The Essence of Oil
Today’s Verse:
And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. ~Deuteronomy 33:24-25
One of the latest health trends is the multiplicity of benefits that essential oils can provide. From the soothing of sore muscles, relief from chronic pain, to restful sleep, and overall health improvement, essential oils are being recognized as a natural means of staying healthy. This morning, we are studying a passage of scripture that encourages us regarding not just essential oil, but the necessity of oil. Moses said of the tribe of Asher, “Let him dip his foot in oil”. Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Let us see the spiritual benefits of a foot dipped in oil.
We see the fullness.
The fullness of the Spirit is a requirement for spiritual power and usefulness. Paul tells us in Galatians 5:16, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” The exhortation of Asher dipping his foot in oil is a beautiful picture of “walking in the Spirit.” In Eph. 5:18, Paul said, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” The fullness of the Spirit is when the Spirit of God has complete control over our lives and we are saturated with his essence. The Spirit’s fullness is the only means by which we can overcome our flesh. The Spirit’s fullness is the gateway to power with God in every area of service. Before we do anything else this morning, let us be sure our foot is dipped in oil!
We see the fruitfulness.
“Let Asher be blessed with children.” Moses prayed for Asher to abound with children. Now, there is a spiritual application to this. Spiritually speaking, we should be bringing many sons to glory through our witnessing and soulwinning. A Spirit-filled life is one that is constantly seeing people come to Christ. The Bible says of Rachel that she was barren. One day she came to Jacob and cried out, “Give me children, or I die!” That should be the burning desire of a life dipped in oil. Whether in our preaching, our personal witness, the handing out of a tract, or teaching a new soulwinner how to witness, let us pray that we are “blessed with children.”
We see the fortification.
“Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.” A life filled with the Spirit is one that can sustain much endurance. Shoes of iron and brass do not wear out easily. Shoes of iron and brass can do serious damage when there is hand-to-hand combat. The spiritual picture in this speaks to us colorfully about how the Holy Spirit gives us power and strength that is unusual and lasting. Elijah in the power of the Spirit was able to pray for both fire and rain in the same day; withstand and defeat 400+ of the prophets of Baal; and run over 15 miles and beat Ahab’s chariot back to town. At 80 years of age, Caleb in the power of the Spirit had endured battle after battle, but when it came time to claim his inheritance, he excitedly shouted, “Give me this mountain!” A life dipped in oil has strength and endurance that can go the long distance.
We see the favorableness.
“Let him be acceptable to his brethren.” The secret to dealing with many kinds of people is not a winsome personality or strong ability to negotiate. The secret is when we are walking in the Spirit, we are producing the fruit of the Spirit. A life that bears the fruit of the Spirit is one that is attractive and lovely. It is a life that is pleasing to those it is ministering to.
Essential oil has many benefits. The essential of oil is an absolute requirement for the power of God in our lives. Get in the Word, spend time in prayer, and dip your foot in oil!
Have a Spirit-filled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Luke 10-11