The Oil of Gladness

TEXT:  PSALM 45:7

"Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness:  therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows".   (Hebrews 1:9)

Psalms is known as the Book of Praise:   It was the national hymnbook of Israel.  It shows Jesus as “Our All in All”!  It is the 19^th Book of the Bible, and it has 150 divisions, 2,461 verses, 43,743 words, and 164 questions.

The Hebrew word for “gladness” is sasown’, meaning cheerfulness, welcome, joy; rejoicing.  In the Greek it is agalli’asis, meaning exultation (greatly rejoicing, triumph; very abundant, lavish, overflowing); exuberant joy (abounding in health and spirit; overflowing with good cheer).

People of God, our Heavenly Father has destined us to live in “gladness” [happiness; cheerfulness; joyfulness]!

During periods of difficulty in our lives, gladness doesn’t always seem to come easily.  However, in this scripture, we find it as a prophetic verse about Jesus which shows us how to have gladness in every situation of our lives.

What God called Him (Jesus) to, He fitted Him for .....and that was to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8), and He equipped Jesus by the Spirit with the oil of gladness.  Isaiah 61:1-3  "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto 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".

Yes, there is a special anointing from the Spirit of God specifically for “gladness”.

We can see how this anointing operated over Jesus because of the delight wherewith He was filled in carrying out His undertaking (task).

He chose to be crucified, and according to the scriptures, He was glad about it.  Now, certainly He wasn’t looking forward to what He suffered or was about to go through because He once prayed that if it were possible to avoid, He would rather not go through with it.  St. Matthew 26:39 "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:  nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt".  Yet, something enabled Jesus to overcome those feelings.  Something enabled Him to endure the cross, despising the shame.  Something enabled Jesus to overcome!

Through all the agony and pain, Jesus saw a course of “joy” in front of Him that made Him look past all reservations.  Hebrews 12:2 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the “joy” that was set before him endured the cross".  James 1:2 "Count it all “joy” when ye fall into divers (manifold; various) temptations".

Jesus had the anointing with the Spirit of the “oil of gladness”!!! 

It takes an anointing from the Lord to look past our present circumstances and be glad because beyond it is prosperity and victory!!  1 Peter 4:12-13 "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:  but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy"!

Listen, Jesus had something on His life that drew that kind of anointing to Him.  Yes, He was God made flesh (St. John 1:1, 14)!  Yes, He was the Son born of a Virgin (Isaiah 7:14)!!  Yes, He was the Saviour of mankind (St. Matthew 1:21)!  He was all that and more!!!!!!!  But it was because He loved righteousness and hated wickedness, and that was what drew this kind of anointing.

Psalm 45:7 "Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness; therefore God, thy God…"

The word “therefore” means, "based on a condition which you have filled".  We see in the scriptures that even though Jesus was the Son of God, He had to qualify for this dimension of anointing.  The test was set to prove that Jesus loved righteousness which means that Jesus had a choice.  He saw all the options and said, “I choose to love righteousness and I choose to pay the price for it”!  I’m so glad He did!!  "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice". (1 Samuel 15:22)  "without shedding of blood is no remission". (Hebrews 9:22)

When you choose obedience to God and refuse to walk in sin, “the anointing for gladness” will follow your life.  Hebrews 5:8 "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered".

The Hebrew word for “righteousness” is tsadaq’, meaning to be right, justify, cleansed, clear ourselves; also to make straight or stiff.  This is put in the perspective of or regarded as having obtained deliverance from condemnation and as being thus entitled to a certain inheritance!!

"Verily, verily (truly, truly) I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" St. John 5:24.  Hallelujah to our God!!!  Hebrews 9:15 "And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance".  Thank you Jesus!!! 

All this is in relation to Jesus choosing to “love righteousness”!  I’m so glad He did!!  Isaiah 11:4-5 "But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth:  and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins".

The next level is “He hatest wickedness” (Psalm 45:7).

To love “righteousness” without hating iniquity is incomplete. We must have a passion to hate and absolutely be reluctant (unwilling) to sin.  Proverbs 8:7 "For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips".

The oil of gladness is for those who will pass the test of loving righteousness and hating iniquity.  The level to which you love righteousness must register in the measure to which you hate iniquity…..it is an equal exchange.  In other words, love and hate walk together.  For love to be powerful, there must be a dimension of hate.  Psalm 97:10 "Ye that love the LORD, hate evil:  he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked".  This means that the One who guards the lives of His godly ones will rescue them from the power of the wicked because you have loved righteousness and hated evil.  Because of this, God, your God, has anointed you with the “oil of gladness” above your fellows (your associates; your companion).

Because Jesus loved righteousness and hated wickedness, He came to destroy the works of the devil.  "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8).  That He did!!!

This anointing, “the oil of gladness”, refers to the glory, blessedness, and authority given Jesus by God!  It is directly related to His anointing with the Holy Spirit!  St. Matthew 3:16-17 "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water:  and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:  and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased".  Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:  against such there is no law".  Hebrews 1:9 "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows".

