Exodus 30:22-33
The sacred anointing oil consecrates the tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priests as holy to the Lord and must not be treated as common perfume.
22 Moreover Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
23 “Also take fine spices: of liquid myrrh, five hundred shekels; and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, even two hundred and fifty; and of fragrant cane, two hundred and fifty;
24 and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; and a hin of olive oil.
25 You shall make it into a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.
26 You shall use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the covenant,
27 the table and all its articles, the lamp stand and its accessories, the altar of incense,
28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its base.
29 You shall sanctify them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy.
30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me in the priest’s office.
31 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to me throughout your generations.
32 It shall not be poured on man’s flesh, and do not make any like it, according to its composition. It is holy. It shall be holy to you.
33 Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.’ ”
The sacred anointing oil consecrates the tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priests as holy to the LORD and must not be treated as common perfume.
To command the making of the sacred anointing oil, identify the tabernacle objects and priests to be anointed with it, and forbid its common imitation or unauthorized use.
Exodus 30 continues the sanctuary instructions after the altar of incense, the census ransom, and the bronze basin. Verses 22-33 specify the anointing oil that consecrates the tabernacle system named across Exodus 25-30: the Tent of Meeting, ark, table, lampstand, altars, basin, utensils, Aaron, and his sons. Before the incense formula follows in Exodus 30:34-38, the LORD first defines the oil by which the sanctuary complex and priestly mediators are marked as holy.
After the bronze basin instruction for priestly washing, the LORD commands the sacred anointing oil used to consecrate the tent, ark, furnishings, altar, basin, utensils, Aaron, and his sons. The instructions prepare for the later construction and consecration of the tabernacle.
Incense, Atonement Money, Washing, Anointing Oil, and Holy Incense
The LORD’s presence among Israel requires holy incense, ransom, cleansing, anointing, and consecrated fragrance, because everything connected with His dwelling must be treated as holy to Him.