Need oil?
Who doesn’t, fuels our homes, cars, boats and more!
The Bible speaks of oil for lamps but in this parable it is special oil. Oil used in lamps give the wicks the ability to burn which gives off light. In the scripture of the 10 virgins, five had oil, five did not. This was a parable given by Jesus concerning those who belonged to him and those who did not.
“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Matthew 25:10 NIV.
Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ Matthew 25:11 NLT.
“But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Matthew 25:12 NASB.
There are some very special truths found in this parable from our Lord Jesus. Note verse 10, they went to BUY oil, salvation is a free gift. Remember Simon the magician offered to pay for the Holy Spirit (Oil) and the power and was severely rebuked by Peter.
But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! Acts 8:20 NASB.
“For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.” Acts 8:23 NASB.
This man Simon was an unsaved man like the five Virgins without the oil they sought to purchase. Their cry Lord, Lord, is the same as the “Works for salvation” people who told the Lord about all the things THEY did in His name. His reply to them is similar as said to the five Virgins; “Truly, I don’t know you” Thus Jesus separates the Tares from the true wheat, the believers, God’s Elect.
The oil represents the Holy Spirit and those without the Holy Spirit do not belong to him! King Saul was anointed with oil because it was God who made him the ruler of Israel. The Lord gave the people the King of their choice a man after their own hearts, not his! Saul was a wicked man extremely jealous of his servant David. For 10 years David suffered, ducking spears throw by King Saul and living in caves. Although David had an opportunity to kill Saul he would not because he knew Saul was God’s *anointed. He had oil (the sign from God that his Holy Spirit was with him) poured on his head by God’s Prophet Samuel and the power of the Holy Spirit, changed him into a “New” man. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit would come upon and depart God’s Elect when they sinned. This is what David feared when he sinned saying; “Take not thy Holy Spirit from me”. When Jesus died on the cross, he obtained our perfect salvation, as he had promised. He sent the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost to be with every believer and He NEVER departs even when we sin. He did depart from King Saul because of his evil; Saul was put to death but went to be with the Prophet Samuel in Paradise as Samuel had previously told him. Despite David’s sin, the Holy Spirit never left him but God punished him greatly, taking his son born out of wedlock with Bathsheba and his much loved son Absalom who turned against him causing David to flee. The death of Absalom was a bitter pill to David. He was put to death by one of David’s Army commanders Joab. Psalm 119, a psalm of David shows how great was his punishment by the Lord and his godly repentance that led to a restoration of his fellowship and walk with God. David said; “When I went astray you punished me but now I keep your word”.
Sin always separates the believer in their walk with God. David in Psalm 23 was comforted seeing the Rod of correction in his walk with the Lord, knowing that whom the Lord loves he corrects, anyone who claims to be a believer and suffers no correction when they willfully sin does NOT belong to God!
The 10 virgins are a picture of the saved and lost, there are many religious people in today’s world that may be devout in the practice of their faith but their hearts are far from God. They do not have oil, the Holy Spirit who is given to every true believer in Christ the moment that they believe!
A Christian’s willful sinning causes God to suffer as it grieves his Holy Spirit. Remember in the Book of Acts the two believers who lost their lives because of having lied to the Holy Spirit, therefore lying to God, the third person of the Trinity!
Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Acts 5:3 NIV.
The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” Acts 5:4 NLT.
The Holy Spirit cannot depart from anyone who is in the Body of Christ, the Church; Jesus had declared that He would be with us forever!
The Christian is a purchased possession of God and not their own, they are taught of God through his Holy Spirit. We read of Christians being weak, sick and falling asleep (Dying as did Ananias and his wife). I have heard those in some Churches say that God does not cause believers to be sick but the Apostle Paul refutes that falsehood in his writings to the Corinthians. He states that any believer that partakes in communion while willful sinning, is in an “Unfit manner”, not rightly judging the deeds/sins of the body. This brings God’s chastisement which can be grievous and can result in death (For the believer it’s an early trip home, falling asleep as the term Jesus used for those who belonged to him). To avoid punishment, examine yourself, confess your sins, you have the promise of forgiveness from God who will not only cleanse you but forget the sins you have confessed, so don’t bring them up again as he won’t remember! But if you wish to partake of communion knowing you will continue in your willful sin (A revolving door, I have been there!), you would be better off not to! God is not mocked, whatever you sow you will reap, sow good, reap good, sow evil, and reap evil! Remember from the Book of Hebrews; “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”
In order to avoid the chastisement from God avoid willful sinning which grieves his Holy Spirit, instead, walk after the Spirit by obedience and devotion to Christ, deny the lusts of the flesh. We all stumble in many ways but God gives “Grace upon Grace” in our struggle with sin, (Romans 7 is Paul’s struggle against the flesh and its lusts) the warfare between the Holy Spirit and our corruptible flesh. God does pity us; he knows our frame that we are but dust. Set your minds on things above, draw near to God and he will draw near to you, he rewards those who do.
Even in our unfaithfulness he remains faithful to us, he cannot deny himself. A day in his fellowship is better than a thousand as David said and when you meditate on him the fires will burn, you will experience the infilling of the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns will do the same.
*Some falsely teach two things regarding King Saul; one is that Saul was a godless man. The other is that the Prophet Samuel who was called up from Paradise was a demon, both teaching are false. Saul was God’s choice, anointed with oil; the Holy Spirit gave him faith in God. I believe the Holy Spirit only comes upon God’s Elect which Jesus confirmed by saying; He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Mark 7:28 NASB
Proof from God’s word that Saul was saved, he was given a new heart and prophesies.
“Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man. 1-Samuel 10:6 NASB.
The bread mentioned is Jesus himself for God’s people through the Holy Spirit. Dogs were a common term the Jews used for unbelievers, the Gentiles. When the Nation rejected Jesus, God began saving Gentiles from all Nations and tongues. When their number is complete according to the will of God, He will return to save all Israel.
“AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.” Matthew 12:21 NASB.
The word of God states that it was Samuel who God allowed to tell Saul that he and his sons would be with Samuel in Paradise (A special place of rest and peace for all God’s Elect. They could not go to Heaven at that time but had to wait until Jesus died on the cross and fully paid the ransom for their salvation). God’s word tells us it is Samuel who the false teachers twist in saying it was a demon; I suggest that they read the warnings in the last chapter of the Book of Revelation.
“What does he look like?” he asked. “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 1-Samuel 28:14 NIV.
What’s more, the LORD will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The LORD will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat.” 1-Samuel 28:19 NLT.
One son of Saul was Jonathan who David said that his love for him was better than the love of a woman. I believe this was through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jonathan was with his father Saul and his brothers in Paradise. Another confirmation that Saul was a saved man as Jonathan was there with him, one who loved David. Some Churches find it hard to believe that one is saved by faith alone, works will follow after but never before!
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; Ephesians 2:8 NASB.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:9 NLT.
The saved believer however may still willfully sin but they can never lose their salvation, King David and King Saul as an example. David was spared death by God, and Saul the believer was not. The death of a believer is never separation from God, the fate of the non-believer is always separated from God weather alive or dead!
Author Ken
March 2013
Dedicated to the memory of Angelina Maria Caterina who went to be with the Lord April 15, 2012