In the same manner as Jesus, our anointing has come upon us to identify us with our Master’s attitude toward righteousness and evil.  1 John 4:17 "as he is, so are we in this world".

Our love of righteousness and hatred of evil will increase by two means: (1) By experiencing greater intimacy and oneness with the Lord Jesus who loved righteousness and hated iniquity (2) By growing in love and compassion for our brethren and those whose lives are being destroyed by sin.  Psalm 94:16 "Who will rise up for me against the evil doers?  Or who will stand up for me against workers of iniquity?  Psalm 97:10 "Ye that love the LORD, hate evil:  he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked".  Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil:  pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the forward mouth, do I hate".

Once the anointing of the Spirit with the “oil of gladness” is upon us (like Christ) because we have chosen to love righteousness and hate iniquity, then all our garments shall smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces whereby they (the fragrances) have made thee “glad”!

The ingredients of the holy anointing oil which God appointed were typical of the unction of the Spirit with Christ.  It is the savour (taste or smell) of these good ointments [God Himself; His presence, His grace, His favor] that draws souls to Him and makes Him precious to believers!  1 Peter 2:7 "Unto you therefore which believe he is precious".

This describes the holy anointing oil in its five-fold composition speaking of pure grace.  It had to contain only the most excellent spices:  myrrh; cinnamon; calamus; cassia; olive oil.  But here in verse eight only three are mentioned.

 Using oil for the anointing of a person or object to be set apart for religious or civil service was very common.  However, specific instructions were given for preparation of special anointing oil used solely in the consecration of the priesthood and the tabernacle (Exodus 30:22-33).

There was a process:  first the olives had to be picked.  “We were picked out to be picked on”!  St. John 15:16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you.  (Vs 19) But I have chosen you out of the world".

Then the fruit has to be gathered by shaking and beating.  Hebrews 12:27-28 "Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear".  In relation to “beating”:  Acts 16:22-23 "And the multitude rose up together against them (God’s people): and the magistrates rent off their clothes,  and commanded to beat them, and when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison".

The oil had to be pressed out either by treading on the olives with the feet or by grinding in a stone press.  In order for the anointing to be manifested, there’s got to be some beating, shaking, and crushing, which can be very painful, but that’s God’s way of setting us apart to be his instrument to use for His glory.  For us to be the “difference maker”, it must be by Divine appointment, and we must die to self!  Romans 6:6 "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin".  2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new".

The ingredients used were:

·        Myrrh – meaning bitter:  a fragrant spice of bitter taste but of a sweet aroma.  Once the myrrh is applied so is the sweetness of our personality - so figures the grace of His lips.  Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how ye ought to answer every man".

·        Aloes – a large tree with the wood containing a resin and essential oil.  This constitutes the perfume prized in antiquity (longevity).  Psalm 91:16 "With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation".

[It was said that on the cross they gave Jesus myrrh and aloe with a mixture of wine to deaden the pain].  St. Matthew 27:34 "They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall:  and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. (Vs 48) And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink".

·        Cassia – meaning to strip off; scrape.  Once all the stripping is done (removing of the reed or outer bark) of that same cassia, only the inner bark is true cinnamon.  When the “outer bark” of our tree is removed, then and only then will our true personality and excellence of character  manifest in our public walk with God before men.  Ephesians 4:24 "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness".

People of God, just know that the anointing oil is the very thought of “love”, which is poured over all with the sweet spices of our personality, making us holy and a perfect being.   “Love” is the fulfillment of the Law.  St. Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:  I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil".  Romans 13:8 "Owe no man anything, but to “love” one another:  for he that “loveth” another hath fulfilled the law".

So when you choose obedience to God and refuse to walk in sin, then the anointing for “gladness” will follow your life!

God wants you to be “glad” today and forever more because when the “oil of gladness” is upon you, then you will see things like you’ve never seen them before!

So stop or don’t be heavy in heart.  Proverbs 15:13 "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance:  but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken".  Proverbs 17:22 "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:  but a broken spirit drieth the bones".

Jesus knows that a set-back is just a set-up for what’s to come.  Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that “love” God, to them who are the called according to his purpose".

God has already anointed you with the “oil of gladness”.  So choose now to remain in a place of rejoicing.  (Psalm 31:7-8) "I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy:  for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities; and hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy:  thou hast set my feet in a large room".

Lord, I receive the anointing for “gladness” today!!  I expect to have joy in my course!!  "For the joy of the LORD is your (my) strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).

Let a new “anointing” cover me right now so that I am empowered to look past the present and see a glorious future!!  I choose the course of Joy over heaviness today!!!  Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the LORD at all times:  his praise shall continually be in my mouth".

I bind every evil spirit of heaviness and sorrow, and I step into the “oil of gladness” today in the name of Jesus the Christ!!!!  Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me!!!

AMEN!!!

Evangelist  Jackie Burton