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What really does it mean to anoint or be anointed? Is it a concept limited to religious or faith practices? According to Websters Online Dictionary, it is a verb and defined as follows:
- to rub or sprinkle on; apply an unguent, ointment, or oily liquid to.
- to smear with any liquid.
- to consecrate or make sacred in a ceremony that includes the token applying of oil:
- to dedicate to the service of God.
I would suggest that even though in cooking, you might ‘rub or sprinkle on…oily liquid’ it would not be considered as anointing, rather that process is known as marinating. A marinade does flavour the surfaces that it touches or penetrates, however significant differences become obvious when you understand the term anoint/anointing as the manifest power of God that sets us apart. Throughout the Bible and Christian traditions, oil, a thick fragrant liquid with healing properties is used to anoint a person.
In my previous blog (Dimensions and Expressions of Faith) I spoke about different levels of faith. The ability to allow the anointing of God flow through you and your life is impacted by the level of your faith. The power of the anointing is not something that can be intellectualised, rather it requires faith to let go of control and to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. As you allow this to happen, you will see greater demonstrations of the supernatural power of God manifest in your life.
The prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 10:6 NIV) describes an outworking of the anointing as this ‘The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.’ When the supernatural power of God is demonstrated in your life through the anointing, there can be no doubt that it changes you. The anointing of God has the ability to change you, your personality, behaviours, attitudes and your giftings.
I know of people who had no musical talent, once anointed, touched by the supernatural power of God, they were able to sit at the keyboard and play as if they’d had years of experience. I have witnessed a youth pastor who’s ministry was just beginning suddenly flourish exponentially after the senior pastor of the church publicly anointed them with a bottle of water. That ministry still continues to grow and is having significant impact globally.
The anointing of God has been described as the manifest power of God that sets us apart, with favour to go, power to be and the strength to continue. This can be seen demonstrated through the examples above where ones behaviour, giftings and attitudes are changed.
Often we would see a person being anointed by a pastor or intercessor placing a small amount of oil on the forehead, or the hands of a willing person. This practise was different in Bible days. In 1 Samuel 16:13 (NKJV) we read that ‘Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.’ This horn, usually the horn of a Ram, contains much more than a few drops we have become accustomed to in Christian practise. This anointing is described as running over his heard, down his bread and running over his cloak.
The Old Testament of the Bible speaks of three dimensions of the anointing. In each case, the anointing prepared the person to take up their positions and undertake their jobs. It also activated the mantle over their lives, increasing their effectiveness.
- The anointing of Priests: Exodus 28:41, 30:30, 40:15, Leviticus 8:12, 21:12, Numbers 3:3 and Psalms 133:2)
- The anointing of Prophets: 1 Kings 19:16, Psalms105:15, Isaiah 11:2, 1 Corinthians 14:31)
- The anointing of Kings: 1 Samuel 16:1, 3, 13, 2 Samuel 2:4, 7, 1 Kings 1:34, 1 Chronicles 11:3)
The New Testament also speaks of dimensions of the anointing. This is primarily described as being achieved through God’s grace. To embrace the effectiveness of the outworking of the anointed gifts, we need to walk in the grace. We need to grow in the grace just as John the Baptist did (Luke 1:80 ‘as the child grew he became strong in the Spirit’). As too did Jesus (Luke 2:40 ‘and the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him’).
This supernatural growth only happens when we give ourselves sacrificially and fully to the purpose of the anointing. Johns gospel describes it this way ‘Out of His fullness we have received grace in place of the grace already given’. (John 1:16)
Scriptures also speak of three distinct expressions of the anointing. These are:
The Outpouring
In Exodus 29:7 we read ‘take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head.’ The Hebrew word used for anointing in this passage describes the action of ‘pouring out’. This was not a once only event. The prophet Joel used the same root word to describe the coming of the Holy Spirit in Joel 2:28-29.
‘And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.’
We read of the fulfilment of this prophecy of an outpouring in Acts 2:2-4
‘And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.’
