God anoints His Servants

 

While modern use applies the word ANOINTED to anyone officially chosen to an important job, the Bible is far more selective. In the OT, the noun māšîaḥ means “anointed one” and is the Hebrew word that gave us the word “Messiah.” The anointing rite involved sprinkling or rubbing with oil on three categories of people: the high priest, prophets and kings.

The focus of māšîaḥ as a term for the king was not on power or royal status, but on the fact that he has been chosen by God to fulfill tasks that the Lord has given. This is especially applied to David, yet Isaiah 45:1–7 says:

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus (non-Jewish king of Persia), whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: “I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.”

This passage is significant in that today’s leaders are also put in place by God for His purposes, lest I forget that God’s ways are not my ways and bellyache about those in power. We have an election coming up and it will be interesting to see what happens in light of . . .

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:20–21).

Far more important is that this OT word became a reference to a future “Anointed One” and the NT reveals Jesus Christ as the fulfillment. John 1:40–41 says: “One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).”

The early Christians soon understood that the “anointed one” references in the OT referred to Jesus. They also applied all three categories of prophet, priest, and king to Jesus. Because of this, He is called Christ from the Greek word Christos which means “Messiah, anointed one” and in English, Christ.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. The OT activity of God in anointed people to do His will culminates in Jesus, the One who prayed in the garden before His crucifixion saying, “Not my will but thine be done” and laid down His life, according to the will of His Father. He did this so His Father could be my Father, Abba and that I could call the Messiah of God my Brother. Jesus, the anointed One did  His work perfectly and works in me that I will someday be like Him. That is awesome. All of this also helps me trust Him with things like who wins elections and runs countries. I may not understand His purposes but I do understand that whatever He wants done, it will happen because whoever He anoints to do it will also be enabled for the task.