You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. Hebrew 1:9
Everyone has a favorite dish at Thanksgiving, for me the centerpiece is the pie, specifically cherry pie. Not any cherry pie, but the sour cherry crumble pie that my grandmother used to make. This Thanksgiving, I am endeavoring to learn how to make a cherry pie or at least attempt to make one like Grandma’s. I had to search high and low for the right sour red cherries – going to at least five grocery stores just to locate the right kind. Then there is the crust. I didn’t exactly have Grandma’s recipe but one that was pretty close. The crust is the foundation while the fruit in the middle provides the balance of sweet and sour with the crumbs topping it all off with a tinge of sweet richness. The entire pie is saturated with butter and oil – providing the binding and flavor.
For me, the work of the Trinity functions similarly. The foundation is God’s love. The fruitful life is in Christ alone. The sweet blessings of His richness is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This verse in Hebrews is the fulfilled prophecy of the Son of God, Jesus. For He is the greatest offering for all humanity. The oil of gladness has been poured out upon him from the Father as a sign of his pleasure in His Son. He is the only offering that could bind the world back to Him. His anointing saturates me with the richness of God’s grace, love and power.
The phrase “the oil of gladness” is described by C.H. Spurgeon as the Holy Spirit’s anointing in our lives as follows:
- Because we are anointed “kings and priests with God, and we shall reign for ever.”
- We are consecrated to the Lord. We are not our own, we are bought with a price.
- By this oil we are qualified for our office (1 John 2:20).
- The Spirit of God heals our diseases. The Eastern mode of medicine was generally the application of oil, and certainly the Holy Spirit is a healer to us.
- Thus, also, we are supplied and softened. So was it with the body when oil was applied to it, and softness and tenderness of heart are the work of the Holy Spirit.
- By the oil of the Holy Spirit we are strengthened.
- Beautified.
- Perfumed.
The oil of gladness allows me to enjoy the richness of God’s love in my life. Knowing I am redeemed by His love and that I am a child of God – experiencing His richness this Thanksgiving.
Sweet Richness
Foundation. Fruitful. Anointing. Saturated.
Am I being saturated by His oil of gladness in my life?