The Covering
In Psalms 105:15 we read ‘Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm’. The Hebrew word used for anointed in this passage describes the action of ‘to smear over.’ In Biblical times, shepherds would smear over their sheep a balm, usually consisting of olive oil, sulphur and spices. This was smeared on their heads to prevent infections from insects. This anointing provided protection for the sheep. As a young man, King David started as a shepherd. This would have given him the understanding the supernatural and natural correlate, how the smearing of the Holy Spirit over his life provided him with full protection. He described this in Psalm 23:5 when he declared that when ‘you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.
When we have been anointed, we carry the fragrance of Christ with us. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 says that
‘God always leads us in triumphal procession and uses us the spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and to those who are perishing.’
The covering of the anointing protects us from the things of this world that would try to destroy us or diminish the effectiveness of our anointed giftings. It not only pleases God, but infects the environments we move in.
The Marinating
Psalms 45:7 reminds us that God loves righteousness and hates wickedness. It also reminds us that God has set us above our companions by anointing us with the oil of joy. The Hebrew word used for anointing in this passage describes the action of ‘to rub in.’ This level of anointing can cause us discomfort. Just as marinating food causes the proteins to take on the flavours and change its structure, so to this type of anointing cause us to change. When adding our faith to this anointing, our personal desires are challenged and needs to come into submission to be effective. Faith can break bondages. Faith plus anointing can breaks bondages that faith alone cannot. This anointing deals with our morals and character, allowing for a greater manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 outlines the fruit of the Spirit as being ‘love, peace, joy, patience, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.’
Being marinated in this level of anointing, having it rub deeply into our being we walk in a level of integrity that is not otherwise possible. It must be rubbed into every area of our life – body, soul and spirit. Both Samson and David had failings in their lives, areas that had not been fully submitted to God’s will. Consequently their effectiveness was flawed as the areas that had not been submitted to this anointing could not carry the weight of it. The anointing was upon them, but had not ben rubbed into all of their body, soul and spirit.
This type of anointing that is rubbed in is spoken of in James 5:14 ‘“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.”’ This is a practical application that is still used today and is easily available to those who would believe in its power and call on those who are described here as being anointed for this ministry. Combining your faith in earthly medical practitioners with faith filled praying people is wiser than blindly trusting in one of these areas only.
The anointing within us protects the anointing upon us. The greater trust we place in this anointing, the greater we are thrust into the works that God has prepared for us.
Just as a river that cannot flow becomes stagnant and ineffective, so to the anointing on our lives becomes ineffective if kept to ourselves. The anointing from God on us is for others. Position yourself to be a blessing to others.
- We read of the extraordinary impact of the in the life of the Apostle Paul. Recorded n Acts 19:11-12 we read that “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” These anointed cloths became the access point for the miraculous to be released into the lives of those it touched.
- The anointing on Elisha was so powerful that even in death, the anointing still had miraculous powers. 2 Kings 13:21 speaks of a dead man whose body was placed on the bones of Elisha instantly bringing that dead man back to life.
- My own life has been greatly impacted by the powerful anointing of a healing evangelist. Had he not been obedient to the Lord in his life and used his anointed hands to heal the sick and bring the transformational power of the anointing to others, he would probably still be a high school teacher. Countless millions of people throughout the world would not have received of the anointing that God had separated him apart to engage with. There is even a record of a dead infant being brought to him whose lifeless body was brought back to life. Not by his own might, but by the powerful anointing that flowed freely through him.
- Smith-Wigglesworth was a Christian Revivalist whose healing ministry impacted the world in the first half of the 1900’s. He was known for his belief in God and only God. If it was in the Bible, he was known to have said, then it is so, end of story. There was an indisputable anointing on his life for healing miracles. Stories of healings most often included the use of oil to anoint the sick person seeking healing. There has been many book written about his life and ministry. One particular example of his writings is the 1924 book “Ever Increasing Faith”. “I am the Lord that Health Thee” contains many first hand accounts of the impact of his anointing and the power of using oil when anointing.
The anointing of God is used to propel us forward to do exploits for the kingdom of God. Its effectiveness is limited only by our willingness to submit to its power in every aspect of our lives; body, soul and spirit. The calling on your life may not be as one of those examples cited above, but without submitting yourself to God, you will never know. The outworking of your willingness to obediently follow God’s anointing on your life could well be spoken of in the annals of history. Your obedience will be noted by the cloud of witnesses encouraging you on and rejoicing at the fragrance your anointing creates.
