You anoint my head with oil Psalm 23:5b
Shepherds will use oil on sheep to treat and prevent several different ailments. First off a shepherd would use oil as a deterrent for pests. Sheep vexed by flies and pests would harm themselves to try and create relief. They would rub and butt their heads against trees, rocks, shrubs, soil etc to try to rid themselves of the flies. They may even stomp themselves into a frenzy trying to alleviate the annoyance. The correct oil applied would ward off nose flies and other bothersome pests.
Other parasites could inflict scab upon the flock. A sheep would become infected and then run onto other sheep and pass the infection on. In fact this was the primary way to become fenced with contact with other sheep. I think it is fascinating to know that the head was the primary point of infection. Our thinking is often the primary battlefield we war in. Dipping in oil would be the only prevention for scab.
Shepherds would also use a form of oil or grease to prevent fights amongst the sheep. Sheep would have a butting order as we discussed in a previous post. They would “butt heads” often. Grease and oil could be applied to the head of troublesome rams who seemed to enjoying inflicting pain on others. It would cause the offenders to “slip” right by one another. The slippery surface of their heads caused less damage and made the violent sheep realize that this was an exercise in futility.
What do you find bugging you and your flock? What is it that annoys you? What sends you into a frenzy? Is there something infecting the people you lead? Are we allowing others to infect us with parasitic thinking and believing? Is there a “parasite” spreading through your team? Allow the Great Shepherd to apply his anointing oil to your “head”. There’s no better remedy for what bugs us than the power of God working in our mind, emotions, body and spirit.
Where are we seeing strife and division? Where do we find ourselves harming other believers? We need to allow the shepherd to apply his oil of joy to our heads (patterns of thinking). Instead of knocking each other out we can stay on our God given task.
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