You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.

                                                                                                               Psalm 23:5 

As we have seen that the table of God refers to abundance and provision, the anointing of our heads with oil can be thought of as redemption and healing.

I believe that redemption has to be one of the most wonderful and powerful words of which we can speak. Redemption can be defined as recovering. It is the retrieval and reclamation of something that was once lost. As mankind gave up all rights to take dominion of the earth (as God originally intended), giving that authority over to the enemy through disobedience, Jesus came to reverse that curse. Consider the words of Paul:

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

                                                                                                            Galatians 3:13-14 

First, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law. Why is the Law of God a curse? Is there something wrong with the Law? Of course not! So why the curse? This curse comes because of our inability to fulfill the Law. No matter how hard we try, we cannot do all of the things written in the Law. We needed to be redeemed from that curse.

Secondly, Jesus actually became a curse for us. This simply means that He was punished for something that he did not do. Likewise, because of His death, everyone who believes is given life of which we do not deserve. This is at the heart of the gospel message. This great exchange, Christ’s death as a substitution for ourselves, giving us the right to be considered spiritually whole and complete, as He is, this is the message of redemption.

Thirdly, Paul tells us that this redemption is for the Gentiles as well as the Jews. When the Bible speaks about “the blessing of Abraham”, it is referring to the covenant promise that God made with Israel. The obedience of Christ to take our place and become the fulfillment of the Law for us (redemption) opens up this blessing of Abraham to everyone who will believe it and receive God’s forgiveness. Regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, social, political, or economic standing, this offer of redemption goes out to everyone who will believe.

Lastly, Paul reminds us that because of God’s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ, everyone who places his/her faith in Christ receives the Holy Spirit. As Paul states, (in Christ) “we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” When we think of God “anointing our head with oil”, we should remember the redemption that was bought for us on the cross of Jesus Christ.

In addition to the redemption found in Christ alone, we can think of this “anointing with oil” as representing healing. Consider the words of Peter: 

…and He Himself (Christ) bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

                                                                                                            1 Peter 2:24-25 

Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection not only provides a way of redemption, eternal salvation, and forgiveness, it also brings with it healing. “For by His wounds we were healed.” This is an incredibly important declaration. Everything that we need to live in a fallen world yet rise above the depravity and wickedness of this age has been given to us in Jesus. Christians should be living extraordinary, exceptional lives, noticeable by everyone. This is what Peter meant when he says, “that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.” This doesn’t mean that we will never make mistakes again and it certainly doesn’t mean that failure negates our salvation. We have been redeemed and healed by Christ’s obedience on the cross not as a matter of our own achievement. But the healing that comes from the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives should produce a lifestyle of loving, serving, and worshiping God. As Peter says, “we have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls.

As we consider David’s words regarding this “anointing with oil”, let us rest in the redemption and healing that Jesus brings into our lives everyday. Let us remember that all of this was made possible by Christ’s obedience to take our place on the cross and that receiving this redemption and healing comes as we place our faith in Him.