The Essential Holy Healing of Oils
By Lt. Gina Noble
Santa Clara, CA Citadel Corps – Golden State Division

Note:  This is a complete program for Women’s Ministries that incorporates the Bible study, devotion and craft into one.

Supplies

  • 15ml Lavender Pure Essential Oil – Recommend purchase online from DoTerra, Saje, or Young Living.  (also available at retail stores such as Whole Foods and Sprouts-Aura Cacia brand recommended)
  • 1 bundle Dried French Lavender – seasonally available at Trader Joes
  • 4oz Food Grade Lavender Buds available on Amazon
  • Small Mesh Bags with satin draw string – purchase on-line Oriental Trading

Decoration for Table

  • Bibles
  • Tablecloth
  • Easy to find greens such as mint, cypress, and basil (or other natural greens) in vases
  • Simple spices such as cinnamon sticks and whole cloves in bowls
  • Fresh fruits such as oranges and lemons cut and on plates
  • Scripture Cards Printed on Card Stock (Click on the following items for pictures that can be printed:  Book Graphic, David Stewart Quote, Revelation 22 Verse, Genesis 1 Verse, God gets the Glory Quote
  • Adoration of the Magi Photo of painting

Soothing & Sweet Light Snack

  • Try Lavender Vanilla Sugar Cookies; (add food grade/culinary lavender to Pillsbury sugar cookie dough and bake as directed)
  • Sip Chamomile or other Herbal Teas

Introduction:

“The healing oils of the Bible are all essential and aromatic. These oils are vital fluids of plants that are their life blood. They are called ‘essential’ because they are necessary for the life of the plant and contain the ‘essence’ of the plant. Essential oils were inhaled, applied to the body, and taken internally by the people of Biblical times. Their benefits to extend to every aspect of our beings: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. The ancient people of Holy Land seemed to understand this quite well. They used aromatic oils for every purpose from maintaining wellness, to physical healing, to enhancement of spiritual states in worship, to emotional cleansing, to purification from sin.” (The Healing Oils of the Bible by David Stewart)

Seventy percent of the books of the Bible mention essential oils, their uses, and/or the plants from which they are derived. There are 1,035 references, involving 33 species of aromatic herbs and tress in the Bible.

The fatty oils such as olive and almond oil served as food and fuel for light. The aromatic or essential oils served as flavorings, perfumes, incense, anointing, burial, and embalming. Essential oils were applied for emotional release, mental clearing, spiritual upliftment, physical healing, and prevention of disease.

1. God-The First Aromatherapist
In the beginning, God created the garden and placed Adam and Eve in it. He did not build them a house, but He did provide for all their needs in that first paradise, where there is no mention of shelter of any kind. He placed them out of doors, in a natural setting among the flowers, shrubs, grasses, and trees, as their furniture and dwelling place. (Genesis 2:8)

“Among the pleasant, rejuvenating things we like most about being close to nature are the smells of the plants- the perfume of the honeysuckle, the smell of fresh grass, or the soothing fragrance that wafts from the needles and bark of cedar, juniper, spruce, and fir. All of these aromas come from essential oils, broadcast by plants as their means of communication between themselves, the animal kingdom, and people. Perhaps a lesson to be learned from the story of creation in Genesis, is that God intended we live in an environment permeated with the gentle scents of essential oils.” (The Healing Oils of the Bible, by David Stewart)

Ed Covert, Executive Director at Camp Redwood Glen, would say, “We are to engage with the Creator in His Creation.”

We know that scientifically these natural essences are more than just pleasant. They are emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically healing. God has ingrained the aromatic molecules of plants, not only with the power to heal us when we are ill, but to nurture and preserve our health when we are well. When we dwell among nature, we are inhaling essential oils that are administering therapy to us.

“Fruit tress of the all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food, and the leaves for healing.”  Ezekiel 47:12

 “On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”  Revelation 22:2

God gave us the natural plants, trees, and herbs, including their extracts, to be our medicines. The science, and art of aromatherapy, is the inhalation, application, and ingestion of essential oils for healing and wellness. “It appears that God is the first aromatherapist, long before the word or concept was articulated by humans.” (The Healing Oils of the Bible by David Stewart)

2.   Jesus & The Adoration of the Magi
When the Magi or Three wise Men from the East came to visit ad worship Jesus, they brought Him and his family extravagant gifts.

 “On coming to the place. They saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. They opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, and of frankincense, and of myrrh.”  Matthew 2:11

Take a close look at the copy of the painting by Italian master, Carlo Dolchi (1616-1686)  CLICK HERE for a link to the picture.

The work is titled “The Adoration of the Magi.” The silver and gold vessels in the painting are incense censers. In Biblical times, hot coals were placed in the bottoms of the censers, with frankincense, myrrh and other aromatic gums or resins were placed on a concave metal depression near the top. You can see the chunks of the resins of myrrh and frankincense heaped on the censers. When the base was charged with coals, the heat beneath would vaporize the oils, and the fragrant fumes would diffuse out the top or through the vents in the lid. Censers are mentioned 20 times in the Bible.

