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More Thoughts on Christ's Name As Ointment Poured Forth

10/20/2017

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​Matthew Henry remarks, “The name of Christ is not now like ointment sealed up, as it had been long (Judges 13:8)… but like ointment poured forth, which denotes both the freeness and the fulness of the communication of his grace by the gospel.”
 
In Judges 13:18, the angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah and his wife.  When “the angel of the LORD” appears to someone in the Old Testament, this is often referred to as a Christophany. It is a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ.  Manoah knew the angel was God after the angel ascended in the smoke of the sacrifice Manoah had offered. This frightened Manoah, who said, “We shall surely die, because we have seen God.” (Judges 13:22) 
 
Manoah did not have a full understanding of whom he was seeing, for this was hidden from him.  “Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name…?” But “the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?” (See Judges 13:17,18)  Some things were hidden form the Old Testament saints.  However, the name of Christ is no longer hidden.  It is now open to the saints and poured forth freely so that its sweet savour fills all the saint’s heart and life.  We now know who the Messiah is.  We now understand the gospel, the good news that the grace of God is available to us because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ through His finished work on the cross.  Christ’s name is open to us and His love is shed abroad in our hearts, filling our hearts with His good savour.  Therefore, do we love Him because He first loved us.
 
“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:5)
 
“We love him, because he first loved us.” (I John 4:19)
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As Ointment Poured Forth

10/13/2017

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PictureAlabaster pot (pottery); public domain picture. I could not find a picture of an alabaster box but used this picture to give an idea of what alabaster looks like. (I added the "aroma.")
​The groom wore ointments so sweet and lovely that the mere mention of his name was as ointment poured forth.  Consider again the verse, “Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth.” (Song of Solomon 1:3a)  His very name is as a savour that rejoices the heart.
 
Jesus’ name should be just so precious to His saints.  The loveliness of His name should delight us as if it were sweet smelling ointment or perfume poured out to fill the room.  Matthew Henry says that “Christ’s name is more fragrant than any other” and that “The unfolding of Christ’s name is as the opening of a box of precious ointment, which the room is filled with the odor of.” Is Christ really so sweet to His saints? Ah, but at least to some He is.  There comes to mind a beautiful story of a woman and an alabaster box of precious ointment.
 
Mark 14:3 tells us, “And [Jesus] being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.”  Spikenard was one of the ointments Solomon used, and it was one of the sweet savours that rejoiced his lover’s heart.  Here in Mark 14:3, we see a sacrificial offering brought to Jesus’, one of a sweet savour, spikenard in an alabaster box.
 
According to the Jerusalem Gift Shop, the Hebrew word for spikenard is “nerd,” from a Semitic root meaning “to shine” or “light up.”  This refers to a reflected light, such as the light of the moon.  The Jerusalem Gift Shop says, “Spikenard got its name from the ability to cause one to light up or reflect light.” 
 
Spikenard ointment is very precious.  When the woman broke the alabaster box and poured the ointment upon the head of Jesus, she was giving Him a gift that was worth a year’s wage in her day.  Even today Spikenard is very expensive.  Just one ounce of Spikenard oil from Nepal is worth $150 US dollars.  One pound would be worth $2,400. This was indeed a very precious gift.
 
There was another woman who gave this same gift to Jesus.  Her story is in John 12:3, “Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” At least two women felt that Jesus was worth such a valuable gift, and they gave it freely.
 
What about me?  Is Jesus so precious to me that the thought of Him and the mere mention of His name is as valuable to me as that alabaster box of ointment? Is He such a cherished lover to me?  If not, why not?  Perhaps I need to learn more of Him so I can know how far beyond measure is His sweetness and the fruit of His love!

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    About the Author

    Hello!  My name is Connie, and I live in North Carolina.  The Lord has blessed me with wonderful parents, a wonderful sister, and a great church family .  The past two years have been difficult in many ways, but God has been with me all the way.  

    Much praise goes to the Lord for His guidance and wisdom in starting this website.  I would also like to express my thanks to Valerie who has joyfully and willingly given of her time to help design this website and do much of the technical work.  She and her family are faithful servants to the Lord.  They also have gone through many trials in the past few years, but they have allowed God to use these trials to make them sweeter and more like His Son Jesus Christ.

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