The Sacred Oil of Scripture: What the Bible Really Says About Anointing Oil and How to Use It Today

Anointing oil is not a spiritual accessory. It is not a product to be packaged or a ritual to be repeated without meaning. It is a sacred symbol with roots in the holy Word of God. In the Scriptures, oil was never ordinary. It was set apart. It was consecrated. It was poured, not just on heads, but on lives that had been called, touched, and marked by God. From the wilderness tabernacle to the tomb where Mary wept, oil is woven into the story of God's relationship with His people. Yet in a world where the sacred is often mixed with the superficial, many believers are asking questions. What is the true purpose of anointing oil? What does the Bible actually teach? Are we allowed to use it today, or was it something only for the priests and prophets of long ago? These are not minor questions. They touch the heart of how we approach God, how we treat His commands, and whether we draw near to Him with reverence or with assumption.

The first appearance of holy anointing oil as a commanded practice comes directly from the mouth of God in Exodus chapter 30. This was not a suggestion. It was not an optional enhancement to Israel’s worship. It was a divine requirement. God spoke to Moses with clarity and detail. He laid out the exact ingredients, the measurements, the method of blending, and most importantly, the purpose. This oil was to be used to anoint the tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, the table, the lampstand, the altar, the basin, and all the furnishings within the holy place. It was also to be used to anoint Aaron and his sons, consecrating them as priests in service to the Lord. The oil was not holy because of its ingredients. It was holy because God said it was. And once declared holy by God, it was to be treated as holy by His people. No one was permitted to reproduce it. No one was allowed to pour it on themselves for personal use. It was not for common men. It was not for business. It was not for fragrance. It was for consecration alone.

The seriousness of God’s instructions cannot be overstated. In Exodus 30:32 to 33, He says, “It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it or puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.” Cut off. That is not symbolic language. That is a command of separation. To treat the holy things of God as common was to place oneself outside of the covenant community. This is how seriously God treats what He has declared sacred. And that alone should make us pause. Are we handling the things of God with the same awe that He commanded? Or have we drifted into a casual culture that treats sacred history as spiritual novelty?

Yet the Bible does not stop in Exodus. Throughout the Old Testament, we see anointing oil used to set kings apart for their divine calling. Samuel anointed Saul. He anointed David. These were not ceremonies invented by men. They were moments ordained by God to publicly mark His chosen vessels. Oil was poured not to exalt man, but to reveal divine appointment. It was a visible sign of invisible grace. It showed the people that God had touched someone. It reminded the one anointed that their life now belonged to God. The oil meant ownership. It meant calling. It meant responsibility.

In the Psalms, we find rich symbolism connected to anointing. Psalm 23 says, “You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.” Here, David is speaking not only of literal provision, but of divine favor. The oil represents blessing that comes directly from the Shepherd of his soul. In Psalm 133, unity among brothers is compared to the precious oil running down on Aaron’s beard. This is not just poetic. It is a reminder that what is holy in the sight of God is not only individual consecration, but spiritual harmony among His people. In these psalms, oil becomes more than a substance. It becomes a symbol of presence, of peace, and of divine relationship.

But then we turn the pages to the New Testament, and something remarkable happens. The oil appears again, but in a different setting. It is no longer confined to tabernacle walls or priestly robes. It appears in the home of a woman named Mary, who takes a pound of pure nard and pours it on the feet of Jesus. The house is filled with fragrance. But heaven is filled with worship. Because this moment is more than cultural. It is prophetic. Jesus says she did this in preparation for His burial. While others mocked her extravagance, Jesus honored her faith. She did not anoint the altar. She anointed the Lamb of God.

In this, we see a shift. The oil is no longer just about ritual. It becomes personal. The anointing flows from a heart that recognizes who Jesus is. This is not the anointing of a king to rule over Israel. This is the anointing of the Messiah, whose kingdom is not of this world. And the one who understood it best was not a Pharisee, a teacher of the law, or a disciple who followed Him through cities. It was a woman who had seen His glory and chose to pour out what was most precious at His feet.

This changes how we see oil today. We must never treat it casually. We must never claim that oil has power in and of itself. Only God heals. Only God sanctifies. But we also must not ignore its place in Scripture. The book of James commands the elders of the church to anoint the sick with oil and pray over them in the name of the Lord. The early Church understood that oil, when used properly, was a tool of faith. It was not the source of healing. It was a witness to belief. A physical act that pointed to a spiritual truth. God still touches. God still calls. God still sets people apart for His work.

So what should we do? We should return to reverence. We should open our Bibles before we open our hands. We should seek the heart of God before seeking the symbols of faith. If we use oil, let it be with humility. Let it be with prayer. Let it be with the understanding that the same God who thundered from Mount Sinai still expects His people to treat His instructions with honor. And let us never forget that what God has made holy must never be handled with pride, profit, or pretense.

Oil is not ordinary. It never was. Whether poured on a prophet or spilled at the feet of the Savior, it always pointed to something greater. It pointed to the presence of God. It marked what was set apart. And in that fragrance, the people of God remembered who they were and who He is.

Let us remember. Let us return. Let us honor the oil not for what it is, but for what it reveals. The holiness of God. The calling of His people. The presence of His Spirit. And the fragrance of Christ that should fill every room we enter. Not by might. Not by tradition. But by a life fully poured out at the feet of the One who is worthy of it all.