THE ANOINTING OIL
What is it and why is it necessary in the life of the believer?
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified” Is. 61:3
Under the Old Covenant, anointing oil was used to anoint kings and to set people and articles in the sanctuary apart for holy service unto God. Used today by New Testament believers in Jesus Christ, it symbolizes the anointing and presence of the Holy Spirit to heal, empower, comfort and deliver.
Oil was a special sign of God’s blessing among all the tribes of Israel. Moses declared this blessing: “Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil. Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be” Deut. 33: 24-25
The oil became a symbol of God’s blessings poured out through His Holy Spirit, in all it’s fullness. “And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be a holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.” Ex. 30:31
The oil also speaks of the abundant provision of our Gracious Good Shepherd; “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” Ps. 23:5 “You love righteousness, and hate wickedness: therefore God, your God has anointed you with the oil of joy above your companions” Ps. 45:7
The anointing oil destroys the yoke of bondage! “And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off your shoulder, and his yoke from off your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing” Is. 10:27 Jesus, the Messiah; the Anointed One
Jesus came as the long-awaited Messiah. The One that would receive the fullness and the complete anointing of God’s Holy Spirit “…..how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him Acts 10:38
Jesus is the fulfillment of the anointing: As King “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His Father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end. Luke 1:32-33
As Prophet “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 seal 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. And He began to say to them “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. Luke 4:18-19.21
As Priest “So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: You are my son, Today I have begotten
You. As He also says in another place You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” Heb. 5:5-6 Jesus is the fulfillment of the anointing and the only way to obtain the anointing is by going directly to Him, who is the giver of the Holy Spirit. John 16:7 We have been given all power and authority in heaven and in the earth because of the death of Jesus on the cross. He dies that we might become co-heirs with Him and obtain
the inheritance of the Father, that which is abundant life. Today, we are able to live this abundant life on earth where we may glorify Him, declaring and decreeing that Jesus reigns and that we have been set free from the curse of sin and death
IS HEALING FOR TODAY?
You bet it is! Isaiah 53 is a prophecy about the coming Messiah who would bear our grief and carry our sorrows (V. 4) He would be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and that by His stripes WE ARE HEALED (v. 5)
We are to do the works that Jesus did. He went about, “healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people” Mt 4:23
So what does the oil have to do with healing?
“And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.” Mark 6:13 “Is 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 James 5:14
The Oil of Joy Anointing Oil was given by the Lord to bring forth His aroma, the fragrance of the Lord that covered His garments. Ps. 45:8
He has brought if forth into His body for such a time as this
Anoint yourself every day
On the forehead: for the mind of Christ On the palms of your hands: that all you touch will be blessed of the Lord On the soles of your feet: so that everywhere you tread, you will tread upon snakes and scorpions – taking back the Kingdom of God. Ask the Lord to set you apart, to consecrate you as holy; into His service.
May the Lord Jesus Himself anoint you with fresh oil. May He turn your mourning into joy. May your cup overflow and may you know His healing and delivering power in Your life!