Verse of the day: Exodus 30:25, 30 “And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil. And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests.”
Olive oil had many uses in Jewish culture. It was used for cooking, in lamps for lighting (Exodus 27:20; Leviticus 24:2), and for the anointing of Kings (1 Samuel 16:1), just to name a few. It was an important ingredient in the anointing oil made for the Tabernacle, and was to be used exclusively for the anointing of the Tabernacle, its instruments, and its priests. In the olive we see two pictures. On the one hand we see Jesus. The olive, in its original state is limited in what it can be used for. However, once crushed (essentially put to death), the oil produced by it has many uses. The ones that stand out in my mind are its use to keep the light burning in the lamps, and its use in anointing that which, and those who, have been set apart for use in God’s service. Without Christ being crushed (wounded and bruised) for our sins (Isaiah 53:5) the Holy Spirit would not come. Jesus said in John 16:7, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” In order for this to take place, Jesus would have to lay down His life, allowing His body to be wounded and bruised so that the Holy Spirit would be poured down from Heaven to seal us, and indwell us (1 Peter 1:2; Ephesians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 3:16). The other picture we see with the anointing oil is that of the Holy Spirit. The greatest example we have of this is in Luke 4:18, where Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound”. In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus told the parable of the ten virgins, five wise, and five foolish. The five wise virgins made sure that their lamps had plenty of oil, as they waited for their bridegroom, while the five foolish ones went to find oil for their lamps. While they were gone, the bridegroom returned and took with him the five wise virgins, leaving the foolish ones behind. This is a wonderful picture of oil as the Holy Spirit, and of faith in Christ. Sadly, there are many today who are seeking their own way of being accepted by God. However, the only way acceptable to the Father is through the Son (John 14:6). The Lord’s return is certain, and God desires that none would perish (2 Peter 3:9); nonetheless, those who fail to put their trust in Christ for eternal life, receiving the Holy Spirit who will seal them, and indwell them, upon their true profession of faith (Romans 10:11-13), will be left behind at His return, and eternally condemned. Today, the anointing oil is a reminder for us that true service to the Lord can only happen once we have put our faith and trust in Christ. It is only in the power of the Holy Spirit that we can accomplish anything that is worthy of heavenly reward, or accomplish anything that is truly selfless and to the glory of God. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, do not wait, and have the same fate as the foolish virgins in Matthew 25. For those of us who are already born again believers, we must do all we can to walk in the Spirit of God and allow Him to display His fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:16, 22-23). Just like the oil was necessary to keep the light of the lamps burning bright, the Holy Spirit of God is the only One who can keep the Light of Christ burning bright within us for the world to see (Matthew 5:14-16).
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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