WHAT IS THE ANOINTING

We often hear in our worship services, “ Lord send us your anointing, or Lord we need a fresh anointing”, but what exactly is the anointing? What does it mean to be anointed? As always, the answers are in the scripture.

To Anoint means the custom of smearing or pouring oil on a person or object, in both secular and sacred contexts or situations.

The Hebrew word for Anoint is Māšah as a verb and Māšîah as a noun where we get the English word Messiah. The term appears around 70 times in the Old Testament. One of the Greek terms for anointed is Christós where we get the English word Christ. Jesus was/is God’s Anointed, his Messiah, his Christ set apart by the Father for a holy, consecrated purpose; to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

The first time the word anointed appears in scripture is Genesis 31:13 where God speaks to Jacob, I am the God of Bethel (means house of God) where you anointed a pillar where you made a vow to me (Genesis 28:18)…God is making reference to when Jacob left Canaan and was traveling to the land of his Mother Rebekah which was a place called Haran. Jacob poured oil on the rock that he used as a pillow when sleeping. Jacob recognized the visitation of the Lord and regarded the place as holy so he consecrated the stone.

Aaron and his sons were anointed with oil when they were ordained as priests (Exodus 29:7). Verse thirty six of the same chapter makes reference to anointing the altar to consecrate (set it apart) for holy use. The tabernacle and tent of meeting where also anointed (Exodus 30:26; 40:9-10).

Kings in the bible were anointed by God because they were set apart to perform their office. I Samuel 16:12-13 says, So he brought him in. Now he (David) was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance, and the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.

David’s receiving the outpouring of the anointing oil was an outward symbol of what happens to believer’s inwardly when they’re born again by the Spirit of God. When we’re sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, we are set apart, made holy by God for a special purpose, to praise God forever and give him glory here on earth by a life of obedience (Ephesians 1:12-13).

David so respected King Saul who was trying to kill him and feared God so much that on two occasions where he had opportunity to kill Saul, he refused because Saul was the anointed of God (1 Samuel 24:6; I Samuel 26:9,11). Saul was chosen by God to serve as Israel first King but failed miserably so he was eventually replaced by David.

In Isaiah 45:1 we read that a pagan king named Cyrus the Persian was called God’s anointed. The amazing thing about this prophecy is that God revealed this through the Prophet Isaiah about 150 years before Cyrus was even born! He was the instrument God sovereignly chose to deliver national Israel from bondage (Ezra 1:1-4).

Cyrus was unaware of this distinction of being God’s anointed however. He made a decree to deliver Israel because the Lord stirred up his spirit (Ezra 1:1).

JESUS CHRIST THE ANOINTED OF GOD

In Luke’s Gospel chapter four vs. 18-19 Jesus stands in the Synagogue and reads, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he’s anointed me (i.e. the Spirit) to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind. To set free those that are oppressed., To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

The anointed when making reference in this text is the word Chriō which means a specific sacred anointing. Jesus wasn’t just anointed of God he was the Anointed of God. Jesus was the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1 which was prophesied about him nearly seven hundred years before his incarnation. Jesus’ anointing was evident by all the things he taught and the miracles he performed. Jesus’ anointing was the most powerful ever demonstrated, ever witnessed, or ever read about.

THE BELIEVER’S ANOINTING

In I John 2:20 the Apostle John says regarding believers, “You have an anointing from the Holy One and you know all things. The Greek word for anointing in this text is different - Chrisma . This anointing is from the Spirit of God that gives the believer I believe a supernatural intuition. It keeps him from error and guides him into all truth (John 14:26; John 16:13) and because we have the Holy Spirit, we’ll be kept from falling away from the Faith. Verse twenty is in direct opposition to verse I John 2:19 where it talks about false believers that did fall away from God; they were never genuine to begin with (i.e. Judas Iscariot and Demas).

Once again in I John 2:27 the Apostle speaks of the believer’s anointing so that we can avoid error and remain in the truth. The anointing is synonymous with Spirit of God which abides in the believer and teaches and guides them in all truth.

Think about this way, would God place his Spirit in anyone and allow them to be continually deceived and teach gross error? That’s not the Spirit of Truth at all; that would be the spirit of error which is a clear indicator that person does not have any anointing from God. Avoid them!

IN CONCLUSION

We see in the Old Testament the anointing of God was symbolized by the pouring of oil; outward sign of the person or thing being consecrated by God. In the New Testament era, every true Christian has the anointing from God, the indwelling Holy Spirit. This isn’t something we pray for or need a fresh dosage of. It’s the same Holy Spirit so no one has anymore than the other. While there are diverse gifts (anointings) in the body, they’re administered by the same Spirit (I Corinthians 12:4).

One last note, while unbelievers are benefactors of the anointing of God from Teachers of the gospel, they do not possess the anointing unless they confess their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and become saved.

The anointing or to be anointed is reserved for God’s chosen, the Church alone.