YHWH
"In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God."
Frankincense
began meaning "whiteness" and is the origin of our word incense. As Pliny
writes, frankincense is "brilliant white and gathered at dawn in drops
of tears in the shape of pearls." The pearls he refers to are the sap
from a leafy tree that grows in Arabia and Northern Africa known as the
Boswellia Thurifera. This sap is harvested and dried and is what
we call frankincense.
Frankincense,
along with myrrh and gold were the gift of the three magi. These wise
men, of which we know so little, brought these gifts as love offerings.
They brought these gifts to worship and pay homage to the Christ child.
From
what we know about biblical times and the life of Christ it can be can
speculated that Jesus kept the precious gifts of the magi in remembrance
his entire life. This might have been his only communion between these
wise men and Christ, then only an infant. It's noted in the bible that
myrrh was used in preparing his body for the tomb.
Gold
represents kingship. Its value is so well acknowledged that it has been
the benchmark of currency for the past two millennium. Frankincense represents
divinity. Throughout history frankincense has been used for communion
with the divine. Myrrh represents mankind and mortality. The Greek word
for myrrh is "smurna" and is the same as the city and church that received
a letter from the Apostle John. This is the second church of Asia in the
book of Revelation. The providence of God was in this trinity of gifts.
Myrrh
is the principle ingredient for the holy anointing oil explained to Moses
by God in Exodus 30:23-32. Directly after this, in Exodus 30:35-38, God
explains to Moses how to make the divine perfume, with its main ingredient
being Frankincense; God also explains its proper and improper use. People
who are exposed to frankincense and myrrh on a regular basis have noticed
a dramatic increase in coincidences and unexplained experiences.
Gold,
frankincense and myrrh were all very important fixtures in the holiest
sanctuaries of the temple in Jerusalem. We still recognize gold was having
almost supernatural qualities in bringing us luck and wealth. It seems
that the more you have the more you get. Still, there are more precious
things in life than mere earthly glories. All the great cultures have
also prized frankincense and myrrh. The Egyptians used myrrh to embalm
their dead pharaohs; some was even found in TutankhamunÕs tomb. Frankincense
was sacrificed to Baal in Babylon and is called ru xiang by the
Chinese and used for various medicinal purposes.
Mankind
is so small and we know so little about the divine. The greatest guide
for our lives is the Bible. The Bible clearly sings the praises, if not
the necessity, of having frankincense and myrrh in our lives on a daily
basis. Throughout history men have known of the spiritual and meditative
properties of these spices. As long ago as the building of the pyramids
it was noted that the embalmers, who were using myrrh, never caught the
diseases of the dead. It was also noted during the Black Death that perfumers
were immune to the plague and the reason speculated was that their shops
were among the few places in Europe where one could find frankincense.
Frankincense
has long been used as a tool for meditation and communion with God. It's
known to accentuate the experience of the divine and is also used to repel
evil. It can be a powerful ingredient in exorcisms. Psychologically, itÕs
been known to aid in memory, but is more recognized for itÕs calming effects
which eases stress and sooth depression. Medicinally frankincense has
been considered such a "miracle drug" that itÕs hard to separate fact
from fiction. Claims have been made that it cures everything from aging
to headaches. What we do know for sure is that frankincense was valued
so highly by the three magi that they included it as one of only three
gifts to be presented to the king of kings.
Myrrh
also has a myriad of medicinal uses from skin conditions to leprosy and
is still used in numerous ointments and medicines. In Bible times it was
commonly used as a stimulant. Jesus was offered wine mingled with myrrh
on the cross to relieve his suffering, but he refused it. Today both frankincense
and myrrh are usually burned as incense or cherished as objects of meditation.
They can also be made into oils or perfumes as directed in the book of
Exodus.
Hallelujah
We here at
Three Magi are devoted to bringing you the purest frankincense
and myrrh available.
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