Olive Oil

December 24

Zechariah 3-4

Psalm 145:17-21

Proverbs 30:29-33

Revelation 15

Olive Oil

“And he said to me, ‘What do you see?’  And I said, ‘I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it, also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.’  Then I answered and said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, ‘What are these, my lord?’  So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ And I said, ‘No, my lord.’  Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, ‘This is the word of Yahweh to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says Yahweh of hosts.” 

Zechariah 4:2-6  LSB

God gave Zechariah a vision of a golden lampstand in the Temple of God.  At the time, Zechariah and the people were rebuilding the Temple, so it is logical that God would give him a vision about the things in the Temple.  It was unusual, however, that there were olive trees standing on either side of the lampstand because there would not be live olive trees inside the Temple.  One of the more tedious duties of the  priests was the care of the golden lampstand.  It had to be cleaned and filled with oil continually.  In Zechariah’s vision the olive trees were connected directly to the lampstand by seven pipes so that they were automatically filled as they got empty.  Zerubbabel had been given the task of completing the Temple, but the work had stalled and he needed encouragement to keep going.  God’s message to him through Zechariah was that he would not be able to finish the Temple if he was relying on his own power and might.  He would only find it by relying on the Spirit of God.  This vision was a source of encouragement for the Israelites who were rebuilding the Temple, but it was also a foreshadowing of the work of the Holy Spirit that would be poured out on believers after Pentecost. 

The olive trees that were a continual source of power and strength for the lampstand in the Temple represent the Spirit of God that is a continual source of power and strength for those that rely on Him.  In the Old Testament the Spirit of God came upon God’s people at certain times and for brief periods empowering them to accomplish God’s purposes, but Jesus explained to His disciples the new role that the Holy Spirit would play in the life of all believers.  John 14:17 explains that “He will live with you and will be in you.” NIV   It is significant that Paul said, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” I Corinthians 6:19 NIV   The Holy Spirit is a continual source of power and strength for the believer to keep the light of Jesus inside us burning.  We do not need a priest to continually fill us with oil because we have the indwelling of God’s Spirit that is at work in us.  The Holy Spirit participates in our rebirth and regeneration (Titus 3:5), He provides assurance of our salvation (Romans 8:16), He helps us understand and apply God’s Word to our lives (I Corinthians 2:12), and He intercedes in prayer for us (Romans 8:26-27). He gives us spiritual gifts to serve God and the body of believers (I Corinthians 12:11), He produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23), He convicts us of sin so that we can confess it to the Lord and be restored (John 16:8, I John 1:9), He leads us in paths of righteousness (Romans 8:14), He teaches believers all things and calls to mind God’s Word whenever we need it (John 14:25-26), He leads us and guides us in our daily walk (Acts 16:6-10, Isaiah 30:21), and He gives us comfort and peace (John 14:16, 26).  The Holy Spirit is our constant companion.  He is closer than our next breath.  “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit” is the secret to living a life that is pleasing to God and experiencing His peace and joy in a world filled with pain, sorrow and evil.