The Bible speaks extensively about anointing with oil, describing its use in personal life, worship, consecration, restoration and divine appointment. Jacob anointed a stone after encountering God at Bethel (Genesis 28:18), Moses anointed the Tabernacle and its furnishings (Exodus 40:9--11), and Samuel anointed Saul and David as kings over Israel. However, Scripture also demonstrates that anointing was a familiar practice among ordinary people. Ruth was instructed to wash and anoint herself before approaching Boaz (Ruth 3:3). Ecclesiastes 9:8 encourages us to keep our garments white and our heads supplied with oil. During mourning, people would refrain from anointing themselves, making their grief visible to those around them (2 Samuel 14:2; Daniel 10:3). When David ended his period of mourning, he rose, washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes and went into the house of the Lord to worship (2 Samuel 12:20). Anointing therefore communicated something meaningful: the restoration of joy, dignity and ordinary life. The absence of oil could likewise reflect mourning, distress or the loss of blessing, as illustrated in Deuteronomy 28:40.
This practice continued into the New Testament. Jesus told His disciples to anoint their heads and wash their faces when fasting, so that their devotion to God would not become a public display intended to impress others (Matthew 6:16--18). His instruction shows how familiar personal anointing was. When Jesus sent out His disciples, they preached repentance, cast out demons, anointed the sick with oil and healed them (Mark 6:12--13). Their anointing was a prophetic act of faith, giving visible expression to their confidence in the authority and healing made available through Jesus Christ, even before the result could necessarily be seen in the natural world. James 5:14--16 also instructs believers who are sick to call upon the elders of the Church for prayer and anointing in the name of the Lord. These passages demonstrate that the use of anointing oil was not abolished under the New Covenant, nor was its biblical significance limited to a single application. To understand anointing properly, we must consider the whole of Scripture and recognise the different purposes, prophetic meanings and responsibilities associated with its use.
House of Anointing