There’s Power in the Oil

If I say oil, what’s the first thing you think of? Maybe it’s the kind that comes out of the ground, black gold as it’s known, because of its value. Maybe you thought of the kind you cook with; there are many kinds and I don’t know the production method of most, but I have studied how olive oil is made. It is a time-consuming process, and the more of it that is done by hand, the more expensive the oil gets. If you’ve ever shopped for olive oil, you know what I’m talking about—it can be quite pricey. Crude oil and olive oil may be high commodity items, but there is another oil that has even greater worth.

When I was new in my walk with God, I would read about things in the bible, such as “anointing with oil,” and I didn’t understand it. As my relationship has matured, so has my understanding of the bible and its principles. The word ‘anoint’ means to sanctify, consecrate (dedicate) or make sacred by applying oil. This custom is seen all throughout the Old Testament but still holds a lesson for us today.

In 1 Samuel 16, we can read that Samuel, as commanded by God, went to the house of Jesse in search of the new king. As Jesse presented his sons, God rejected all of them. Samuel asked Jesse if he had any more sons and Jesse said he did, his youngest David, who was out tending sheep. When David came inside, God told Samuel that this boy would be the next king of Israel, and instructed him to anoint David with oil. Because this practice was customary in their culture, his father and brothers understood the significance of what had just happened. In the New Testament, we see oil used during fasting (Matthew 6:17) and to heal the sick. (Mark 6:13)

All three of these examples showed me different applications of the anointing with oil. In the case of David, the oil signified being set apart and blessed by the Lord. When used during fasting, we’re using it as a plea for action; we’re asking God to answer our prayers through the strength and power of the Holy Spirit. If anoint means to sanctify, and sanctify means to cleanse or purify, then we can apply that to healing the sick. When we anoint the sick with oil, then we are praying for them to be cleansed (remove whatever ails them) and to purify them (to return them to the original health in which God created them).

You don’t need to buy a specific oil to anoint something or someone, nor do you need to pour it in volume over them. It’s the prayer and belief that you apply with the oil that gives it its power to heal, empower and set apart. So, now you see…black gold and olive oil may be highly sought after, but Ezekiel 7:19 says, “Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord.” We need to recognize the Word of God and its principles as the highest of value.