Day 45 – With Oil
That connection between oil and the Spirit becomes an important part of theology. The oil was the visible act. The Spirit was God’s invisible work.
Day 45 – With Oil
Psalm 23:5 — “…You anoint my head with oil…”
Oil was an ordinary part of life in David’s world. Olive oil was used for cooking, lamps, grooming, refreshment and even treating wounds.
But oil also became something much more significant in Scripture. There is a spiritual connection to it. People and things were set apart for God’s work through anointing. David knew all about that when Samuel poured oil over his head as the new king. Then, Something spiritual happened immediately after that. Scripture tells us that the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him (1 Samuel 16:13).
That connection between oil and the Spirit becomes an important part of theology. The oil was the visible act. The Spirit was God’s invisible work.
That becomes significant when we learn that the Hebrew word “anointed” is also the root of the words Messiah and Christ. Jesus is the Anointed One.
The whole idea of anointing points to Him.
At the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus stood in the synagogue and read Isaiah’s words:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me…” (Luke 4:18).
The picture that began with oil poured over the heads of kings and priests ultimately finds its fullest meaning in Christ.
There is something incredibly relevant about that for us. The Christian life requires strength we don’t possess naturally. We need wisdom when we don’t know what to do, endurance when we’re tired, courage when we’re afraid and comfort when things become overwhelming. That’s why the presence of the Holy Spirit is so important to us.
The oil in Psalm 23 is real oil, used in a real act of hospitality. But when we trace the biblical story of anointing all the way to Christ and the Spirit, we discover that God has always been interested in more than outward ceremony. He wants His people refreshed, consecrated and empowered.
Are you trying to follow Christ with strength you don’t have? Remember the Shepherd’s oil. He strengthens you for the journey. Ask Him for the strength and wisdom that only His Spirit can provide. The God who leads is also the God who supplies what His sheep need to follow Him.
