“Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.” 1 Samuel16:13
Throughout Scripture, oil is used as a symbol to represent the Holy Spirit. In the specific case of David’s anointing by Samuel, it was when he was anointed with oil, that the Spirit of God came upon him, “…from that day forward.” So important was this anointing of the Spirit, that David, in his great confessional prayer in Psalm 51, he would beseech the Lord: “…take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.” (v.11) He prayed this because of the absolute, essential nature and provision of the Spirit. It is only by the Spirit, that David could ever be and do what God had called him to accomplish.
In Psalm 133, the psalmist speaks of an anointing that begins at the head, and then, runs down over the remainder of “Aaron’s skirts and garments.” The oil represents the blessing of the Lord by the Spirit, a blessing of life, commanded by the Lord. The oil, a physical picture of the presence, influence, power and blessing of God, is absolutely essential if man would glorify God.
Jesus, in speaking in the Gospels concerning His second coming, and in particular with regard to being ready for it, He uses several illustrations, one of which has to do with oil. He speaks of ten virgins, “…which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” (Matt. 25:1) Five of these virgins were “wise,” and five “foolish.” Their wisdom, or lack thereof, was seen in their efforts to be truly ready for the immediate coming, and appearance of the bridegroom. The basic, essential element in being ready to meet him was the possession of oil for their lamps. If they had no oil, it was an indication that they were not serious about being ready, as they simply chose not to tend to the matter of preparedness. So important was this matter to the bridegroom, that he barred the foolish virgins from entering into the marriage feast, because at the time of their calling, not prepared, they had no oil to go immediately into the feast. To these virgins who did not think it was necessary to have the oil, present, and available, the bridegroom would say the solemn words: “Verily I say unto you, I know you not.” (25:12) The great lesson of this illustration, is to declare that one cannot be prepared if one does not have the oil, the essential of having light. Paul, in writing to the Romans, would make this so very clear: “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” (8:9) The first essential to being ready to meet Christ at any moment is to have, or possess, the Spirit of God. He is the seal, witness, and assurance of the believer that he or she belongs to Christ, has been justified and sanctified by Him, accepted by Him, having peace with God. To not have the Spirit, is to not belong to Christ.
The second illustration that the Lord uses in regard to being ready for His coming, to meet Him, is that of “…a man travelling into a far country, who called his servants, and delivered unto them his goods.” (Matt. 25:14) These goods were entrusted to the servants, according to their ability to use them for the sake of their master. The master’s intent in doing this was not only to receive a gain with regard to his investments, but primarily to prove and reveal the true disposition and intent of the hearts of his servants. At the return of the master, two of the servants demonstrated their good will, faithfulness, and wisdom towards their master, by giving back to him, not only that which had been entrusted to them, but the gain that they had realized. Good and faithful, they were ready to meet the master. In the case of a third servant, he would lose everything, as he hoarded that which was entrusted to him. He sought to save his life, not live for another.
Dear Father, Make us ready to meet Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.