And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. Exodus 27:20
During His Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus informed His followers that they were to be the light of the world: Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16) The Lord was speaking at a time when lights were fuelled by oil, not electricity. That oil has a special significance for us today.
Our text is speaking of oil that would allow the lamp in the tabernacle to always be burning. It was never to be dark in that sanctuary, because of a perpetual supply of olive oil, and because of faithful priests who would carefully tend to the lamp. Oil, we know, is a type of the Holy Spirit, and the light speaks of His testimony in the world. And the faithful priests of the tabernacle of old have their parallel in the faithful priests who are the Christians today. Our faithfulness is what God uses for His testimony.
It is faithful Christians who maintain God’s testimony by sharing the Gospel, whether by preaching, helping the preachers, sharing Gospel tracts and invitations, praying, or sharing an appropriate word with someone. It is faithful Christians who maintain God’s testimony by kind deeds and loving care to those around us, by honest and fair dealings with all, and by openly sharing the joy of our salvation.
God will always have His lamp of testimony burning. Will we be the ones He uses to faithfully supply the oil? -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/tki3bmjEabY