You Anoint My Head With Oil

Whenever I have read this psalm in the past, upon reading this verse, the image in my mind was one of regality and blessing: a handsome young man kneeling before his Lord and receiving His blessing and approval through the rich symbolism of being anointed with oil.  After all, isn’t this what happened when David, the shepherd boy, was anointed to be the future King of Israel by the prophet Samuel?

Once again, I was wrong.

I keep forgetting that David didn’t write this psalm from the perspective of a royal king, but rather from the perspective of a lowly sheep.  That changes everything!

As we’ve been following the experience of a sheep and its shepherd, we find ourselves in the high country, in the midst of summer.  The sheep are reveling in the rich tableland, which the shepherd has prepared in advance for his sheep to enjoy.  We know the feeling: a beautiful summer evening, with the merry songs of birds bringing delight to a peaceful walk in the country.

But it doesn’t take long for our bliss to turn to a growing discomfort, and finally misery, as the biting flies and mosquitoes come out in search for their “evening meal,” and we find ourselves on the menu!  These pests can be relentless, and the agony they bring to our bliss can quickly turn a peaceful evening into a chaotic retreat to shelter.

For the sheep, however, these pesky nuisances can be fatal.  One particular pest, called the “nasal fly” or “nose fly” is every bit as excruciating to the sheep as the name suggests.  Without getting into details about how the fly operates, let me just quote from W. Phillip Keller’s book, A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23, to demonstrate how dreadful this is for the sheep.  “For relief from this agonizing annoyance sheep will deliberately beat their heads against trees, rocks, posts, or brush.  They will rub them in the soil and thrash around against woody growth.  In extreme cases of intense infestation, a sheep may even kill itself in a frenzied endeavor to gain respite from the aggravation.”

But a good shepherd knows what to do.  In Keller’s time as a shepherd, he would whip up a mixture of linseed oil, sulfur, and tar, which he would then apply liberally to the sheep’s head and nose.  (In David’s day, is was most likely olive oil, sulfur, and spices.)  Keller says, “What an incredible transformation this would make among the sheep.  Once the oil had been applied to the sheep’s head, there was an immediate change in behavior.  Gone was the aggravation, gone the frenzy, gone the irritability, and the restlessness.  Instead, the sheep would start to feed quietly again, then soon lie down in peaceful contentment.”

Aggravation.  Frenzy.  Irritability.  Restlessness.  I can’t think of any better words to describe my own reaction when the frustrations of life head my way.  Yes, I may be a Christian, but I still experience times when my work isn’t going well, or I have conflict in my relationships, or the thistles threaten to overrun my garden and choke out my carrots!  Yes, it rains on my camping trips, too.  Frustration and aggravation are the price we pay for living in a fallen world.

But I have a good shepherd.  The Good Shepherd, in fact.  And when He sees me in distress, He whips up a mixture of:

1)      Promises from His Word:

a.        “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

b.        “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

c.       “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

2)      Evidences from His Creation:

a.       The freshness of new life in the Spring.

b.       The beauty of freshly fallen snow.

c.       The majesty of the constellations.  The fact that the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper exist, and work together in navigation, is proof of His presence.

3)      Encouragement from the Fellowship of His Children

a.       How many times has another believer reached out to me at just the right time with a word of encouragement! 

After anointing my head with His remedy of oil, I find that the irritants of life give way to something precious: the peace that passes understanding. (Philippians 4:7).  It is here where I find that “my cup overflows.”  It overflows with blessing, and it overflows with the forgiveness and grace that pours out from His cup, filled with His blood, shed for the forgiveness of my sins.  At last, like Keller’s sheep, I can lie down in peaceful contentment.

As I draw this idea to a close, it is plain to see that this “anointing with oil” may not be what I thought it was, but it is exactly what I needed.

Thanks be to God!

Pastor Bryan