Psalm 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. [King James translation]
BIBLICAL COMMENTS
Hanukkah is one of the most important holidays in the Jewish religion. Hanukkah is the “Festival of Lights,” an eight-day Jewish holiday beginning this year at sundown on December 10th commemorating the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem (around 165 BC following the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks) and the miracle that occurred in the temple when the menorah stayed lit for eight days, even though there was only enough oil for one day.
The temple menorah was a seven-branch lamp stick with three branches on each side. The construction of the temple menorah is described in Exodus 25:31-37. This was the menorah used in the ancient temple in Jerusalem. It is still a symbol of Judaism and the modern state of Israel. The people of Israel were instructed to burn pure olive oil for light in the Tabernacle lamps continuously, from evening to morning, before the LORD. Exodus 27:21.
The Hanukkah menorah is a nine-branch candelabrum used to celebrate the miracle of light, the victory and survival of the Jewish people, and the re-dedication of the temple. The eight lower branches, four on each side of the menorah, represent the eight days of light. The middle light is an extra light called the shamash which means “the attendant.” This ninth candle is the candle used to actually light the Hanukkah candles. The ninth candle is raised or lowered to distinguish it from the Hanukkah candles. The attendant candle is not the significant one. The other candles signify the eight-day miracle.
While Christians do not celebrate Hanukkah, we do celebrate GOD’s many miracles and blessings, including the birth of our SAVIOR, JESUS. We also celebrate and acknowledge our need to constantly re-dedicate our lives to HIM. There are also a number of Biblical verses regarding oil, including one of the most memorized scriptures in the Bible, Psalms 23.
In Psalms 23, David says “thou anointest my head with oil.” J. Douglas MacMillan argues that when David talks about GOD anointing his head with oil, David is referring to a shepherd practice called “backliner.” Backliner is the pouring of medicine externally on a freshly shorn sheep to control lice or other parasites. See, J. Douglas MacMillan, The Lord Our Shepherd (Bryntirion Press, 2003)and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalm_23.
For example, the Good Samaritan poured wine and oil on the wounded man along the Jericho road. (Luke 10:34.) James 5:14 states: if anyone is sick, he or she should call the elders of the church, they should pray over him/her and anoint him/her with oil in the name of the LORD. Thus, David thanks GOD for being his GOOD SHEPHERD and for blessings him in sickness and in health.
OLIVE OIL
The selection of olive oil can be confusing. Here are some distinctions that may help:
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – is the unrefined oil that comes from the first pressing of the olives in the virgin oil production. It is generally lower in acidity (no more than 0.8% acidity) and has a more delicate and superior taste. It is often used in salads and for dipping. Extra-virgin olive oil is higher in production in Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Italy, and Spain.
Virgin Olive Oil – also comes from the pressing of olives in oil production but has a higher acidity level. It can contain up to 2% free acidity. It generally has good taste.
Pure Olive Oil –usually is a blend of refined and unrefined virgin olive oil. It is generally considered lower in quality because it is refined.
Olive Oil – is also a blend of virgin and unrefined oil. It generally has an acidity level of 1.5% but loses flavor because of the refined process.
Refined Olive Oil – is refined virgin olive oil using refining methods such as charcoal, or other chemical or physical filters.
In terms of selecting olive oil, most experts would suggest selecting extra-virgin olive oil. Here are some of the benefits.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil [EVVO] is high in healthy plant nutrients called phytochemicals that may help fight cancer and heart disease.
- Large studies have shown that when you get more extra virgin olive oil in your diet, you lower your risk of getting heart disease. Active compounds in EVOO help lower blood pressure and keep your arteries from hardening.
- Replacing less healthy fats with olive oil in your recipes may lower your chance of getting a stroke by more than 40%.
- Certain antioxidants in EVOO can reduce inflammation in your body in the same way that drugs such as ibuprofen do. The oleic acid in olive oil is an anti-inflammatory, too. Inflammation in the body can lead to chronic disease.
- Free radicals are unstable atoms in your body that damage your cells. Antioxidants are compounds that can help prevent or slow down that damage. EVOO is teeming with antioxidants that can lower your risk of disease.
- Some of the nutrients in olive oil can fight harmful bacteria.
- A Mediterranean diet favors plants over meat. Researchers have found that people who eat this way have a much lower risk of certain cancers, such as colorectal, endometrial, breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancers.
The Attendants
To a Gentile or someone unfamiliar with the Hanukkah menorah, one candlestick prong or branch may look like another prong or the whole menorah may have little or no spiritual significance at all. One can easily become confused or not know what is significant and what is not.
Similarly, with the constant focus on COVID 19 and its aftermath, there may seem to be little or no spiritual celebration for the birth of THE ANOINTED ONE, JESUS CHRIST. In all the rush and COVID 19 distractions, it may be easy to forget or to become confused about what is significant and what is not.
Perhaps, we simply forget about all the times during days, the weeks, the months, or the past years and during our lives when GOD has been with us, in sickness and health, anointing “our heads with oil.”
Perhaps we forget GOD can still “fill our cups and make them overflow,” even when other indicators may try to convince us “we are running on empty.”
We forget that we are “attendants” pointing to the LIGHT---the LIGHT OF GOD’s WORD—the LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
So today, ask GOD to shine---all around you---by day and by night!
Today remember and BE BLESSED!
