The Bible And Aromas: A Fragrant Journey Through Scripture

The Bible mentions aroma several times, often in relation to offerings and sacrifices made to God. In the Old Testament, the scent of burnt offerings is described as an aroma pleasing to the Lord (Genesis 8:20–21; Leviticus 23:18; Numbers 28:27). For example, Leviticus 1:9 says: And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord. Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 2:15, Christians are referred to as a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. This idea of Christians as a pleasing aroma to God is also present in Ephesians 5:2, which says: walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Christians are the aroma of Christ

The Bible uses aroma as a metaphor to describe the spiritual connection between God, Jesus Christ, and believers. In 2 Corinthians 2:15, the Apostle Paul writes, "For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." This verse sets the foundation for understanding Christians as the aroma of Christ.

Paul's use of sensory imagery in this passage is significant. He compares the spread of the gospel to a triumphal military procession, a familiar concept in the Roman world. In such a procession, captives of war would be marched through the streets, while incense burned and filled the air with a fragrant aroma. This aroma would evoke different emotions among the spectators: for the victors, it signified triumph and life, while for the captives, it foretold defeat and death.

Paul draws a parallel between this scenario and the spiritual realm. He separates humanity into two groups: those being saved (the victors) and those perishing (the captives). Christians, as followers of Christ, become the aroma of Christ to the world. To those who are being saved, we are a pleasing aroma, spreading the fragrance of life and hope. However, to those who are perishing, we are an aroma of death, a reminder of the decaying stench of spiritual separation from God.

The concept of Christians being the aroma of Christ is further reinforced by the Old Testament descriptions of burnt offerings. In Leviticus, the priestly sacrifices are described as "a sweet aroma to the Lord" (Leviticus 1:9, 1:13, 1:17, 2:9, 2:12, 3:5, 3:16, 6:15). Similarly, in Genesis 8:21, after Noah's sacrifice, "The Lord smelled a soothing aroma." These offerings symbolized atonement and obedience, pleasing to God.

As Christians, our lives are to be a sweet fragrance to God and those around us. We are called to be Christ's representatives on earth, emulating the scent of Jesus during his ministry. Through our faith, we spread this aroma to others, sharing the gospel and liberating them from spiritual separation. The more we accept God and Christ into our lives, the stronger this aroma becomes, and the more we become a pleasing aroma to God and those on the path of salvation.

The aroma of burnt offerings

The first mention of God smelling the aroma of a burnt offering is found in Genesis 8:21, where Noah offered a burnt offering of clean animals and birds after leaving the ark. God described this as a "pleasing aroma", and in response, he promised never to destroy every living creature with a flood again.

The Bible also mentions that on sixteen different occasions in the book of Leviticus, an "aroma" is described as something pleasing to the Lord. For example, Leviticus 1:9 says, "The priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord." Similarly, Leviticus 23:18 states, "Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord."

The aroma of the burnt offerings represents the proper worship of God and the substitutionary atonement for sin. It symbolises the dedication and service of God's people, as well as their obedience and love for Him. The Bible compares this aroma to the prayers of the saints, as described in Psalm 141:2, "Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice."

The Bible provides specific instructions for the burnt offerings, which typically involved costly sacrifices. The offerings were to be male, year-old animals without any defects, such as a bull, sheep, or goat. The animals were ritually killed and placed on a public sacrificial altar, where they were burned until wholly consumed. The ashes were then scattered in a clean area.

The Bible also mentions that turtledoves or pigeons could be sacrificed if no livestock were available. In these cases, the priest would wring off the bird's head, burn it on the altar, and drain its blood. The bird's entrails and legs were washed before being burned on the altar as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

The book of Leviticus describes five types of sacrifices, with the burnt offering being the most common and foundational. It was offered every morning and evening to mark the boundaries between day and night, and it symbolised total surrender to God.

The aroma of incense

The burning of incense inside the tabernacle held great importance. The rising smoke signified the Israelites' worship ascending to God, and the fragrant aroma represented His acceptance and pleasure with their devotion. God provided specific instructions for the blend of incense to be burned, which included plant and shellfish extracts such as stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense, along with salt to prevent decay and symbolise the purity of the ingredients. This sacred blend was to be burned by the high priest twice daily, once before the morning sacrifice and again after the evening sacrifice.

