by David Falk | Download PDF | Purchase Hardcopy

The theme of the ‘anointing oil’ is rich with symbolism and has much to teach us. The psalmist proclaimed, ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head’. Ps 133:2. He was speaking of the ‘anointing oil’ that was poured over the head of the high priest when he was ordained for the Lord’s service. The Scriptures describe this oil as pure olive oil mixed with four spices. Ex 30:23-25. It was the work of a perfumer, and hence it was known as the ‘oil of the apothecary’. 

The notion of ‘anointing’ is not the exclusive domain of the moving of the Spirit in a church meeting. The real purpose of the anointing oil is that it figuratively pours down over your head, over your face, and into your eyes. It causes the face to shine and brings illumination to the eyes of your heart. It is the aroma of Christ. The oil of the apothecary, the perfumer’s oil, enables us to manifest the aroma of Christ in every place. We’ll recall the words of Paul, ‘Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place’. 2 Cor 2:14.

The psalmist described this anointing oil as being poured over the head of the high priest, running down his beard, and then all the way down to the skirt or hem of his priestly garments. This oil was the symbol of the Spirit of Christ resting upon him. With the anointing of this oil, the priest was ordained to minister daily before the presence of the Lord. Accordingly, it says of the priest that he had the ‘crown of the anointing’ upon his head, meaning that he wore what the King James version calls the ‘fair mitre’. Lev 21:12, Zech 3:5. This was something like a turban, which then had a golden crown that was placed on top of it. Lev 8:9. We don’t know exactly what this crown looked like, but we know it represented the anointing oil continually resting upon the head of the high priest.

The symbolism of the Scripture works this way. Like the priests of old, the Lord wants to anoint us. The anointing that comes to us is like the oil that anointed and ordained Aaron. The first evidence of our anointing is that we are dwelling together in love and living together in unity. If you and I will maintain harmony of relationship, true friendship, true brotherhood in Christ, then the anointing oil will be there. Not because we are united in Christ, but because we dwell together in love and we continue choosing to love. You only become bitter if you cease choosing to love. Love is not firstly friendship. That’s ‘phileo’ or brotherly love. Love in the Scripture is mostly ‘agape’ or love that gives unconditionally. ‘Agape’ is love that is chosen. Where you and I choose to love, then the Lord is pouring out anointing oil and we are dwelling together in unity. Again, we’ll recall the words of the psalmist, ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head’. Psa 133:1-2.   

Secondly, it is the anointing oil that opens the eyes of your understanding and gives you insight. I know that the one thing that I want in my life is insight. I’m quite taken by the statement in the book of Daniel that says, ‘Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever’. Dan 12:3. And further to this, ‘Many will be purged, purified, and refined … those who have insight will understand’. Dan 12:10. When the Scripture speaks of insight, it is not referring to some form of mental process of reasoning. Insight is the capacity to see, and particularly to see into the heavenly places to know what God is doing. It speaks of our spiritual sight, the ‘eyes of our heart’. The apostle Paul prayed earnestly for the Ephesian church ‘so that the eyes of your heart would be enlightened’. Eph 1:18.

In the book of Revelation, Jesus instructed the church in Laodicea to buy ‘eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see’. Rev 3:18. When He spoke of ‘eye salve’, He was referring to the ‘anointing oil’ that is poured over our heads and then runs down into our eyes. When the anointing oil runs into our eyes we are illuminated. The eyes of our heart are being enlightened. Accordingly, we perceive what we didn’t see before. We are becoming a truly spiritual people. We are not judging by what the natural eye sees.

The great psalmist makes a very interesting statement when he says, ‘Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; it is oil upon the head’. Ps 141:5. Indeed, even the afflictions of our enemies can be oil upon our heads. In the midst of great affliction, Paul was able to say, ‘I know this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ’. Phil 1:19. If we receive the afflictions of our enemies and the rebuke of the righteous alike, it will be oil upon our heads. If we learn from the things we’re receiving in life, then it will be like oil running down into our eyes and giving us insight or illumination. In this season, the one thing we need is insight.

We need to have the eyes of our heart illuminated and enlightened. I want to encourage you today to become people of prayer. Wait on God for the oil of His anointing to come down over your head. I want to encourage you, in prayer, to buy from Him oil that can run down over your head and can come down into your eyes. In the process of your difficulties and struggles, the oil that goes into your eyes is going to open your eyes enabling you to see things that you’ve never seen before. You’ll be able to understand things that you’ve never understood before.

