But First, the Oil

Text

1 Samuel 16:1–3 ESV

1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.”

1 Samuel 16:6–14 ESV

6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah. 14 Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him.

You Car Can’t Run Without Oil

The Importance of the Oil

The oil represents the anointing of the HG

God doesn’t choose to anoint us because we are tall, powerful, or talented.

God doesn’t look at the outside.

He looks at the heart (mind)

The Oil came before the elevation

Saul elevated David from the fields to his courts

But first, the oil.

The Oil came before the Giant

The oil prepared David for the giant

The Oil helped him have victory over the giant

Before you face a giant, make sure you have fresh oil

You can have the victory, but first, the oil.

The Oil came before the Crown.

Roughly 15 years passed between David’s anointing and his crown.

One day, we will all get a robe and a crown, but first the Oil.

Before Jesus started his ministry,

He was anointed with the Holy Spirit at his baptism

Before the disciples evangelized the world

They were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

And before you can do anything meaningful for God

You better find a horn of oil

and get anointed

It won’t come because you are talented

famous

skilled

handsome

or good natured

It won’t come in some public ceremony

If you want the oil

You’ve got to get alone in the presence of God

You’ve got to have your mind set on it

because Man looks at the outward appearance

but God looks at the thoughts and intents of our minds.

Hebrews 4:12 ESV

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The Oil is a private matter

The elevation to the King’s Court was public.

The Giant slaying was public

The coronation of the crown was a public event.

People sang praises about David in public

But before the public elevation, public victory, and public praises… David had a private moment with the oil.

The Widow Woman

All she had was a little oil

and that’s all she needed

You don’t need more money, if you don’t have oil

You don’t need a better job, if you don’t have oil.

You don’t need better health, if you don’t have oil.

Take everything from me, as long as I’ve got a little oil

My God will see me through it all.

Don’t be like the 5 foolish virgins,

who had no oil when Jesus showed up at midnight.

Closing

Psalm 92:10 ESV

10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil.

David wrote that.

The man who was anointed privately at 15

was still crying out for fresh oil decades later.

The anointing isn't a one-time event,

it's a maintenance issue.

Just like the oil in your car.

You will kill that car if you run it out of oil

But even if you maintain the level

but you never change that oil

You will eventually seize that engine up

Saul lost the oil

He ran out of oil

when the Spirit of God left him

Because he sinned and disobeyed God

But David sinned too

and yet, he still remained full of fresh oil?

Why?

Because when Saul sinned

He did not repent

But when David sinned

He wrote Psalm 51

and in that song

He said…

Create in me a clean heart

and renew in me a right Spirit

In other words…

Lord, I need an oil change.

Pour fresh oil on me!