The altar of incense, made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, stood in the Holy Place, directly in front of the entrance to the Holy of Holies. The high priest's role in burning incense was vital to the daily and yearly worship activities that symbolised Israel's relationship with God. On the Day of Atonement, a special ceremony involving incense took place, where the high priest entered the Holy of Holies with burning incense, creating a protective cloud of smoke over the mercy seat.

The use of incense was strictly regulated, and there were severe consequences for misuse. God prohibited the use of "unauthorized" or "strange" incense blends and specified that the sacred blend was to be used exclusively for worship. The Book of Exodus states that if the Israelites used the sacred blend for personal use as a fragrance, they would be cut off from the community. The story of Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons, who died for improper worship involving incense, serves as a cautionary tale (Leviticus 10:1-2).

Incense is also mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, where Zechariah, chosen by lot, entered the temple to burn incense on the altar. While the incense smoke wafted up, an angel announced the birth of his son, John the Baptist, the Messiah's forerunner (Luke 1:9-16).

Incense, therefore, holds symbolic significance in the Bible, representing prayer and the relationship between God and His people. David expresses this beautifully in Psalm 141:2: "Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!".

The aroma of Christ's sacrifice

The Bible uses the aroma of Christ's sacrifice as a metaphor for evangelism. In 2 Corinthians 2:15, the apostle Paul writes:

> "For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?"

Here, Paul is drawing a comparison between the aroma of Christ and the fragrance spread during Roman victory processions. In these processions, garlands of flowers were carried and incense was burned to the gods, filling the air with a sweet fragrance. However, these aromas signified very different things to the two groups present: the victors and the prisoners of war. For the victors, the aroma signified triumph, but for the prisoners, it signified defeat and impending death.

Paul uses this metaphor to describe the two different responses that people have to the gospel. For those who are being saved, Christians who spread the gospel produce the "fragrance of life". On the other hand, for those who are on the path to destruction, the believers spread the "smell of death".

The idea of aroma as a sacrifice is also present in other parts of the Bible. In the Old Testament, the scent of burnt offerings is described as "an aroma pleasing to the Lord" (Genesis 8:20–21; Leviticus 23:18; Numbers 28:27). For example, Leviticus 1:9 says:

> "And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord."

Similarly, Ephesians 5:2-7 talks about walking in love and sacrificing oneself for others, as Christ did, as an offering and a sacrifice to God with "a sweet-smelling aroma".

The aroma of God's satisfaction

The Bible uses aroma as a metaphor to describe the relationship between God, Christ, and humanity. In the Old Testament, the scent of burnt offerings is described as "a sweet aroma to the Lord" (Leviticus 1:9, 1:13, 1:17, 2:9, 2:12, 3:5, 3:16, 6:15, and Genesis 8:21). This metaphor of aroma is also used in the New Testament, where Christians are described as "a fragrance of Christ to God" in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16.

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, compares the ministry of evangelism to the triumphal military parades that were common in the Roman world. During these parades, incense was burned to the gods, and the aromatic perfumes filled the air. Paul separates humanity into two groups: those on the path of salvation and those on the road to destruction. The aroma spread by the ministry of evangelism is the knowledge of God as the victor.

To non-Christians, or those on the road to destruction, believers who preach the gospel spread the smell of death. To Christians, or those on the path to salvation, they produce the fragrance of life. This metaphor beautifully contrasts the different responses to hearing the gospel. The gospel message is described as a "fragrance that brings life" to those who are being saved, while it may be veiled or hidden to those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 4:3).

The Bible also mentions offerings made by fire as a "soothing aroma to the Lord" (Leviticus 1:9, 1:13, 1:17, 2:2, 3:5, 3:16, 6:15, and Exodus 29:18,25). In Ephesians 5:2, Christ's sacrifice is described as "a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God." Similarly, in Philippians 4:18, the gifts sent to Paul through Epaphroditus are likened to "a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God."

The concept of aroma in the Bible is thus associated with sacrifice, offering, and worship, reflecting the relationship between God, Christ, and humanity. It symbolizes the spiritual act of worship and the spreading of the gospel, with the response to the aroma differing between those who are saved and those who are perishing.

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