Gold. We think of the gift of gold a being jewelry or perhaps bars of gold, as we know today, but in ancient times, the gift of gold, was the actual censers filled with frankincense and myrrh, as an offering brought by kings for The Messiah King.

Frankincense. Given to Mary and Joseph as a holy anointing oil. It was brought to the baby Jesus, because it was used to anoint the newborn sons of kings and priests.

Myrrh.  Especially, given to Jesus’ mother Mary, and was used after childbirth to prevent or remove abdominal stretchmarks. It was customarily used on umbilical cords of newborns to prevent or protect the navel from infection. Myrrh is a powerful antiseptic topically and when ingested supports the immune system.

3. Healing Holy Oils of Joy

What do these four Scripture passages have in common?

“You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oils of joy.”  Psalm 45:7

“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend spring from his earnest counsel.”  Proverbs 27:9

 “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives and release darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of our Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”  Isaiah 61:1,3

 “But about the Son he says. “Your throne, O God will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”  Hebrews 1:9

All of these verses refer to the anointing oils as vehicles of joy, gladness, and rejoicing. Essential oils have mood altering properties. The aromatic essential oils such as frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, cassia, and many others are mood elevating. The oils of flowers, such as rose of sharon, rosewood, palmarosa, jasmine, and roman chamomile, enhance positive energy and joy. This is also true of citrus oils, such as lemon, mandarin, bergamot and citrus leaves such as lemon grass and verbena. These oils stimulate gladness, delight, and joy.

“It is also worth noting that a state of cheerfulness is elevating to the immune system, helping to protect you from any illnesses. Thus, our emotional state is a key element to the state of our health and to the healing of disease. Of course, a positive mental attitude, must also be accompanied by right habits of healthful living according to God’s laws. But a little oil of joy can go a long way in keeping us well.” (The Healing Oils of the Bible by David Stewart)

4. Make & Take Project

Give each lady a small handful of lavender buds. Have them rub them together in the palms of their hands to release he fragrance. Place the buds in the small mesh draw string bag and sprinkle three drops of lavender essential oil on the buds in the bag. It is now ready to be given as a gift for under the pillow for restful relaxion and sleep, in the car for relief from anxiety promoting peaceful drives, or in the corner of a special drawer. Now have the ladies, rub their hands together until they are warm, then gently cup their hands over their mouths and nose (but not the eyes) and breathe.

*This is a good time to read the concluding Scripture and offer up the closing prayer

5. Other uses for oils in our lives

  • Put a few drops essential oils in the vacuum cleaner filter to make the whole house smell great and enhance your mood while cleaning – recommend lemongrass, mandarin, and eucalyptus oils
  • Place the floral essential oils of ylang ylang, geranium, and clary sage on dryer sheets to freshen clothing
  • Use peppermint oil to clear sinuses and promote deep breathing
  • Utilize food grade oils in cooking – recommend basil, ginger, thyme, oregano, and rosemary
  • Make aroma-thera-putty or add essential oils to kids’ slime.

There are so many other uses for essential oils. Whether ingestion, application, or diffusion – they can be a part of everyday healing and therapy. We could go so much deeper into the Scripture. The anointing of Jesus prior to His burial, and how the women brought spices to Jesus’ tomb. Oils were also used as currency for trading and brought to the temple as the tithe. Look up a verse in Scripture on your own that has to do with anointing and the uses of oils. Visit your local health food stores to see the array of essential oils. An easy search on-line will give you their healing properties and medicinal uses. There is more to explore about the holy oils of the Bible, and how we can use them in our lives today.

Conclusion Bible References:

 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance and knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”  2 Corinthians 2:14-15

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”  Ephesians 5:1-2

In his letter to the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul describes Christians as “sweet aromas” and “fragrances” spreading the gospel among the perishing while in his letter to the church in Ephesus, he admonished his fellow Christians to be imitators of Christ “who gave himself up for us, as a fragrant offering, and sacrifice to God.” The essential oils were held in great esteem by the early Christians, as not only are they a metaphor for the qualities of a Christian, but to the essence of Christ himself. As we would apply the healing oils, let us apply the essential of God’s great love to everything we are and do, by the power of His Holy Spirit in us.  CLICK HERE for a handout of the essential oils in the Bible.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father who is our Creator and Preserver and Healer. Thank you for always being with us and giving us all we need. We are grateful for the beautiful place we get to live and all you provide. Thank you for opening our minds and hearts to clearly see from the Bible that you have intended that the oils of the plants you make grow can be used by us for many purposes. Our desire, Lord, is to grow not only in knowledge, but in good stewardship and application of your Holy Word and your Holy resources. Please dwell fragrantly in us. Let the sweet aroma of your love, capture the hearts of those who have yet to recognize your beauty and grace and mercy. We love you Lord and we need you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Resource:
The Healing Oils of the Bible, by David Stewart Ph.D. 2014 Care Publishing ISBN 0934426988

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