The Holy Spirit Series 19

Today’s session is quite close to my heart and I was deeply encouraged by it, I hope it will be the same for you too. We will continue to study about the oil and how it signifies the Holy Spirit.

b.      Oil of Gladness: Ever since the fall there has been a problem with all of creation; nothing is as it should be. God created everything and declared that it was good but looking at the world today can make anyone doubt God’s sovereignty and even His existence. There is death and destruction all around us whether man-made or natural. As I write this two people who are close to me have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, one has it in the brain while the other in her bones.  Having spoken to both women I understood that true hope comes only to those who have Christ for only one of them is a believer. The unbeliever is a cousin. Having known her over many years I understad her pain and sorrow. She had a hard life, she never enjoyed her life and now she was diagnosed with bone cancer that has now rendered her bedridden with only a month to live. Her resentment is understandable and heart breaking. The other is a very dear family friend whom I’ve known for over 15 years as a prayerful and godly woman from church. Her diagnosis was shocking but after speaking to her and hearing what the Lord spoke to her was truly encouraging and an eye opener to me and my wife. In her sickness she ministered to the nurses that tended to her and 4 of them accepted Christ while her brother who so refused the gospel all these years also came to the Lord seeing her faith, along with his family. She has provoked me to introspect my own convictions and stand. God removed her fear of death and gave her an inner strength to take joy rather than sorrow and despair as her mantle. Coincidently I was meditating on this topic on the oil as a symbol and the Lord put out this verse to me:

‘To grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.’ Isaiah 61:3.

Isaiah 61 starts with, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…’ and it leads to verse 3, meaning that the anointing of the Holy Spirit is the what gives a child of God the oil of gladness and a mantle of praise to be glad and praise God when faced with hopelessness. The key is that Is 61 talks about the ministry that the Anointing allows us to do, which Jesus quoted at the start of His ministry. The oil of joy is for those who do what is mentioned in the verses 1-2. It is the anointing that defines the purpose of a child of God while the stand/testimony during adversities speaks volumes of their faith and hope in the Lord Jesus and His promise of eternal life to all who believe in His name. We often think that our will power and convictions in the word of God is what will carry us through but the Lord has revealed it differently. The oil of gladness is part of the supernatural gift of faith 1 Corinthians 12:9, that enables the believer to transcend human reasoning. We all know about the shield of faith in Eph 6:16. What many do not realize is the significance. The shield that we commonly see in the hands of Roman soldiers were the big metallic shields but as per the verse a metallic shield would not quench a fiery dart (arrow). The arrow would ricochet of a metallic shield and hit someone else. The actual shield used during war was a wooden shield that was covered with leather. The soldier would drench it with water before going into battle, so that when a flaming arrow was fired upon him the arrow would embed itself into the shield and would get doused. Now to maintain the suppleness of the leather covering the shield was oiled regularly. Without the oiling process the leather would dry out and crack. Our shield is our faith but the anointing of the Lord is what makes our faith strong. It is the joy of the Lord that makes us strong. Amen. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego refused to bow before the idol and deny their faith ready to die even if God did not deliver them Dan 3:16. This is the faith that the Anointing is going to bring more and more in the days to come. This oil of gladness is symbolically represented by its use in the ceremonial sacrifices, since every sacrifice is painful yet the purpose far outweighs the cost and so Jesus sacrificed Himself joyfully Heb 12:2. Consider also that the oil is obtained by beating and crushing the olive and then exposing it to heat. The true essence on a believer is seen in his faith life tested in the rigours of life whether simple or even unto death. Our lives should glorify His name which will only happen when people see our faith life and good works. Is 61:3 ends declaring that the anointed disposition of the child of God will declare His work in our lives thus giving Him the glory. Every believer today stands because someone gave their life to get the gospel to him and they did it joyfully. There is no life without death as seen in Jn 12:24.

