The Importance of Oil

Everyone is concerned about oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Instead of worrying about the oil in the water I would like to encourage you to worry about the oil in your lamp. God has a great deal to say about oil.

“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. In the tabernacle of meeting, outside the veil which is before the Testimony,” (Exodus 27:20-21)

In the Old Testament God commanded his people to bring precious oil for the lamp that lit the veil inside the tabernacle of meeting. The veil separated the place where God met with the High Priest from the rest of the tabernacle. The lamp literally lit the way to God. Christ tells us that we are to be lamps giving off light so that others may see the glory of God (Matt 5:15). In fact, when we see a picture of Christ in His current ministry He is adorned in the same manner as the High Priest of the Old Testament and moving among seven golden lampstands that represent the church (Rev 1:12, 13).

You see, we as the church are to light the way to God. “How,” you may ask, “do we do that?” We accomplish the task in the same way that God’s children did it in the Old Testament. We bring our precious oil to fuel the lamps. The next question you may ask would sound something like, “I don’t have any oil.” But, remember that you were anointed with the most precious oil of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:45). In fact, when the Holy Spirit was first received He appeared above the Apostles heads as flaming tongues. The Apostles must have looked like a room full of candles.

Let us bring the precious oil which we were anointed with, (the Holy Spirit which is manifested in our good works and brotherly love,) and use it as fuel for the lamps (church) that are supposed to light the way to God.