The Oil Tree

Exodus 29:7

“Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.” 

The olive tree is one of my favorites! The fruit of the olive tree is the source of olive oil. When we read through the Bible, every time we read about oil, it is usually olive oil. It is no wonder that this is the case. The etymology of the word olive is the same as that of oil. Basically, olive means oil. So the olive tree really is the oil tree. Any other type of oil that there is is only called oil because it has certain similarities to olive oil, which is the point of comparison.

Oil is used as an anointing, that dedicated the object anointed as holy. So, we see oil being smeared on wafers being used for offerings, or on people who were being anointed.

You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. (Exodus 29:7)

This is the same sort of anointing oil mentioned frequently in Psalms and, for example, used by Samuel to anoint David as King. Used in this way, it is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The same oil was also used in oil lamps. In fact, whenever the Bible talks about lamps, it is oil lamps to which it is referring. The light produced is also symbolic of the Holy Spirit.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

God gave us olive oil – a wonderful substance, practical, tasty and hugely symbolic.  

Prayer: We thank You, Lord, for the anointing of Your Spirit upon us and for the salvation wrought by Your Anointed One, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Author: Paul F. Taylor

Ref: Taylor, P.F. (2018), Chemistry: Oil (Castle Rock, WA: J6D Publications), p. 5. Image: CC BY-SA 4.0 International.

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