Healing Oils of the Bible, Part 3

According to scripture, King Solomon was one of the wisest men to have ever lived and was a great leader (I Kings 4:29-34). One of the most insightful decisions he may have ever made was choosing the cedars of Lebanon as building material for his palace and great temple in Jerusalem. 

 

“So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.”  –I Kings 6:9

 

“And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house and the walls of the ceiling.”   –I Kings 6:15

 

Cedar is a very hard wood and strongly aromatic due to its essential oil content. Inhaling the aromatic molecules wafting through the temple would have enhanced clear thinking and helped to keep consciousness elevated on a spiritual level. This is because, by way of the olfactory nerve, the sesquiterpenes in cedarwood oil have the ability to pass through the blood-brain barrier and oxygenate the brain.

 

“The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted.”  –Psalm 104:16

 

Cedarwood and hyssop essential oils mixed in olive oil was a medicinal blend given to Moses by God to be used by the priests in cleansing ceremonies for leprosy and a variety of other diseases of the skin. (Leviticus 13-14)

 

“And the rest of the oil (cedarwood, hyssop, and olive) that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot."  –Leviticus 14:17

 

The anointing described in the above verse is very interesting in light of today’s scientific understanding of reflexology, emotional release points, and essential oils. The priest appears to be treating the emotional roots of the disease rather than the symptoms (skin lesions). The tip of the right ear is the trigger point for releasing emotional issues regarding the mother and father. Emotional blocks to learning and fear of the unknown can be released through the right thumb, and the big toe of the right foot is a point for clearing bad habits, compulsive behavior, and addictions. The scent of hyssop facilitates releasement of swallowed emotions and is a spiritual cleanser, whereas the aroma of cedarwood is particularly good at dealing with conceit.

 

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”  –Psalm 51:7 

 

In biblical times, chopped up herbs were sprinkled on the floors of the temples, and in this way, when people walked on them they would be crushed and bruised releasing their refreshing fragrances into the air. Similarly, in the story of the first passover, the striking of hyssop branches would have released aromatic oil which the Israelites believed would repel evil spirits, in this case the angel of death. Hyssop is an essential oil with well known antibacterial and antiviral properties.

 

“Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts.”  –Exodus 12:22

 

 

 

 

Linda Hileman BS, CCA is a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist. For more information or to make an appointment, call 256-325-4444 or email EssentialOptions@aol.com.