Help Is HereSample

Do you recall the story of David? “Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on” (1 Sam. 16:13 NLT).

God instructed Elijah: “Anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet” (1 Kings 19:16 NLT).

God instructed Moses, “Clothe your brother, Aaron, and his sons with these garments, and then anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they can serve as my priests ... Cleanse the altar by purifying it; make it holy by anointing it with oil” (Ex. 28:41; 29:36 NLT).

This worship stanza was offered to Jesus: “God . . . poured fragrant oil on your head, marking you out as king, far above your dear companions” (Heb. 1:9 THE MESSAGE).

Jesus began his ministry by announcing, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me” (Luke 4:18).

Do you see the interplay between oil, anointing, and the Holy Spirit? Anointing oil is a metaphor for the Spirit of God. “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Cor. 1:21–22 NIV, emphasis mine). God poured out upon you not the oil my wife keeps in a drawer, but the power-providing, heart-healing oil of the Holy Spirit.

Your life has been consecrated, dedicated, and embrocated with the Spirit of God. Was this not God’s promise?

And in the last days it shall be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. (Acts 2:17)

The verb pour deserves to be highlighted. God does not distribute the Spirit with an eyedropper or a tablespoon. This is no suggestion of a dab, sprinkle, splash, or occasional drop. We are “saved . . . through the washing of . . . the Holy Spirit, whom he [God] poured out” (Titus 3:5–6 NIV, emphasis mine). He douses us with himself. He does to us what Moses was told to do with Aaron. “You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him” (Ex. 29:7).

The era of this command was around 1300 BC. Two million Hebrews were finally free from Egyptian captivity. A civilization was being born. Through Moses, God instructed the Israelites on every detail of life, especially the details about the tabernacle, which foreshadowed the temple.

Aaron and his sons were selected to serve as priests. Their ordination could hardly have been more elaborate - special headdresses, tunics, and clothing had been stitched together. Then, when everything was completed, God gave this instruction to Moses.

Take the finest spices: twelve pounds of liquid myrrh, half that amount (that is, six pounds) of sweet-smelling cinnamon, six pounds of sweet-smelling cane, and twelve pounds of cassia. Weigh all these by the Holy Place measure. Take four quarts of olive oil, and mix all these things like a perfume to make a holy olive oil. This special oil must be put on people and things to make them ready for service to God. (Ex. 30:23–25 NCV)

I showed this passage to our resident oil expert. “Denalyn,” I said, “let’s replicate this concoction. Where can we buy twelve pounds of myrrh, six pounds of cinnamon, six pounds of cane, and twelve pounds of cassia?”

She gave me that I-married-a-caveman look and explained that the myrrh alone would cost $3,000.

Well, maybe we could at least calculate the amount used. We converted the Bible’s measurements to liquid equivalents—gallons instead of pounds. Next, we tallied the total amount of oil prescribed. It was roughly the equivalent of six gallons. I envisioned a five-gallon cooler that is emptied on the winning football coach. This was no small amount of oil.

Moses was told to pour it over the tabernacle’s utensils so they would be “soaked in holiness” (Ex. 30:29 THE MESSAGE).

Next came the anointing of Aaron and his sons. “The anointing oil . . . was poured over Aaron’s head, . . . ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe” (Ps. 133:2 NLT). The man was marinated! Oil saturated his beard and seeped into the pores of his skin. It moistened his hair, rolled down the middle of his back, and dripped from the hem of his garment to the ground. His wife likely detected the fragrance from a block away. “We smelled you coming, Aaron.”

The oil changed more than his scent; it demarcated his assignment. “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests” (Ex. 30:30 NIV). They were consecrated for a purpose. They carried upon them God’s special favor. They bore a unique authority. Can you imagine how they must have felt?

I hope you can because an even greater anointing has come upon you. Do you understand what happened on the day of your conversion? Yes, grace covered you. Yes, the tent of God’s sovereignty was stretched over you. Yes, the pathway to heaven was laid out before you. And yes, yes, yes, you were anointed by the Holy Spirit. You have been consecrated for a holy work.

God has so doused you with his Spirit that you will never be in a place where the Spirit is not. God has decreed you to be special to him. You are unique among people. You are part of his priesthood (1 Peter 2:5). He has soaked you with himself.

Bask in this blessing.

Do not neglect your anointing. God set you apart for a special work. He poured his Spirit upon you! Receive him. Believe him. And leave oily footprints everywhere you go.

Respond

What is the special work God has set you apart for?

How does your calling impact the lives of others?

Prayer

Lord, thank you for calling me and using me. Lead me to someone today whose life I can impact for you!