Thirdly, the anointing is upon us to give life to others. Jesus Himself was called ‘the anointed of God’. Acts 10:38. And as the anointed of God, ‘He went about  doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him’. Acts 10:38. If anointing is our portion, then we can walk in the Spirit of Christ and bring life and healing to others. In the course of your life, you will come across many who are oppressed. What does oppression look like in our society? In some countries the evidence of oppression can have quite extreme manifestations. In our society, we don’t often observe people behaving in overtly ‘oppressed’ or ‘possessed’ kinds of ways. Oppression in our society looks a lot like depression. It’s going to look like heaviness, sadness, confusion, and anger.

Jesus said of Himself, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed’. Luke 4:18. We can do likewise when we are anointed with the oil of His spirit. We can receive the oil, the crown of the anointing, upon our heads. Jesus warned the church of Philadelphia, ‘Hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown’. Rev 3:11. There is a ‘crown of life’ laid up for those who overcome. However, we will not only receive a crown one day in the future. If we are His anointed, we are part of a kingdom of priests. And if we are walking in that priesthood, we have the crown of anointing upon our heads.

There is no doubt that the apostles of the early church understood this anointing. It is recorded that  people brought the sick out into the streets ‘so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them’. Acts 5:15. What a wonderful scenario! Such is the anointing and the illumination that the Lord wants to bring to you and me. He wants to pour oil on your head. He wants to give you an anointing. As the psalmist proclaimed concerning Christ, ‘You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore Your God has anointed you with the oil of joy above your fellows.’ Psa 45:7.

Will you covet the anointing? Where you don’t understand, will you go to prayer in the secret place, to allow the Lord Himself to pour that alabaster box of oil over your head? We’ll recall that the woman broke the alabaster box and poured oil over the feet of Jesus. Luke 7:46. I think of that as the oil that has run right down over the head and right down to the feet. We also know the other scenario where the woman poured the oil over His head. And Jesus said, ‘She has anointed My body beforehand for the burial’. Mark 14:8.

He wants to pour oil on you and open your eyes to give you insight. Don’t be frightened by your enemies. Your enemies are just a tool in the Lord’s hand to bring about His will in your life. They will help you do the things the Lord has ordained for you to do. ‘For truly in this city they were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus … to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur’. Acts 4:27-28. Note the interplay here. These enemies were gathered together to afflict and ultimately crucify Jesus. However, they were only doing whatever the Lord’s hand had predestined to occur. The result was that the Lord’s hand was extended to heal, and the disciples were empowered to speak the ‘word with all confidence’. Acts 4:29. When we are confronted with affliction, we can do the same thing as the disciples. We simply take note of their threats and pray for the Lord to help us speak the word boldly. The primary manifestation of oil being poured forth is the proclaiming of the word. It is the word that comes to us and brings insight to our eyes. The oil is the symbol of the supply of the Spirit of Christ, the life of Christ, but it is brought to us by the word. By the proclaiming of the word, anointing oil is poured out and the Lord’s hand is stretched forth to heal so that signs and wonders occur in every place.   

Will you become a person of the anointing? Will you wait upon Him daily for His anointing, for the pouring out of His Spirit? Remember the Lord said, ‘I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind’. Joel 2:28. Will you seek to go about doing good? Will you seek to go about, as the book of Acts says, stretching out your hand to heal? Even today, can we look for His anointing so that He can stretch forth His hand to heal? Will you believe for the healing of others? Do you need to be healed? What is your need today? Where is your heart today? Where are your eyes today? Do you have understanding? Do you know what God is doing?  Do you know why He’s doing what He’s doing? Do you understand the season that we’re in?  If your heart is heavy today, there is a well of joy. The prophet Isaiah rejoiced that the Lord gives ‘the oil of gladness instead of mourning’. Is 61:3. Concerning this joy, Jesus said, ‘Your heart will rejoice and no one will take your joy away from you’. John 16:22.

The joy of the Lord is our strength. Referring again to the words of the psalmist, it’s like the oil that comes down over the head of Aaron the priest. And it’s also ‘like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing – life forever’. Ps 133:3.  Wherever the oil is coming down over your head, the Lord is proclaiming the blessing. Wherever the dew of Hermon is coming down over your head, the Lord is proclaiming the blessing, which is life forever more. You can have life, as Jesus said, ‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly’. John 10:10.   

Do you have life? If you have Christ, then you have life. Let Him renew your oil. Let Him renew your life. Let Him bring the oil and the dew down upon your head. And in that place, let Him pronounce the blessing for you – life forever. Forever is a long time. He wants to give you now, by anointing, a quality of life that you can have forever more.

Author: David Falk | Toowoomba Christian Fellowship TCF
Published by Vision One at Toowoomba Christian Fellowship TCF
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