Note: Idea and notes inspired by Wayne Dority's messages on the Holy Spirit.
Title: Symbols of the Holy Spirit: The Oil
Theme: To show the Holy Spirit in relation to the oil.
Text:
Introduction
2 Corinthians 1:21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,
Purpose of the Oil
We learn that throughout the Bible the oil was used 1) to anoint those who are working for the Lord. This included the priests, the prophets, and the kings. Any person that was next to the temple and working for the Lord.
1. To light the lamps of the temple. There was perpetual light in the temple of God, reminded us of His presence that dwells in us as a temple.
2. To bring ointment for healing. James 5:14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
3. To add flavoring to food,
Mat 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. (14) "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. (15) "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. (16) "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
4. Cleansing
5. To anoint the priests, kings and prophets with
Psa 133:1-2 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments.
This is the area I would like to focus on this morning. This Holy Spirit anointing.
Anointing – smear, rub, consecrate
Old Testament they smeared on, New Testament they rubbed in.
Process (Preparation) for the Oil
Exodus 30 gives very specific instructions on what and how to anoint
Moreover the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Also take for yourself quality spices; five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, "five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. "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. "With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony; "the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense; "the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base. "You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them must be holy. "And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests. "And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 'It shall not be poured on man's flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.
(Exo 30:22-32)
How does the process of Oil Work
It is grown then prepared for harvest.
First the olive is picked
Second the olive is cleaned
Third the olive is put into a press
Fourth the large wheel rolls across it to get the olive oil out
Fifth the pure olive oil is separated from the rest.
The Alabaster Box
Luke 7, John 12
Breaking of the alabaster box
Filling the room with aroma
The anointing of Jesus
Luk 7:38-50 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. (39) Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."
(44) Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. (45) "You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. (46) "You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. (47) "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." (48) Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." (49) And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" (50) Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."
James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
NLT 8 Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites.
Provision for the Oil
In Exodus 30:22-37 we have as ingredients:
- liquid myrrh
- sweet-smelling cinnamon ( a kind of cinnamon of the laurel family)
- aromatic cane (sweet cane or sugar cane)
- cassia (inner bark of cinnamon, one of the perfumes used at Roman funerals)
- olive oil
This had to be a special oil made. It was not just any oil. Any oil would do.
As the Holy Spirit is the oil He is the only one. You can’t counterfeit Him. Now I know some have tried.
The Partition of the Oil - Separation (consecration)
1. Moses "poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him" (Lev.8:12).
2. And Moses "anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them" (Lev.8:10).
3. The oil was applied only to those who were to be consecrated unto God's service.
Ex.28:41,Thou "shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office."
Priests who were anointed were restricted in activity (Lev.21:1-24).
They could not touch "any dead body"(vv.1,11), or shave their head or beard (v.5).
They could not marry a widow, harlot, or divorcee (v.14).
Their children must be upright (v.9).
The high priest must not "let his hair become unkempt" (v.10,NIV), nor could he "go out of the sanctuary" (v.12).
WHY?
"for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon Him" (v.12).
We must live differently from the world to be anointed.
If we expect the Holy Spirit to remain in our lives we must live holy.
"Come out from among them, and be ye separate..."(2 Cor.6:17).
"Come out from among them, and be ye separate..."(2 Cor.6:17).
2 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
2. The prophet was anointed.
1 Kings 19:16,"...and Elisha...shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room."
3. The King was anointed.
Saul,1 Sam 10:1,"Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?"
David, 1 Sam.16:13,"Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren...".
The kings were called "the anointed of the Lord" 1 Sam.24:6;29:9
This meant increased honor but also increased responsibility.
When Saul and David sinned, God did not simply rebuke them; but he reminded them both, "I anointed you king" (1 Sam.15:17;2 Sam.12:7).
The anointing is not to be taken lightly.
Samson was never serious about the anointing.
He lived frivolously.
We must remain humble under the anointing.
Saul became presumptuous and proud.
He offered up a sacrifice, intruding into the priest's office.
He also failed to obey God's command to totally destroy the enemy.
Samuel rebuked him in 1 Sam.15:17,"When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed the king."
We need to stay little so that God can use us.
James 4:6,"God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble."
Special – peculiar
Power of the Oil
New Testament
"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."
(Luk 4:18-19)
2 Corinthians 1:21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,
Thayer
- Enduing Christians with the gifts of the Holy Spirit
• 1 John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
• The word “unction” actually means, “ointment that is rubbed in.” New Testament anointing was much different than Old Testament anointing. In the Old Testament, the anointing was poured out; in the New Testament, the anointing was rubbed in. Your effectiveness will never be determined by what is poured out in a single moment. It will be determined by how long you linger and soak in God’s glory.
• The anointing is always given for a specific purpose – not just to make us feel good.
Illustration of the Holy Spirit working
Through out the Bible we learn what happens when people are anointed by the Holy Spirit.
Prophets Propyesy, Leader’s lead, Kings get their mind on the Lord,
In the New Testament we learn that a rag tag bag of disciples who had no purpose of being where they were were turned into bold preachers.
The church began to listen to the Lord, the people begin to pray with fervency and miracales were common place.
Jails were open, the dead was raised, missionaries were sent out and God was adding to the church daily. 3,000, 5,000 and multitudes were added to the church. This is not just a common phenemona it is the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
TenVirgins.
Mat 25:1-13 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. (2) "Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. (3) "Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, (4) "but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (5) "But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. (6) "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' (7) "Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. (8) "And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' (9) "But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' (10) "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. (11) "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' (12) "But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' (13) "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Medicinal properties. “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14). The word here traanslated sickness in the next verse is astheneo, and literally means “without strength” and may refer to spiritual depression as well as physical sickness. In verse 15 the word sick is the Greek kamnos and is translated “be wearied” in Hebrews 12:3.
The prophet wrote of medical treatment using oil: “From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment” (Isaiah 1:6). The Good Samaritan “bound his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.” When the Master sent out the twelve two by two, among other acts they “cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:13).
It was for a similar purpose that the familiar twenty-third psalm says, “Thou anointest my head with oil.” Here is a detailed description of this act:
“At the sheepfold there is a large bowl of olive oil mingled with spices, and a large jar of water. As the sheep pass through the gate, the shepherd examines each head and body for wounds. These are carefully cleaned as the shepherd dips his hand into the oil to anoint the injury. A cup is dipped into the water and comes out overflowing and the sheep drinks until refreshed.” {Footnote: The Herald, July/August 1999, p. xx.}
Soap and toiletries. Processed oil has the texture of lotion and is used as a moisturizer. It was with this balm that a woman ministered unto Jesus in the Pharisee’s house. Jesus said, “My head with oil thou didst not anoint; but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment” (Luke 7:46). Likewise the prophet writes, “Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil” (Ezekiel 16:9).
