The men who were with Jesus on the Road to Emmaus came back to the Eleven and told them what had happened. While they were still talking about this, Jesus Himself stood among them... Luke 24.36
Luke 24.45-49 I am going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.
It is amazing that after all they went through to make the clothing for the High Priest and the other priests, Aaron and his sons, the expense, the craftsmen, the embroiders, the blue,purple and scarlet yarn, the weavers, the gold woven in that oil was poured upon Aaron's head and that it ran down on his beard, down upon the collar of his robes and that Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and his sons garments. (Psalm 133, Leviticus 8)
Oil was a symbol of the Holy Spirit- anointing, power, light
It served as a constant reminder that the work of the priests were a spiritual work.
It showed God's ownership of them and His mark upon the work He does through man.
We are told in I Peter 2.9 But you are a chosen people, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.
Aaron and his son's garments being stained with the anointing oil foreshadowed Jesus' words for us to be clothed with power from on High.
Paul's admonition to the Ephesians (5.18) Be filled with the Spirit(=be filled and keep on being filled). The story of the friend at midnight interrupting sleep (Luke 11), Jesus interrupting the travel plans of His Disciples, spontaneous prayer meetings taking place in Acts 4 we see being filled with the Spirit, being clothed with power from on High is all important. Why?!
1. We need the Holy Spirit to do God's Work.
It was imperative that before Aaron and his sons began the work of God in the tabernacle that they be ordained and anointed with the special anointing oil, symbolic of God's Spirit.
Jesus was leaving the disciples to witness and work for Him but He knew that they could not do it without the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2.1-4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (languages) as the Spirit ENABLED them.
Acts 4.29-31 Enable= supply, furnish necessary things, a gift, to endue, to cause to come forth
The early church knew they needed the enabling of the Spirit to carry out the work of God.
We need it today! nothing can substitute for His enabling.
His Spirit gives power Acts 1.8 you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.
power to witness, to do His work, to do the works God has prepared in advance for you to do.
His Spirit gives encouragement- Romans 15.5
His Spirit gives comfort- John 14
His Spirit gives endurance Romans 15.5
2. We need the Holy Spirit to do God's Will.
To pray what Jesus prayed (Matthew 26.42) we need the power of God's Spirit.
Not my will but Thine be done.
He taught us to pray to the Father the same way, "May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." In Luke where the LORD's prayer is recorded Jesus gives a parable about the Holy Spirit, human will and prayer.
c.10 Leviticus Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons self will in worship, not God's will, was self destructive.
God's will is for us to be His witnesses- we need the infilling of His Spirit.
God's will for us is to live a holy life. We need the Spirit's power.
Wherever God wants us to be, to go or to do we need the power of His Spirit.
3. We need the Holy Spirit today as we read His Word.
Come Holy Spirit. He is the promise of the Father, the gift of God.
God Spirit- power= dunamis. God's Word is living and active- in order for us to understand it so we might obey it we need the Spirit Who breathed it Believers are to be baptized with Him. We need to keep on being filled.
Come Holy Spirit!
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