II. The Sanctifying Effect (verse 2): “It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes.”
The aspect we want to highlight here is that unity is holy and causes the church to become holy. The analogy used in this verse refers to the sacred anointing oil. This oil was made according to the prescriptions given by God to consecrate the Tabernacle and its utensils as well as the priests. Apart from these things and people, no one else could make personal use of the oil. The result was that everything the oil touched would become holy (Exodus 30:23-33). So, when unity comes over the church, it touches the church, everything the church possesses, as well as its leaders and people and sanctify them.
The unity brings a separation (sanctification) to minister (to serve) or for the ministry (service). There is no ministry apart from the church. The ministration done by “brothers” with no bond to a church has no anointing. It is not sanctified. Aaron only got to start ministering as High Priest, and his sons as priests, when they were anointed with the anointing oil (Leviticus 8). There is no “Lone Ranger” in the Kingdom of God, there is only a holy “army”, led by sanctified, consecrated, anointed leaders who live and enjoy an environment of unity.
And the sanctifying effect has a diffusive (propagating) action. The oil runs down from the head, spreading to the rest of the body. What we get from this is that unity causes the anointing to be propagated. It’s from a few to the whole. It’s from the leader to the followers (here reaching a personal perspective). And this diffusive, propagating effect has three spheres of action. It’s from God to the saints; it’s from the saints to the saints; and it’s from the saints to the sinners (in an evangelistic action). So, unity is not static, but it is in a continuous movement of propagation.
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