The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing LOUD for all to hear. That’s not Old Testament but Elf. It echoes what King David the Psalmist said quite well so if you don’t have the Psalms memorized go with that until you do. Singing brings joy to the heart and a merry heart is good, like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones. (Prov.17:22) Sing on! He also had some warning quotes (Elf that is) and said “Don’t be a cotton-headed ninny muggins.” Will Farrell may have thought that was original but actually King David also gave us a warning in Psalm 23 that is pretty close to that:
You anoint my head with oil.
The whole Psalm is beautiful and we have been looking into for a couple weeks now. If we were playing that old fashioned game (the name escapes me) they would ask us to name things that burrow or dig deep in your skin. I guess I’m a big metaphor person because I was thinking about last week’s shooting and how it triggered people in every corner of the city. I’ve also worried about the new event at Worlds of Fun and heard fears of human trafficking that overshadow it. I couldn’t help but remember the murder of a dad in front of his daughter just down the street. These things burrowed deep in our hearts and psyches for quite a while, festering, and threatening infection. We could add stressors like physical illness, emotional fears, even national terror to that list. Hmm? That reminds me of a book you can get at Pathway Press (Homeplate Advantage) that addresses some of those things. The list goes on and on of things physically, spiritually and emotionally that affect us, but don’t stay right there – they burrow deep in our hearts, minds and bodies. Today’s issues will end up in tomorrow’s tissues is a true statement. Researchers more and more are finding out that depression and stressors can lead to cancer and other maladies.
God, in His wisdom does not get caught off guard by any trial or tribulation in America. He sees it all and is not anxious, worried or biting His nails today. In Psalm 23, the Shepherd smears marrowy fatness on the head of the sheep. That sounds rather ceremonial and spiritual but in reality its protection and prevention from flies burrowing into the wool of the sheep’s head. They are specific flies (Blow flies) that nestle in and lay larvae that then creep into the sheep’s nose and ears like maggots and bring disease, infection and death. They have green metallic bodies and are bigger than a normal fly- more like a horse fly. They feed on animals and garbage, basically dead things. Their scientific classification is Calliphora vomitoria (Linnaeus). I’m so sorry if you are eating breakfast when reading this! Vomitoria – a fly that feeds on dead things. King David knew exactly how to warn us about the things that “bug” us, literally. This sweet little Psalm we read at births and funerals has a distinct warning – this is what you do to prevent what bugs you from killing you. Dearly Beloved, let’s explore the Vomitoria – it’s dangerous and it will take you out….. IF you let it.
It doesn’t have to be this way, we can do something. That “something” is to let the Shepherd anoint our heads with oil. The word oil in Hebrew is Shemen which root is Shaman. The Shepherd wants to be YOUR healer. He is the oil and the oil smearing One. That oil could be olive or pine, the scripture does not distinguish which but the medicinal oil normally used for sheep is a healing and smelly oil to keep flies away. It also cleanses and disinfects. You don’t do it after you get in a swarm of flies or it will trap the little varmints in your thick wooly head. You do it BEFORE they come. We talk often at Homeplate Advantage about secluding away to find God and His presence, to get saturated in His word – BEFORE the week starts and the irritations come. Oily, marrowy, shiny, fragrant ones, loved on by the Father seem to be able to navigate the rough places of the week more easily. A book or program cannot do that for you but time in the presence of the Shepherd certainly can. Coming to get smeared is not a ritual or law, it’s just common sense, and feels good.
So, there seems to be a connection that the things that just “frost us” as comedian Jeff Allen would say can be thwarted by being oiled, smeared and saturated in advance by the Shepherd. My kids leaving for school comes to mind. They still get surprised when I remind them to put on their coats, scarves and gloves, like it’s some evil plot to make them late. Mama didn’t invite cold air or icicles yet they resist getting covered before going out into the windy dark environment. We pull them closer and bundle them up, then release them out into the snow. It’s a thing that has to be repeated because youngsta’s don’t often remember to do things in advance so we bring them near to prepare them.
This verse to me is the dynamite of the Psalm – YOU anoint my head with oil. It’s not my Sunday school teacher or some random person but God Himself that longs to bring us near and “coat us” with Himself. He will take time out of His busy schedule to do something for us that we cannot and will not do for ourselves. It is implied that the sheep need to be in proximity of the Shepherd to do that.
Remember we talked about those explosive verbs in Hebrew that yell activity and power? They are called piel verbs and don’t appear all that often in scripture. This verse has one of them – ANOINT. God massively, powerfully, intensely anoints, saturates and smears us with His oil (cleansing, healing and disinfecting). I know before I type this you will groan, but I will risk it if it means you will get this message into your heart and head. The Hebrew word for anoint is DASHANE.
This season, filled with ribbons, bows, murder, crime, death and Christmas trees cannot be navigated without prior preparation. We cannot anoint ourselves, but God can. Coming before Him to get smeared, anointed, saturated and blessed will prevent many irritations, many stresses and possibly even death. Read Rev.4 and “come up here” for a while daily and weekly. Let Him minister to you and then we’ll go: wait for it>>> Dashane thru the snow… equipped, loved, empowered and blessed to reach a world that is highly irritated, frosted and in need of some loud singing and a God who wants to take them into HIS fold. We come near to get smeared , then go out and help others come near.
RenaeRoche2018