The core focus of this blog is being “worthy to enter Zion.” Well, I heard a message by Hank Smith the other day that talked about not just the oil in the lamp, but the extra oil the five wise virgins carried in a vessel.
I knew the five wise virgins had extra oil and the five foolish did not. But, I can’t say I ever thought about it much deeper than that. Sure, they had extra oil. Had I been asked about how they carried their extra oil before listening to this Hank Smith talk, I might have stumbled a bit with the answer. I may have come up with it by process of reasoning. But, I would not have said, oh, they had a vessel of oil with them.
I even write a song about the ten virgins and that concept is not in it. Here are the lyrics…
There were ten virgins,
five of them wise,
having pepared
for that holy night.Waiting he house,
the bride groom would come,
in peace they slumbered,
till he call went fourth.The five foolish virgins
pleaded for oil,
none could be spared
in the final hour.The bridegroom came
and bid them to follow,
five wise virgins
lamps in hand.
They entered in,
to the wedding feast,
to sit and rest
at the saviors feet.The five foolish virgins
knock’d at the door,
The savior dismissed them
saying I knew you not.(you knew me not)
Music – pzign
Now, it isn’t just that they had a vessel. Hank Smith points out so well, that it was typically carried inside their clothing. Close to their body. That right there opens a whole world of symbolism related to the extra oil the wise virgins had. They had prepared inwardly. They carried their own personal testimonies, not their parent’s or someone else’s. They internalized it. They didn’t flaunt it or act carelessly with it. They protected it.
I thought it was a lovely and powerful message. Watch the video [link below] or read the short transcript..
https://www.facebook.com/reel/966199131805063/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v
In Mattew 25 you hear the parable of the ten virgines.
Hank Smith – Build Your House Upon a Rock
I love this parable.
And I think this works with our private life, public life idea.
All ten virgines have what?
A lamp.
All ten virgins have a lamp.
We’re going to call that your public life.
All ten virgines have a lamp.
Everybody can be publicly spiritual.
But only five have what?
No, they all have oil.
Only five have, look at verse 4, “but the wise took oil in their vessels”
That’s not the lamp.
So, you’re right, the oil.
I apologize.
You’re right.
They do have oil.
They have extra oil in a vessel.
I asked one of these New Testament guys at BYU,
I said, “What’s with the vessel?”
He said, “Well, the vessel, the vessel is what you keep inside your robe. You keep it there in case you run out in your lamp.”
Now, I like that because how many poeple know that you have a vessel full of oil?
Just You.
Just you. It’s a private thing.
And so, what if the Savior might be saying, the five virgins who made it, who got to the wedding feast, were those who were privately spiritual, not just publicly spiritual?
Public spirituality well get you sof far.
It’ll get you invited.
Private spirituality gets you into the wedding.
Isn’t that beautiful? Well, Brother Smith said it like a Semenary Teacher. It was delivered very John Bytheway’esk.
Being worthy to enter Zion is personal. You either lived worthy, or you didn’t. You either followed Christ, or you didn’t. You either repented, or you didn’t. In the private times of your life, you are either spiritual or you are not. You either know how to listen to and feel the holy ghost or you don’t.
It’s that simple.