The Sweet Smell of Holiness
As a Gentile believer in Jesus, I have grown to appreciate and learn from Jewish tradition and the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament). In my studies I have learned that the Sabbath day is holy and that the Jewish people are reminded of that holiness by a tradition at the close of the Sabbath known as Havdalah.
The Hebrew word kadosh (translated as “holy”) in the Bible literally means separate, set apart, or different. The theme of Havdalah emphasizes separation and holiness. Several object lessons remind the Jewish people of the holiness of the Sabbath and ultimately their own personal holiness in a foreign and hostile world.
Whereas candles are lit on Friday evening to signify the beginning of the Sabbath, on Saturday evening a special candle is extinguished by putting the flame in a cup of wine to emphasize the Sabbath is coming to an end. The family then passes around a small box of aromatic sweet-smelling spices. The smell of the spices is to remind everyone of the sweetness of the holiness of the Sabbath.
As I was considering the elements of Havdalah, I was inspired to investigate two concepts: 1) holiness and 2) the smell of sweet spices.
In the Hebrew Bible many things are declared holy such as Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2), the implements in the Temple (Exodus 40:9-11), priests (Exodus 28:40-42), and the Sabbath day (Exodus 20:8, 11).
Israel was a nation much like all others. But what made them different was that God chose them to be set apart and to use them for His own purposes. The implements in the Temple were mere shovels, snuffers, candle stands, et cetera – no different from other tools, except that God made them holy by setting them apart for His use. The priests were ordinary men with needs like everyone else, but they became holy when God set them apart for his work.
In the New Testament believers are referred to as holy as well in 1 Peter 1:13-15:
Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. But as the One who called you is holy; you also are to be holy in all your conduct...”[1] (emphasis mine).
Peter is exhorting his readers to be what they truly are – set apart and different from the rest of the world as a result of God’s choosing. Believers aren’t better; they are simply set apart and different.
In thinking about holiness, I began looking at the idea of God’s use of sweet smells as an object lesson of things that are holy. Exodus 30:7-8 says:
Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight, so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.
I had never thought that the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, were to have the sweet smell of incense within them constantly – morning and evening. When one came near to the holy place, they smelled the sweet savor of holiness. Science tells us that smells linger in our consciousness as a reminder of things from the past. When a smell is repeated it brings back past experiences.
Later in Exodus 30, verses 22-33 God tells Moses to make a sweet-smelling oil perfume to be used to anoint the High Priest. I never really thought of the High Priest as smelling good, but he did! With interest I noted what the Psalmist says in Psalm 133:1-2:
“Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!” (ESV; emphasis mine).
Aaron was holy because he was set apart by God and he smelled good! The Psalmist says that when brothers (and sisters) live in unity they smell good too! Have you ever noticed when believers don’t get along there is a smell as well (but not a pleasant one!)?
All of those thoughts came together in my mind as I recalled 2 Corinthians 2:14-16:
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
What a beautiful picture of holiness. Being holy like God means to be separate, different, and to smell like life. To not live separate and different from the world is to smell like a rotting corpse.
These thoughts caused me to evaluate my life. Do I “smell” like I have life, or do my attitudes and behavior have the stench of death?
Two further passages from 1 Peter summed up what I learned about holiness and a fragrant aroma.
In Chapter 1 verse 3 we read:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Later in the book he points to the result of living with hope:
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.[2]
Living a life of hope and being set apart results in the curiosity of others because you smell so good!
Written by Winn, LIFE Staff
Millions of dollars are spent annually on perfumes, deodorants, and fragrances in various forms – all to make us and our environments “smell pretty.”
In truth, in the spiritual realm the work of purifying is not ours to do. By faith, our cleansing is accomplished by Messiah’s blood; our sanctification is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Peter 1:2 and 1 John 1:9, e.g.).
Does your life exude “the fragrance of Christ”? What do you need the Spirit’s power to help you with in becoming more like the Savior today? Why not seek His help right now?
Footnotes:
[1] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from Holman Christian Standard Bible.
[2] 1 Peter 3:15.