The Work of the Holy Spirit is Anything but Commonplace
Our reading today describes the making of holy anointing oil and incense. Throughout the description of these items and how to use them, God repeats an admonition to not use these holy items in normal ways. What is meant for holy use should not be desecrated by common functions.
Throughout scripture, oil symbolizes the flowing of the Holy Spirit. With this in mind, David Guzik explains our reading today by saying, “There is to be no place for encouraging a man-made imitation of the gifts or operations of the Holy Spirit. To do this denies the holiness of the Holy Spirit, regarding His work as something we can do just as well on our own.” Not only do we insult the Holy Spirit when we claim credit for His works, we place ourselves and others in danger by using a holy office for worldly profit.
I am reminded of the spiritual leaders of Jeremiah’s time. As God prepared to discipline the Israelites for their rebellion, most of the people in charge ignored God’s warning and calls for repentance. Preaching doom and gloom is not popular. Instead, they used their consecrated office of leadership to offer unfounded comfort which won them favor but lost souls… and lives. Jeremiah 6:10 says, “To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are closed, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn, they take no pleasure in it.” Because the ones who should have given warning to the people misused their calling for profit, the people wouldn’t listen and paid with their lives. Jeremiah 6:13-14 continues with, “For from the least to the greatest of them, every one is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, every one deals falsely. They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.”
Before you dismiss our passage today as only meant for those in the ministry, remember that each of us have been anointed with the Holy Spirit. 1 John 2:20-21 and 27-28 tells us, “But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all know, I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and know that no lie is of the truth… I write this to you about those who would deceive you; but the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; as His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in Him.” We have been consecrated as holy to the Lord. This means the title of Christian should carry a heavy weight on our actions and words. If we fail to live holy lives, we are guilty of using our lives inappropriately. Our reading today tells us that the penalty for anyone using what is holy as something common is being cut off from God’s people.
If we, like the priests of Jeremiah’s day, pervert our position as Christians, to accommodate sin, to give comfort instead of warning to those who are trapped in sin, or to instruct others to ignore portions of scripture that do not fit into society’s norms, we doom ourselves to the same fate as they. Jeremiah 6:15 tells us that fate when it says, “‘Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,’ says the Lord.”
We must never take the work of the Holy Spirit lightly or for granted. We must be careful to not take credit for what He has done. We must also not abuse the position God has placed us in. Whether we are formal leaders in the church or a Christian ‘big sister or brother’ who offers advice or counsel to another, we must make sure that we do not use that position for our own gains. What is holy is holy, and we are holy to the Lord. The message God places on our heart may not always be popular, but it is always important. Let our reading today remind us that we are more than our jobs or our positions in this world. We are God’s holy people. That calling matters far greater than any earthly occupation. Be holy, be faithful, and most importantly, be humble before our God.
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