in the Bible —
Exodus II (love this oil for both emotional and immune support!) contains cassia, myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, hyssop, galbanum, frankincense, and spikenard.
3 Wise Men contains sandalwood, juniper, frankincense, spruce, and myrrh.
Our beloved Valor contains spruce, frankincense, blue tansy, and geranium essential oils. A blend just like this one was used by Roman soldiers before going to battle for courage and empowerment. They covered themselves, their armor, and dipped their swords into it, even dumping buckets of it over their heads and went into battle dripping wet. Can you imagine, dripping wet with Valor?!
A STUDY ON HEALING
Essential oils are such a wonderful tool that we have — a gift that God has given to us to support our wellness, our emotions, our hormones — every part of us. They support us in so many ways! Maybe you have experienced some incredible WOW moments with your oils or you know someone that has — praise God!
Let’s look a little bit deeper into the topic of healing.
The Greek language has three different words for healing, but our English language only has one. The word healing is found 73 times in the New Testament.
Sozo — meaning spiritual healing or salvation is found 3 times
Laomai — meaning instant, miraculous healing, found 30 times
Therapeuo — meaning gradual healing over time with care. Where we get our word for therapy or therapeutic, found 40 times in the NT.
We all have areas in our lives or know someone who is hoping or praying for healing in some way. Healing can be amazing even if it is not instantaneous. Keep applying oils, keep praying, and keep anointing. God gave us these amazing oils to support our wellness!
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly,” John 10:10.
Wellness. Purpose. Abundance.
THANK YOU!
We are so glad that you joined us for this class! We hope that you truly enjoyed it and learned something new and even became a bit more amazed at these oils that you used and the God who has made them! We hope this class and these oils gives you a glimpse of the deep love and care our Creator has for every aspect of our lives — our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing!
