Topical Bible: Oil: The Consolation of the Gospel

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Oil holds a significant place in the biblical narrative, symbolizing various aspects of spiritual life and divine blessing. In the context of the Gospel, oil often represents the Holy Spirit, anointing, healing, and the joy of salvation. Its use and symbolism are woven throughout Scripture, providing a rich tapestry of meaning for believers.

Anointing and the Holy Spirit

In the Old Testament, oil was used for anointing priests, kings, and prophets, setting them apart for God's service. This act of anointing with oil symbolized the empowerment and presence of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Samuel 16:13, we read, "So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward." This anointing prefigures the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, where believers are anointed by the Spirit as a mark of their belonging to Christ (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

Healing and Restoration

Oil is also associated with healing and restoration. In the New Testament, James 5:14 instructs, "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord." This practice underscores the belief in God's power to heal and restore, with oil serving as a tangible sign of faith and divine intervention.

Joy and Gladness

The imagery of oil extends to joy and gladness, often linked to the blessings of salvation. Psalm 45:7 declares, "You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy above your companions." This verse, ultimately fulfilled in Christ, highlights the joy that comes from living in righteousness and the abundant life offered through the Gospel.

Provision and Sustenance

Oil is frequently mentioned as a staple of provision and sustenance in biblical times. The widow of Zarephath's jar of oil, which did not run dry during a time of famine (1 Kings 17:14-16), serves as a powerful reminder of God's provision. Similarly, the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 uses oil as a metaphor for spiritual readiness and the sustaining power of faith.

The Consolation of the Gospel

In the broader narrative of Scripture, oil symbolizes the consolation and comfort found in the Gospel. Isaiah 61:1-3 speaks of the Messiah's mission to "bind up the brokenhearted" and "comfort all who mourn," offering "the oil of joy instead of mourning." This passage, quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18-19, encapsulates the transformative power of the Gospel, bringing healing, joy, and hope to a fallen world.

Through these various dimensions, oil serves as a profound symbol of the Gospel's consolation, reflecting the work of the Holy Spirit, the promise of healing, the joy of salvation, and the assurance of God's provision.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 61:3
To appoint to them that mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Conversion of the Jailor of Philippi.
... he has fallen; and like the good Samaritan, pour oil and wine ... While the awakened
sinner grasps at every word of consolation which the gospel speaks, the ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xviii the conversion of.htm

The Consolation
... he is now qualified to hearken to the Gospel with other ... to His promise, beauty for
ashes, the oil of joy ... efficacy, and was the only ground of consolation for a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon i the consolation.htm

The Desolations of the Lord, the Consolation of his Saints
... you, which could be more full of consolation than the ... and more means for the sending
forth the gospel of Christ. ... Just as the anointing oil was first poured on ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the desolations of the lord.htm

Some Gospel Truths Opened, According to the Scriptures; Or, the ...
... of contending opinions, Bunyan stood forth conspicuously to declare 'Gospel Truths';
and to ... Burrough, called a son of thunder and of consolation, answered both ...
/.../the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/some gospel truths opened according.htm

From the End of the Third Continental Journey, in 1834, to the ...
... those who had been bruised, and to pour in the oil of heavenly consolation. ... were
occupied with making circuits in the service of the gospel through several ...
/.../chapter xiv from the end.htm

The Comforter
... lay down nothing but the comforts of the gospel, ye would ... will not give some of you
a particle of consolation. He will not commence pouring oil, when the knife ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/the comforter.htm

From all Thy Saints in Warfare, for all Thy Saints at Rest
... The son of Consolation, moved by thy law of love,. ... For that "beloved physician,"
all praise, whose Gospel shows. ... Thy wine and oil, O Savior, on bruised hearts ...
/.../holy days general for saints.htm

The Good Samaritan
... and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine ... The thing which the Gospel keeps
in the world still ... we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation ...
/.../kingsley/discipline and other sermons/sermon xiii the good samaritan.htm

Book 3
... earnest and seal of our salvation, water, oil, a fountain ... Holy Spirit, Christ offered
to us in the Gospel. ... willingly and for the purpose of consolation, not for ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/book 3.htm

"And if any Man Sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,",
... to a man in a burning fever, or as oil to a ... cross one another, but make out our abundant
consolation, that one ... matters of life and death, for the gospel is his ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxv and if any.htm