Moses blessed the sons of Israel before his death and said about the tribe of Asher: “Asher is blessed more than the other tribes. May he be esteemed by his brothers, and may bathe his feet in oil. May the bolts of his gates be of iron and bronze, and may he always live secure” (Deuteronomy 33:24-25).
Why this tribe was blessed more than the other tribes and it is favourite of his brothers? The main reason is that he has dipped his foot in oil. Here is the reason of the strength of bolds and abundance of wealth.
How to understand these words: “may he bathe his feet in olive oil”?
First of all let’s touch the direct meaning of oil. Olive oil was made of pressed olives (Exodus 27:20). This oil was used for the food preparation (Numbers 11:8), olives were used for the light to keep the lamps burning (Exodus 25:6, part 1) and finally for the special purposes – for the anointing. This oil is precious because it is mixed with fragrant incense (Exodus 25:6), it was only used by priests and for consecration of kings.
We will make attention at the last oil, the holy oil and will analyse it’s features:
1) Oil had fragrant incense (Exodus 25:6, part 2).
2) Smooth (Proverbs 5:3).
3) Soft (Psalm 55:21).
4) Softened sores (Isaiah 1:6).
5) Precious (Psalm 133:2).
What spiritual meaning does have the oil? – It’s the Holy Spirit with It’s fruits and gifts. It’s the expression of God’s character inside us in the power of love, tenderness, softness, compassion for other people. Oil is the symbol of joy (Hebrews 1:9. Isaiah. 61:3).
So, how to understand these words: “may he bathe his feet in olive oil”?
For the clarity let’s imagine what it would be, if we put our feet in olive oil? It’s clear that when we step with such feet, we’ll leave olive footprints behind ourselves.
Foot is the symbol of missionary; it’s the symbol of communication with people (Isaiah 52:7). To put feet in olive oil means that the Holy Spirit fulfils you with It’s fruits and gifts, when you communicate with people you will display fragrant incense of the two sides of God’s character –love, kindness, warmth, sympathy, softening sores of the surrounding people and justice.
Joyful mood, contentment, tenderness, sympathy and compassion always leave behind positive footprint. When we communicate with people and express such character, we always leave behind ourselves footprints of fragrances (pleasant smell), footprints of peacefulness, joy and love for those who require it and justice for those who resist.
But in our life we can leave behind us completely different footprints – footprint of upsetting and gall. It happens when we instead of joy are filled with immense sadness and grief. This condition is described in “Lamentations” book in such words: “My soul has been rejected from peace; I forgot prosperity, and I said, “My strength and my hope are perished from the Lord”, remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall” (Lementation 3:17-19). Such features of the character as envy, grumpiness, hatred, anger, irritability, avarice (greed) and etc. are the parts of gall. Apostle Peter said to Simon who tried to purchase (pay the money for) God’s gift: “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity” (Acts 8:23).
Taste of the gall is bitter. When we put feet into gall, we’ll leave such footprints in our life as bitterness, quarrel and hate.
In contrast to Asher, Simeon and Levi were cursed because that they’ve left behind themselves footprints of violence, rage, anger and whim (Genesis 49:5-7).
Where we will put out feet in, it will be soaked by it, feet will spread it and will leave it behind. If we put feet into the oil, we will leave footprints of oil, footprints of joy and love; if we put feet into the gall, we will leave footprints of bile (anger), bitterness, hate and death.
What are we filled with?
What do we carry?
What footprints do we leave in our life?
Let everybody of us consider these questions seriously.
If our close friends, brothers and sisters do not love us, in most cases the reason hides in us, not in others. Asher was blessed more than the other tribes and was favourite of his brothers because that he put his feet in oil and when he was communicating with people he showed kindness, sympathy, tenderness and love. “Generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered” (Proverbs 11:25). For this reason, he himself was beloved. If we are not loved, it means that we do not carry oil of joy but bitterness of gall.
“But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment” (1 Timothy 6:6). Joyful and cheerful mood, lovely, gentle, sympathetic treatment of other people (in other words it’s the fruit of spirit) created power in spiritual life that is being secured through all external exams, experiences, difficulties. Evil doesn’t touch that person, who will be always cheerful (Proverbs 19:23).
Contentment, gladness and love that is being expressed in our character, create that strong iron and copper locks that block the way to all evil, impure, sinful. It’s a secret of the increase of our spiritual wealth (Deuteronomy 33:26. Proverbs 10:22). And contrary when a person loses his courage, joy and peace and starts to show discontent, grumpiness, hatred, then he very easy gets under the control of darkness and miscellaneous temptations (Proverbs 18:14).
Days of our life are short. Everybody will die in certain time. It’s said that property escorts the deceased (the person who has died) to the doors of the house, relatives escort to the graves and further follows the deeds, good or bad. According to his deeds the Lord will judge him (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
Let’s fill our life with the Holy Spirit, that it will appear in the features of our character and then the footprints that are being left in our life would be fragrant and pleasant to the God and His work. Our good features of character will be expressed not only in our heart but they will be reflected on our face (Psalms 104:15. Proverbs 15:13.15). They will be visible by surrounding people with whom they communicate. Then we will leave positive footprints in our family, in our community, among neighbours, among close and not close people. And then we will not irritate wounds of lost and sinned people; we will anoint them like the Merciful Samaritan with sympathy and compassion oil. And then we will not be callous and selfish; we will love all and will be compassionate.
“Let your garments be always white, and let your head not lack the oil” (Ecclesiast 9:8. Psalms 92:10 part 2). We should be bright and happy all the time (when someone was wearing a mourning garment, he/she didn’t anoint himself with oil. 2 Samuel 14:2). To have cheerful mood, good character, we shouldn’t lack oil on our head, and on our feet. The sources of oil is God, these sources are open for sincere and desiring souls (people). We must more often put our feet in oil that we would leave everywhere behind us wonderful, and fragrant footprints.
There is no better as to rejoice, celebrate and “do good in the life” (Ecclesiastes 3:12 part 2). “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?” (1 Corinthians 2:15-16).
Let the Lord help us in this!
Amen.
By Vladimir Shelkov
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