pictures of Kingdom Come: "oil"

(The illustration refers to the story of the widow's oil in 2 Kings 4.)

The Word for today:
Psalm 135

mark this: Psalm 133
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

Note: Continuing what we started yesterday, Stand in the Rain will delve into the realm of biblical typology. Biblical "types" are pictures of Kingdom Come--of the Kingdom of God and, especially, of the King himself. These pictures constitute the most profound and deep-seated prophecies in scripture. They are a picture language which God uses to teach deep spiritual truths to his children.

Yesterday we looked at two brothers--Aaron and Moses. Their relationship illustrates the New Testament church to come.

Today, we will look closely at the oil that is poured over Aaron's head in Psalm 133. It represents the essential ingredient for a powerful and unified church--the church as it is meant to be.

***

Oil represents the Holy Spirit. When it is poured on Aaron (Leviticus 8:12 and Psalm 133:2) it is typical of Jesus, who was given the Holy Spirit without measure.  (See John 3:34, which is beautifully foreshadowed by the story of the widow's oil in 2 Kings 4.)

Aaron's anointing differed from the anointing of the other priests. The distinction points directly to Jesus as High Priest:
1. Aaron, as High Priest, is anointed before the sacrifices are slain, while in the case of other priests the application of blood precedes the anointing. Christ the sinless one required no preparation for receiving the anointing oil, symbol of the Holy Spirit.
(The believer, like the lesser priests, goes to the cross for the application of the blood of Christ before the anointing of the Spirit can occur.)
2. Upon the high priest only was the anointing oil poured. Upon lesser priests it was sprinkled. See John 3:34 and Heb. 1:9 for the typical fulfillment of this pattern in Christ.

"Brothers."
Moses and Aaron, as brothers, are together representative of the church. (See Psalm 133)
Furthermore, Moses as leader and Aaron as his prophet are "one" in the sense that the head and the body are one in the unity of the Spirit. (Ephesians 4:3; see 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:5.)

We are one with Christ in the same sense: we are not the Head, but we are one with the Head; we are not the Groom, but the Bride is one with the Groom:
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:31-32)

The oil / Holy Spirit was first upon the Head. Thereafter it fell upon the body, as depicted in Psalm 133. We see the same pattern in the New Testament:
First, at Jesus' baptism, the Holy Spirit came to rest upon the Head (Matthew 3:16).
Thereafter, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to rest on each one of them (Acts 2:3).
Today, as a follower of Jesus, the anointing is upon you:
And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.  (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. (1 John 2:20)

Finally, his name is Jesus. His title is Christ, which means "anointed."  Oil in the Old Testament does more than point to Christ.  It shouts out, "Christ to come!"

Thy Kingdom Come.
In the Old Testament, the Kingdom is promised--in picture and in prophecy.
In the New Testament, the Kingdom comes--in person and in power.