Roger, Jerry, Mark & the rest arrived for the family reunion. They all hadn’t seen each other for more than 2 years. As Jerry walked into the room, little Bobby ran up to give his Uncle Jerry a hug. As Jerry picked Bobby up & hugged him, he looked at him and said, “Boy you smell just like your Uncle Ray. He must have already hugged you; you have his cologne smell on you.” We’ve all been there. Walk into a room from long ago and that same smell brings back memories. I used to be able to walk into my grandmother’s house and tell you who had been there – especially one of my Mom’s friends who used to wear that Wow perfume (when you smell it you said, Wow what is that?) I used to work with a man in Maryland hanging drywall who bathed with a refreshing soap sent; on the construction site in the morning, you knew when he came in one of the condos because you could smell him fifty yards away.
When making the Holy Anointing Oil, God instructed Moses to blend the pure sweet olive oil with a mixture of spices. The perfect blend of the exact weight amount would stir together for a fine perfume aroma that would linger for hours, sometimes days. Moses instructed the priest to use this Holy Anointed Oil to anoint the furniture of the Tabernacle. Upon week after week of use, the certain aromatic blend became associated with the supernatural working of God. Later, upon smelling the sweet aroma of the Holy Anointing Oil, literally everyone began to associate it with the “Fragrance of God.” When Solomon pinned the story about Messiah romancing his bride, Solomon wrote of our Savior “smelling his sweet perfume” (Song 4:10).
When the Bible portrays God to us in similes such as “God’s fragrance” the Bible is merely trying to help us identify with God through our senses. Since we humans are limited inside our bodies, we are forced to understand God through means that our humanity can relate. Thus, when the Bible uses language such as “smell God’s fragrance, See God’s hands at work, feel the touch of His Spirit or hear the voice of God or taste and see the Lord is good;” the Bible is allowing us to understand God in our personal world. Even Paul wrote; “For the invisible things of God are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Rom 1:20).
God’s very presence can be sensed by our inner spirit man through the metaphor of our sense of smell. Just as we can sense certain atmospheres by the smell, so can we sense God’s presence. Just as we can sense rain is about to come through the smell of rain in the air, so can we sense the moving of God’s Holy Spirit about to pour out upon a church service. Just as we can smell someone is cooking, so can we sense God is preparing something to nourish us with.
Just like we have the sense of smell to interpret what is near or around us, we also have the inner spiritual ability to sense when a good presence is around us and an evil presence is near. Paul taught us that we are to “have our senses exercised” in order to judge good and evil (Heb 5:14). Just like we can develop our sense of smell to detect certain fragrances, so must we develop our spiritual senses to detect the supernatural presence of God when he comes into our midst.
© 2011 by Dr Tim McClure
When making the Holy Anointing Oil, God instructed Moses to blend the pure sweet olive oil with a mixture of spices. The perfect blend of the exact weight amount would stir together for a fine perfume aroma that would linger for hours, sometimes days. Moses instructed the priest to use this Holy Anointed Oil to anoint the furniture of the Tabernacle. Upon week after week of use, the certain aromatic blend became associated with the supernatural working of God. Later, upon smelling the sweet aroma of the Holy Anointing Oil, literally everyone began to associate it with the “Fragrance of God.” When Solomon pinned the story about Messiah romancing his bride, Solomon wrote of our Savior “smelling his sweet perfume” (Song 4:10).
When the Bible portrays God to us in similes such as “God’s fragrance” the Bible is merely trying to help us identify with God through our senses. Since we humans are limited inside our bodies, we are forced to understand God through means that our humanity can relate. Thus, when the Bible uses language such as “smell God’s fragrance, See God’s hands at work, feel the touch of His Spirit or hear the voice of God or taste and see the Lord is good;” the Bible is allowing us to understand God in our personal world. Even Paul wrote; “For the invisible things of God are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Rom 1:20).
God’s very presence can be sensed by our inner spirit man through the metaphor of our sense of smell. Just as we can sense certain atmospheres by the smell, so can we sense God’s presence. Just as we can sense rain is about to come through the smell of rain in the air, so can we sense the moving of God’s Holy Spirit about to pour out upon a church service. Just as we can smell someone is cooking, so can we sense God is preparing something to nourish us with.
Just like we have the sense of smell to interpret what is near or around us, we also have the inner spiritual ability to sense when a good presence is around us and an evil presence is near. Paul taught us that we are to “have our senses exercised” in order to judge good and evil (Heb 5:14). Just like we can develop our sense of smell to detect certain fragrances, so must we develop our spiritual senses to detect the supernatural presence of God when he comes into our midst.
© 2011 by Dr Tim McClure
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