“The Oil of Gladness”

A few years ago my daughter, a biochemist, developed a hair anointing oil (http://www.bright-star-hair.com/) to give hair sheen, glow and rejuvenation. At that time, most hair compositions did not contain oil. But, after my daughter’s new product Press Release, we noticed many of the major hair vendors began to advertise every type of oil imaginable in their compositions. They included Argan Oil, Moroccain Oil, Shea Oil, Castor Oil, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Pomegranate Seed Oil, Rosemary Essential Oil, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil, and others.

Previously, oil had been shunned from hair topical compositions, but “now” it was gladly included.

So, let’s examine “The Oil of Gladness”

Theme: “The Oil of Gladness”

Read Scripture: Psalm 45:7

“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy companions.”

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament speak of anointing oil. Gotquestions.com writes about anointing oil, stating “Anointing oil is mentioned 20 times in Scripture. It was used in the Old Testament for pouring on the head of the high priest and his descendants and sprinkling the tabernacle and its furnishings to mark them as holy and set apart to the Lord (Exodus 25:6; Leviticus 8:30; Numbers 4:16).” “The recipe for anointing oil is found in Exodus 30:23-24; it contained myrrh, cinnamon and other natural ingredients.”

“There is no indication that the oil or the ingredients had any supernatural power. Rather, the strictness of the guidelines for creating the oil was a test of the obedience of the Israelites and a demonstration of the absolute holiness of God”. Psalm 45:7 states, “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy companions.”

“Only four New Testament passages refer to the practice of anointing with oil, and none of them offer an explanation for its use. We can draw our conclusions from context. In Mark 6:13, the disciples anoint the sick and heal them. In Mark 14:3-9, Mary anoints Jesus’ feet as an act of worship. In James 5:14, the church elders anoint the sick with oil for healing. In Hebrews 1:8-9, God says to Christ as He returns triumphantly to heaven, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,” and God anoints Jesus “with the oil of gladness.”

What is specifically the “oil of gladness”? It is the resting upon and saturation of the Holy Spirit. The basic idea of anointing is to pour oil upon someone or something in order to acknowledge special service or to set apart for special service to God.

So, when you pray, Psalm 23 wherein verse 5b -6 states, “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” You are acknowledging the abundance of God and that God has set you apart for His service.

So, although we certainly desire well-kept hair and appearance, we must always seek the better part of serving God and that is the desire for the anointing of the “Oil of Gladness”.

That is the difference others see in a Christian’s appearance. It is the glow of the “Oil of Gladness”.

Amen!

“Leave the Ass (donkey) at the bottom of the Mountain”

Genesis provides for us some great and godly stories of the beginning of time, as well as, the beginning of great ministries. One of the most important virtues to God in Genesis was obedience. God spoke and the world and everything within it came into existence. All creation was obedient to God’s command. But this wasn’t the case with man in every instance.

Man having the ability to think and reason, along with free-will, made decisions and choices that did not always demonstrate obedience to God. This was especially true when fear rather than faith entered into man’s heart. Fear competes with faith to try to over-rule obedience. Faith tells a person to trust and obey God’s commands, but fear competes with faith to try to stop or over-rule obedience to God.

In Genesis chapter 22 there is a man named Abraham. He is commanded by God to sacrifice his son. This is a pivotal point in the life and ministry of Abraham. God had promised Abraham that He would make Abraham the “Father of Many Nations”. In other words, God had big plans for Abraham. But, first God had to be sure that Abraham could be obedient and faithful to His commands.

God had a ministry for Abraham that would change a nation of people and the world.” God would provide everything that was needed in Abraham’s ministry. God would provide the necessary people, resources, and opportunities. In Genesis 22 we read that God provided an opportunity for Abraham to demonstrate obedience and faithfulness.

As Abraham began his faith opportunity journey, he quickly learned that everyone and everything wouldn’t be part of that journey. Some people and things would not be part of the journey, especially when the journey leads to higher and higher levels of service.

Let’s examine “Leave the Ass (donkey) at the bottom of the Mountain”.

Theme: “Leave the Ass (donkey) at the bottom of the Mountain”

Scripture Reading: Genesis 22:1-18 (KJV)

Focus Scripture: Genesis 22:5 (KJV)

And Abraham said to his young men, Abide you here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

Reflection:

So, Abraham arose early traveling with his son Isaac, two young men, and an ass (donkey). They eventually reached the base of Mount Moriah. Arriving at the destination, Abraham had the two young men, and the ass remain at the base of the mountain. The two young men and the ass could not make the trip up the mountain with Abraham and his son, Isaac.

If we look at the symbolism of this story, we note that only Abraham and his sacrifice (son, Isaac) could go up the mountain. Abraham was to leave the two young men and the ass at the base of the mountain. This is a lesson that when God gives you important work to do; you have to leave some people and the ass behind at the base of the mountain. They are not called to climb the mountain with you. It is a journey you must make on your own.

People must be left behind because they will be of no further help to you on the upward climb. The ass must be left behind, because it is an ass both literally and figuratively. In other words, the ass is capable of carrying heavy loads, but it is also at times stubborn and not too smart. So, the ass must be left behind because physical strength is not needed for the journey. Only faith and obedience is needed.

So, don’t hesitate to leave behind that which will only hinder your upward climb.

Amen!