Frankincense

Frankincense Trees

Frankincense oil was a key ingredient of the incense formula prescribed by God in Exodus 30. It is mentioned in the Bible 52 times and was considered by the ancients to be more valuable even than gold. It was one of the gifts that the Magi brought the Christ child, a fitting gift for a king.

Since the beginning of this year Esther and I have been selling therapeutic-grade Essential Oils over the internet as distributors for the company Young Living. To get started we purchased the Everyday Oils Kit. The kit contained many wonderful oils, such as Peppermint Oil which acts as a caffeine substitute, or the blend of different plant oils called Peace and Calming because of the way it functions as a sedative. But by far our favorite of all the essential oils was Frankincense.

There is a reason Frankincense was valuable enough to serve as a gift for the Christ-child. The trees that produce it only grow in two places in the world, the southern peninsula of Arabia and the Somalian deserts of northeast Africa. Moreover, it takes a Frankincense tree around 100 years to reach the point where the resin can begin being used to produce the oil.

But there is another reason for Frankincense's value. It was much coveted by the ancients because of its medical benefits. Scientists have still only scratched the surface of all the oil's medicinal uses. A team of scientists from the University of Oklahoma, along with immunologist Dr Mahmoud Suhail have discovered that Frankincense appears to be able to stop cancer cells from reproducing and to correct a cell’s DNA code. (CLICK HERE to read about their studies in this fascinating BBC article.)
 
Studies at Cairo’s King Faisal University show Frankincense to exhibit a strong immuno-stimulant capability. Studies at Weber State University in the U.S. claim that Frankincense is effective in dissolving petrochemicals in the blood and preventing DNA breakdown. A joint study by 3 Indian universities found that patients with osteoarthritis experienced reduced pain and stiffness and less difficulty in performing daily activities.

I have already mentioned that Frankincense is one of the primary ingredients of incense that was prescribed in the law of Moses. It makes sense to use the oil liturgically because of its effect in enhancing spiritual awareness. In her book Their Leaves for Healing: The Divine Gift of Plants That Heal, Elizabeth Flores writes: 

...the intriguingly deep, musky, exotic and mystical fragrance of frankincense has been present in houses of God, from medieval cathedrals to the Orthodox churches of today.

Frankincense...contains sequiterpenes. It too, effectively penetrates the blood-brain barrier and has an uplifting and mood-elevating effect. Frankincense is an oil of gladness and has been effectively used as an antidepressant. [See here for an amazing testimonial about using Frankincense to treat depression.] It creates emotional balance, enhances spiritual awareness and is useful for meditation.

If you would like to buy Young Living's Everyday Oils Kit, which includes a bottle of Frankincense, click on the link below.