Psalm 23 – Part 8

“You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

I don’t know about you? But I can’t think of too much to say against the summer season. I think out of all the seasons, spring is my favourite because of all the new life. Summer has be to be next as I live in Scotland and really appreciate the much warmer and brighter weather. However, I do have one big gripe about summer and maybe you can relate to this? I hate flies! I can think of many a time that I’ve gone for a walk in glorious weather, only to be met by a swarm of flies that WILL NOT give up following me, despite the desperate flapping of my arms and they just ignore me trying to swat them away. I guess I should be grateful though that I don’t live in the west of Scotland where midges could eclipse my irritation by flies.

Well, what’s this got to do with the text, “you anoint m head with oil”, you may be thinking right now. Okay, let me get to it. First, lets look at this, as I have done in previous posts, at the context of sheep and shepherding. Last time we left of at the sheep enjoying rich pastures in the summer months in the higher regions or table mountains.

Sheep share the same aversion that I do to flies, and in the summer months it can be a major source of hassle for the sheep but much, much more that, it can be very serious indeed. There is one type of fly that will endeavour, if it can, to lay its eggs on the moist part of a sheeps nose. Once the eggs hatch, they travel up the nose and get inside the head of the sheep. It will be so irritating that a sheep could end up butting itself against something so hard that it leads to death and also, once inside the sheeps head, the hatched larvae can cause death. This is an extreme example of course of the danger of flies, but there are many others that will cause nothing but irritation but will rob the sheep of its peace and joy, and could also result in poo health. There are other insects that can cause bother to the sheep too.

To counteract this, a good shepherd will pour oil over the sheep’s head to protect them from flies and insects. Sometimes, ingredients have to also be added as prevention against fatal nose fly.

Can we now spiritualize this concept now and make it relevant for our lives. You see, I think the “flies” in our lives represents things that we come across that we find irritating. Straight away, I think of bad drivers or coming across a tractor that refuses to pull over to let the growing queue behind it get past and on their way (especially to work!). You can add whatever rubs you up in the wrong way at this point for a second?

How are we as Christians, meant to react and cope with these irritations coming our way. Now, I know that you are smart, and have already guessed what I’m going to say next; of course we all know it – we need to be showing the fruit of the Holy Spirit; “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23). You see, the “anointing the head with oil” represents us being anointed with Holy Spirit. We, however, are very leaky vessels at times, which is why the bible emphatically tells us that we need to be continually “filled with the Holy Spirit”. (Ephesians 5:18).

Another reason why a good shepherd will anoint a sheep’s head with oil is to prevent a different reason for possible “death or injury by butting”. When it comes to the mating season, rival rams will come up against each other and they will butt each other and it can have serious consequences for one or the other ram. What happens when a ram’s head has been anointed in oil is that it reduces the impact of the butt because it will be more slippery.

The same spiritual implications for us, as already discussed can be found in the verses just before the one in Galatians about the need to have the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. The opposite of course is what happens when we operate in the flesh, anger, malice, fits of rage etc. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Now let’s look at “my cup overflows”. So far we have seen how well sheep thrive under the amazing care of the good shepherd. Surely, the verse that stands out for us as Christians, is that wonderful statement of fact about our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ who came that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly (John 10:10)

There is another thing I see from this “overflowing cup”, and that concerns God so graciously giving us the Holy Spirit and how this also relates to what Jesus, our ultimate Good Shepherd has promised us. As well as “oil”, the Holy Spirit is also represented by water. Jesus said these remarkable words: “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38). When the Lord anoints our heads with oil, the Holy Spirit, indeed our “cup will overflow” and the effects will be seen by others.

This thought leads me nicely to the next post and last in this series on Psalm 23: “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”