This study has been such an encouragement to me on a personal level. As a believer our hope is eternity with our Saviour. It is my prayer that we will accomplish the purpose for which we were sent into the world and that God would furnish us with His word and strengthen us by His Spirit to live life to the fullest in Him. For a believer life begins the day he/she departs from this world. Till next time. God bless

Holy Spirit Series 18

1.     Olive Oil:  The symbol of the olive oil is a known symbol of the Holy Spirit, having been used more frequently in the Bible than the dove and water symbols. The oil was first used to anoint Aaron and his sons into the Levitical priesthood Exo 29:21. It was used to separate men and things as Holy unto God. Specifically, the olive oil indicated the Anointing of the Holy Spirit. Olive oil was the oil of choice among the Jews for this purpose. Why was olive oil the chosen medium? One point I would like to express is that every detail in the ceremonial offerings and its methods are prophetically significant. The same applies to the olive oil. The olive tree is hardy, drought and disease resistant tree very similar to the acacia tree, which was used to build the Ark of the Covenant, The Table of Showbread and the Brazen Altar. The oil tree is capable to regeneration even after its branches and main trunk has been destroyed, thus the olive tree is a symbol of new life. This is symbolically seen when the dove sent out on the 8^th day brought Noah freshly plucked olive leaves. The number 8 signifies new beginnings in Bible and so the olive branch corresponds in meaning symbolically. The olive tree is also symbolic of the redeemed Church (Israel and Gentile) with the Head being Christ, who was crushed, beaten and bruised paralleling the olive pressing process to procure oil. Mt. Olivet is also known as the hill of pressing, the same place where Jesus prayed agonizing whilst blood poured out like sweat upon the earth. Can you see the imagery?

                           The Anointing oil used was made specifically as prescribed by God. A total of five ingredients went into its making Exo 30-23-25. The five being Myrrh, Cinnamon, sweet Calamus, Cassia and Olive oil. The number Five represents the grace of God. Each of the measurements of these 5 ingredients are multiples of 5! The meaning inferred is that the Anointing is the grace of God and not of merit. The ministry bestowed upon the vessel is by the grace of God and therefore must not be taken for granted nor misused. The oil was also indicative of joy and gladness Ps 45:7, reflected in its inclusion in the sacrifices where it was used as part of the Temple offerings (Ex 29:40/Lev 7:12/Num 15:4) except the sin (Lev 5:11) and jealousy (Num 5:15) offerings. It was also used to perpetually light the seven branched lampstand in the Holy place (Exo 27:20).  We will briefly go through the different olive oil uses that is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.

a.     Holy unto the Lord: The oil was used to sanctify people and objects as Holy and separated vessels (man and object) for purpose of serving God. The key words here is “the purpose of God,” which is the only reason for sanctification. Unless the person or item has been cleansed it cannot be inducted into the divine purpose because of the Holy nature of God. The sanctification process begins once God had made His choice of the said vessel; God is the only One who decides who or what may be used to minister to Him and it is for this reason that Jesus said, “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you…”Jn 15:16a. Aaron too was chosen by God as the High priest out of all of Israel Num 17:5-8 and so was King David. Today, everyone who accepts Jesus as their personal Saviour does so because God has chosen them to do so according to Rom 8:29-30 and Jn 6:44. Thus He chooses us and separates us for His service. This is why He calls us to holiness because He is Holy Eph 1:4, 1Pt 1:13-16. Every born again believer is a minister of God, called into the ministry of reconciliation 2Cor 5:18-19 to preach the good news Mt 28-18-20. Warnings have been issued against those who misuse or disrespect that which has been made Holy unto God 1Cor 3:17. King Belshazzar, son of King Nebuchadnezzar, used the Holy Temple vessels to drink vine in the company of his guests Dan 5:3. This defiling act brought the wrath of God upon himself and his kingdom. History tells us that Babylon fell into the hands of King Cyrus of Persia that very night. We must remember God’s exclusivity and revere Him thusly. Our lives are purely by the grace of God and so must be a possession most cherished. Amen

 I am always perplexed at the intricacies of the Old Testament that prophetically reveal the New Testament. The Old Testament is one of my great loves when it comes to studying about prophecy. I hope this lesson has been a blessing and I will see you in our next session when we continue looking into the uses of the Olive oil that signify the Holy Spirit. Till then God Bless.