Oil Part 5 A

Exodus 40:9 NKJV

 “And you shall take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it; and you shall hallow it and all its utensils, and it shall be holy.

The tabernacle was the place set aside for worship to the Lord.

      The sacrifices were offered there.

      The lamps burned continually.

      The sweet smell of incense was in the air.

      There the high priest made atonement for the sins of the people.

      The oil was used to set the place apart for its intended purpose.

      The anointing with oil meant that nothing contrary to the original purpose of the structure was to be permitted there.

Spiritual parallel: In this present dispensation, our bodies are considered God’s temple. We are to offer sacrifices here continually.

Hebrews 13:15 NKJV

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Oil Part 4

Exodus 29:1, 7 NKJV

[1] "And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests: Take one young bull and two rams without blemish, [7] And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.

Aaron was the high priest. He is the one who would be going into the holiest place. The anointing oil was to be poured on his head to set him apart for his ministry.

Spiritual parallel: Why the head? The head is a major starting point for the activity in the body. Four of our five senses are in the head - seeing, smelling, tasting and hearing. The brain is also in the head. It determines most of our activity and sends messages to other body parts to get things done. We can lose many body parts and still function. Our heads will help us figure out how to get by without the missing parts. However, if we lose our heads, none of the rest of our body parts will survive. The head is a critical body part. This can present a challenge for our spiritual lives. The head has to run things most of the time in the natural world. When we are dealing with spiritual things, the head has trouble backing down. We have to let the anointing hit our heads to put it in its place when we are dealing with spiritual things.

While the head plays a major role in the success of natural life, it can be a major hindrance when it comes to spiritual life. Our spirits are not guided by our physical senses, and the leading of the Holy Spirit often goes against reasoning. In order to minister accurately on behalf of the Lord, our heads need to be subject to our spirits. So it is fitting that the sanctification begin with the head. When we enter the holiest place, we must do so with great humility. We must not dare to come with an attitude of reasoning with God. We come to worship and obey. We come to surrender and serve. We come to wait on him – whatever He wants we are ready to give by the grace He gives us. The anointing enables us to do that. The anointing represents the Holy Spirit Who empowers us to do what is difficult or impossible for us to do on our own.

Oil Part 3B

Exodus 29:2 NKJV

and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil (you shall make them of wheat flour).

When the priests were being sanctified for their ministry, unleavened bread mixed with oil was part of the ceremonial offering. Unleavened bread was first mentioned during the exodus from Egypt. After the firstborn of Egypt was killed to secure the freedom of the Israelites, the Hebrews celebrated the Passover with lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The bread would not have time to rise because they had to hurry. From that time forward, the Passover was celebrated with unleavened bread – the bread of haste. It would remind them of their swift deliverance from bondage. 

Spiritual parallel: The unleavened bread would represent deliverance from the kingdom of darkness. It might also represent a sinless life. Jesus used it to represent the offering of His body:

Luke 22:19 NKJV

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

In the sanctification ceremony for the priests, oil was added to the bread. A sinless or consecrated life is important, but it becomes obnoxious self-righteousness, as well as impossible to maintain without the oil of the Holy Spirit. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in us that enables us to live above sin. The Spirit of God also keeps us from being “dry bread.” As we offer our lives to reach a lost world, to help suffering humanity, we can be far more appealing if we are not so dry. Look at what Jesus said to the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees:

 Matthew 23:27

 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”

We must set ourselves apart, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Then we must allow the oil of His anointing to saturate us continually so we may be more appealing and effective in our outreach to others. Our righteousness needs to be His righteousness. We must act like Him naturally because we are naturally supernatural – not because we are trying to. There will just be more of Him and less of us in operation. The more we are soaked with His anointing the easier it will be to do that. The Lord has to use this flesh but he does not want it to be dry. Joel prophesied what Peter quoted on the day of Pentecost:

Joel 2:28 NKJV

“And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.

Oil Part 3 A

Exodus 29:2 NKJV

and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil (you shall make them of wheat flour).

When the priests were consecrated, oil was poured on their heads. They also ate unleavened bread and wafers mixed with oil.

Spiritual parallel: A symbol of the anointing and the Holy Spirit was poured on their bodies. They also took the symbol of the anointing and the Holy Spirit inside their bodies. The oil upon would represent the equipping for ministry to others. The oil within would represent their connection to the Spirit of God for their personal lives. The anointing within would also help with ministry.

  1 John 2:27 NKJV

“But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”

John 14:16-17, 26 NKJV

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

This will help explain why we sometimes feel the anointing coming upon us to minister. Yet we have that anointing inside of us to give us access to the ministry of the Holy Spirit for ourselves as well as for ministry.

Oil Part 2F

Exodus 27:20 NKJV

"And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually.

It took effort to extract the oil. It involved pressing. 

Spiritual parallel: Look at what the apostle Paul said.

Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

If you were walking and suddenly decided it was more urgent than you previously thought to get where you were going, you would press - start running. A basketball team may be starting their defense at half court, but if the score on the board and the time left on the clock indicated they might lose using the current strategy, they might change to a full court press in an attempt to overcome. The more oil you want, the harder you need to press. Jesus was among the olive trees in Gethsamane on the Mount of Olives when He experienced the ultimate pressing. His sweat became as blood when He pressed through to the decision to give His life in a cruel fashion as our substitute. His temporary separation from the Father was the most difficult part of the journey. But He did it for us.

Luke 22:41-42, 44 NKJV

And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

The author of Hebrews encouraged us to remember Jesus' ordeal when we are undergoing a pressing from the enemy in his attempt to get us to sin or be discouraged.

Hebrews 12:3-4 NKJV

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Oil Part 2E

Exodus 27:20 NKJV

"And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually.

When it was time to harvest the olives, the tree was shaken to get the olives off.

Spiritual parallel: We have to shakes things up to get what we need or want. The status quo will not do. Business as usual will not get it. The common rehearsed rituals will not work. We must be willing to shake things up, following a path we have not walked, doing things we have not done, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us so we can obtain the fresh oil He has for us.