Before I began my journey with Young Living Essential Oils, I never really thought about how essential oils play a huge role in the Bible. Honestly, I did not think about essential oils at all. I assumed they were just something spas used to make us relax and smell good. Whenever I thought about oils in the Bible, my mind would go straight to olive oil, not essential oils. I knew they used perfumes, ointments, incense, and things of that sort but I never connected it to essential oils until now. After reading, The Essence of Jesus, Essential Oils and the Story of the Cross by Matthew Tart and taking a closer look at specific verses in the Bible, I realized there are tons of references! Tart explains that understanding essential oils can help us interpret the scriptures and draw us closer to God.
During our most recent Drops of Faith class, I was given the opportunity to study and speak about Cassia essential oil. What in the world is Cassia? I know I had never heard of it but maybe you have. First I wanted to know how to pronounce it. It is pronounced “kash-uh” or “kas-ee-uh”. It is from the genus species, cinnamomum cassia and it originates from China. Young Living obtains the oil by steam distillation from the branches, leaves, and petals. It smells similar to cinnamon. To me it smells better. I think it smells like Big Red chewing gum. Cassia is known to support the immune system, digestive system, and emotional health. Historically, it is mentioned in one of the oldest medical records, Ebers Papyrus. This is an Egyptian list of 877 prescriptions and recipes, dating from 16th century B.C.
Now that you feel like you are back in history class, you’re probably wondering how Cassia plays a part in the Bible. You will find it mentioned three times by name and sixty-five times indirectly throughout the Bible. The Hebrew word, Quiddah -“kid-daw” translates to Cassia.
Exodus 30:22-25 “Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Also take for yourself quality spices – five hundred shekel of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet smelling cinnamon, two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet smelling cane, five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, and ointment compounded according to the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.”
This was Moses’ holy anointing oil. The Israelites obviously knew a lot about obtaining oils from plants. Just to give you an idea, a hin is equal to a gallon. That’s a lot of anointing oil! I bet the aroma was so sweet. I have a tiny sample of Cassia and I catch myself sniffing it a couple of times a day. The ingredients for the anointing oil were specific and exact, and the oil made by combining them could be used for no other purpose. This was taken very seriously. Thankfully, as Christians, we no longer live under the law. Jesus came and paid our sin debt. For us today, I believe this oil could be perceived as an illustration of the anointing God pours upon our lives. Each oil represents specific areas in our lives. I will just stick to Cassia in this post or this could get really long (and I don’t want you to fall asleep in history class haha). Cassia must be planted near water in order to survive. It’s branches retain moisture. Like Cassia, we also must be planted in the Living Water in order to experience the anointing of God. Just check out Jeremiah 17:7-8. Quick! Google it! How awesome is this? Other direct references to Cassia include Psalm 45:8 and Ezekial 27:19. I will save those for you to read on your own.
If any of this speaks to you or you find yourself interested in this oil to help promote health and wellness in your life, I highly encourage you to check out The Twelve Oils of Ancient Scripture . Cassia is not sold individually but it is included in this kit along with eleven other oils.You may also be interested in Exodus II which contains Cassia. I admit, I do not own the kit or Exodus II….YET. After this study, I know it is something special that I would love to purchase one day. We are so blessed to have a plethora of information at our finger tips. We have Bibles, reference books, the internet, and more. Studying this oil has encouraged me to dig deeper into God’s Word that is and always will be relevant in our lives. This proves you really can learn something new each time you read His Word. “A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel” Proverbs 1:5.
Melissa Patterson from Cartersville, GA
#2329183
Dear Matthew, I am a Young Living Oils member, and I’m planning an educational presentation about the oils on 2/18/17. My friend Carole, showed me your booklet called “Essence Of Jesus”. It was given to her by her daughter Danette Goodyear, a crown diamond. We were both quite emotional by the time we finished reading about the oils, and how they were used symbolically in the bible, and how they impacted Christ’s crucifixion. Is it possible to buy ten copies of them to share with people at the event? If so, how much would they cost? …… Thank you, and God bless you for a wonderful artful presentation. We truly were blessed by it…..Sara Thomas ( a lowly “Star”)