The Anointed
The Messiah, the Greek Μεσσίας Messias, is the transliteration of the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ mashiach. In the New Testament, "Messias" appears only a few times. It only appears in the Gospel of John and the Book of Hebrews. Apostle John was a delicate man. He used "Messiah" mainly to emphasize that Jesus Christ was the savior predicted in the Old Testament. The eleventh Chapter of the Book of Hebrews is somewhat controversial.
［Hebrews 11:26] He regarded the abuse of Messiah as more precious than the wealth of Egypt, because he wanted the reward he wanted. Since it was written to the Jews, it is possible that Paul directly used the ancient Hebrew word.
Most Bible translations I have, used the word "Christ". This sentence is about the history of Moses, the ancestor of the Israelites, and there is no Greek word for Christ in the Old Testament. Since it was written to the Jews, it is possible that Apostle Paul directly used the original Hebrew word. In any case, both have the same meaning.
In the Old Testament, the words related to anointing, anointing oil, or perfume appear more than 150 times.
【Exo30:25】and thou shalt make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.
The perfumer, spice mixture, רֹקַח roqach, the blended spice is basically the material for making incense. If oil is added, it is called oinment or anointing oil, מִשְׁחָה מָשְׁחָה mishchah {meesh-khaw'} or moshchah {mosh-khaw'}
In the religious ceremonies of the ancient Jews, it represented the meaning of being selected to assume the priesthood, or sanctification.
For example, at the inauguration of a priest.
[Exodus 29:21] You will take some anointing oil and blood from the altar, and splash it on Aaron and his clothes, and his sons and their clothes; Aaron and his clothes, his sons and their clothes are all became holy.
Jesus Christ is called the Anointed, the one who receives the holy oil, that is, the one who is chosen to be sanctified. The Logos became flesh, sacrificed himself to make atonement for the world, and became the mediator priest between sinners and God. In his priesthood, He did not use livestock, but use Himself as a sacrifice. He used his flesh to taste one of the extreme pains in human history, that is, the death penalty of the cross, and risen from the death to show His genesis power. So that the world has no excuses to ask that He is aloof, how can He understands the sufferings of the world?
The Logos arranged the best moment to be born as a human being, everything is so delicated and interlinked. The main purpose is to accomplish his salvation work and to let the world know his true love for mankind, that is, he is not aloof and "isolated", but the most affectionate and the most righteous. He has also weaknesses in the Incarnation, yet His heart and flesh has won over the battle. Therefore, from the perspective of this world, He is the Savior who is truly sanctified by practicing what He believed, got anointed and exalted. He is not just the Anointed, he is also an anointing God, choosing his believers so that they can be set apart from the world before God's justice because of His salvation. Therefore, we can also have the identity of a priest, the mediator and lead people to Him.
[Ex 25:6] The oil for lighting, the perfume for anointing, the perfume for fragrance,
Incense סַם sam is also has the meaning of spice and fragrance.
The Bible has never opposed the use of incense, flowers, and sacrifices to worship God. The Bible oppose only worshipping the gods or idols that replace Him. In other words, unreasonably reproaching the ways of those who truly worship God from their hearts, may also be a kind of blasphemy.
Translated from my traditional Chinese works in Facebook
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