Humans have 5 senses: touch, sight, hearing, taste and smell. In the modern age, we can easily and conveniently convey what we see and hear through use of mobile devices. However, the sense of touch, taste and smell is something that cannot be easily replicated and shared with others - we can only do so by describing and comparing these senses to something that we have experienced before. For today’s article, I would like to focus on our sense of smell.
We usually use the word “fragrance” or “scent” to describe something that we smell. In the Bible, fragrance can come in different forms. In the Old Testament, fragrance can come in the form of incense that is used during worship.
One example was mentioned in Exodus 25:6, where the Lord mentioned “sweet incense” as part of the offering to be made. The recipe was even recorded down in Exodus 30:34-35.
34: And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:
35: and thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
From this passage, we can see some of the ingredients required, which are: stacte, onycha, galbanum and pure frankincense.
Stacte is the English translation of the Hebrew word “nataph”, which means “to drip” or “in drops”. From this, some people has guessed that it most likely referred to a type of resin, or viscous liquid that comes from a tree. Nobody is sure what it exactly is as well.
Onycha means “fingernail” or “a univalve claw or nail”, but similar to Stacte, nobody can be exactly sure what it is.
Galbanum is a type of gum resin that can be found from plants that are found in the mountain ranges of modern-day Northern Iran. The fragrance is described as being “rich, green, mysterious, woody” by people today.
Pure Frankincense is also a type of resin that brings about a fresh scent with a light green-lemon tone. It is also said to be excellent for dry and mature skins due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
In the New Testament, “fragrance” is used both in its literal meaning and as well as a figure of speech in various descriptions.
In John 12:3, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, anointed the feet of Jesus with a very expensive oil of spikenard, and “the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil”.
That Mary was willing to use such an “expensive” oil for Jesus shows the immense value she had for Jesus, and spikenard was the oil that was mentioned. Even today, spikenard perfume and oil are still expensive and it will be interesting if one day we had a chance to have a whiff of this. Putting it in today’s context, it makes us reflective of what we are willing to give to the Lord, and by extension, how much value we place on him and the Church.
In 2 Corinthians Chapter 2, the word “fragrance” is used to describe various things, such as “knowledge” in verse 14, and also “Christ” in verse 15. Just like how aromas tend to be spread to others by diffusing into the surrounding air, likewise the knowledge of our Lord should be spread to others with Christians as the medium. Christians as the medium.
Fragrance, or scents, are a common part of our lives, but yet it is sometimes overlooked, because it is not something we can tangibly experience by sight or touch. Smelling something can trigger various feelings in us, perhaps due to how we associate smells with past experiences. Smells can be both positive and negative, just as how Paul continues to write in 2 Corinthians 2, where the word “aroma” is used for both death and life.
All in all, what I feel is that the “aroma” that we give off naturally is something that is hard to cover. Sure, we can use synthetic perfumes and other essential oils we can find, to replicate a smell or fragrance that we want to have. But our natural fragrance will still eventually find a way to blend in. So, I am reminded once again to be more mindful of my actions, as they will, like different scents, blend and diffuse into my surroundings, affecting how others regard our Lord.