OIL OF GLADNESS

 

The Lord Is My Shepherd by LDS Bookstore

King David of the Old Testament is one of my favourite heroes. His love for the God of Israel inspired in me such admiration for him that his fall from grace has been one of my biggest disappointments. At the same time, we are all sinful in this most imperfect life called mortality so my heart aches for him.

His Psalms are sublime and his testimony of the merciful heart of the Saviour shines through like the rising sun from the east in the most popular Psalm of them all. Psalm 23 titled The Lord Is My Shepherd is honoured by all of Christianity throughout the world. We don’t know when this Psalm was written exactly but the common consensus is that it was most likely written by ‘earlier David’ because of the shepherd imagery which feels personal and natural for someone who literally watched sheep.

When Samuel anointed David as the King of Israel, he did so with oil and “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David” (1 Samuel 16:13). David used this anointing in Psalm 23 as a symbol of protection from his enemies, mercy and comfort. There is an ancient and traditional practice that is an interesting parallel  of this concept. It has to do with sheep and shepherds who anoint their heads with oil and this is why:

1. Repelling Insects: Pests like nose flies try to lay eggs in the damp mucous membranes of a sheep’s nose and ears. The resulting larvae torment the animal and can burrow into its head, sometimes driving the sheep to bash its brains out against rocks.
2. Healing Wounds: The oil acts as a soothing balm for cuts, scrapes, and bruises that sheep frequently get while navigating rocky terrain or thorny briars.
3. Preventing Flock Conflict: Rams and territorial sheep often butt heads. Shepherds sometimes apply heavy oil or grease to the head and horns so that when rams clashed, their heads would harmlessly glance and slide off one another instead of causing severe fractures.

We are like sheep; tormented, wounded, conflicted. Indeed we are sheep, of the greatest Shepherd of all time who anoints us with oil of gladness, out of His great mercy.  

Today in the Church the Melchizedek Priesthood holders consecrate olive oil before it is used to anoint the sick or afflicted in need of healing, comfort, and protection. The Church stipulates strongly that no other oil can be used for this purpose (General Handbook 18.12). It has to do with the symbolic olive tree which is the emblem of the House of Israel. The emblem includes two olive branches flanking a temple menorah which the prophet Zechariah saw in a vision (Zechariah 4:11-14). The olive branch is a long-standing symbol of peace, reconciliation and hope, with roots in ancient Greek and Roman cultures. This symbol has been carried throughout history and is still recognized today.

Have you ever wondered why the olive tree? The research on this subject is extensive but here is a summary: the olive tree is a symbol of longevity, prosperity, indestructibility and generosity (relative to the fact that it produces abundant fruit even when it is over a thousand years old. It is a living testament to resilience, generosity and ancient wisdom. I once saw a picture of an olive tree which was over 2,000 years old and I understood its significance that is relative to the House of Israel.

In the Book of Mormon, Zenos used the olive tree as a powerful symbol of God's love and relationship with the house of Israel (Jacob 5). The olive tree is an evergreen, meaning its' leaves do not seasonally fade or fall. They are continually rejuvenated through scorching heat or winter cold. It is however a sturdy tree which produces new shoots from apparently dead roots. Its' gnarled trunk gives an impression of travail, endurance and ancient life. Because of the unique quality of this tree Elder Jeffrey R. Holland affirmed that "no symbol could serve more powerfully and profoundly of God's expansive, constant, redeeming love - including especially the love represented in the gift of his Only Begotten Son- than does the olive tree." (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, p 163-64)

Can you see the relevance of olive oil as the oil of gladness, that is expressed from timeless olive trees, and the connection to the timeless House of Israel who we are? Next time you read this Psalm, remember who your God is:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me….to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN