The
word anointed means to apply an oil or similar substance to the
forehead during a ceremony in order to dedicate ones service to God.
There were three different types of anointing in the Old
Testament.
First, there was the anointing of the priests, with
oil, "And he poured of the anointing oil
upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him." It is
noteworthy that this anointing took place only one time for each
priest." - Leviticus 8:12. This type of anointing was
used to sanctify a priest and get him ready to serve God. In the Old
Testament only the priest had access to God.
Second, there
was the anointing of the kings, with oil, "Then
Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his
brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day
forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah." This anointing
was likewise a one-time ritual." -I Samuel 16:13. This
type of anointing was used to inaugurate a man as king.
Third,
there was the anointing of the prophets, with oil, "And
Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and
Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel- meholah shalt thou anoint to be
prophet in thy room." Again, it took place only one time for
each prophet." - I Kings 19:16. This type of anointing
was to bless a prophet and get him ready to serve God.
Our
Lord Jesus was a priest, king, and prophet, but He was not anoited by
oil, He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. "The
Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed me to preach
the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to
preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." - Luke
4:18. The anointing of the Holy Spirit was and is like the anointing
of a king, priest, or prophet. When one was chosen to be a priest, he
was anointed with oil, symbolic of the Holy Spirit coming upon him
and giving him power, wisdom and ability for the task set before him.
The same was true when a king was anointed and when a prophet was
anointed.
So, How Does One Become Anointed by The Holy
Spirit?
Let's take a look:
1.
The Anointing is Done Upon Accepting A New Responsibility.
When
a Christian accepts a new responsibility, he should be anointed by
the Holy Spirit for that task. When a pastor is called to a new
church or when a Christian is chosen to be a Sunday school teacher, a
choir member, a choir director, a departmental superintendent or an
usher, he should be anointed by the Holy Spirit. Any new task to
which a child of God is chosen and any new responsibility that God
has given to him is so important that the Holy Spirit should anoint
him upon the assumption of his new responsibility. Likewise, as the
Christian ministers and continues to fulfill the work to which God
has called him, he should constantly be being filled with the Spirit.
However, the doctrine of being filled should not be mistaken for the
doctrine of the anointing. "Now ye are the
body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in
the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers,
after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments,
diversities of tongues." - I Corinthians 12:27,28.
2.
Anointing Equips One For a Task.
When God calls, He
qualifies, He equips and He prepares. When a Christian is called to a
new responsibility, he needs to be equipped. Hence, he needs to be
anointed by the Holy Spirit as God appropriates to him what he needs
to fulfill his new calling and equips him for that calling. "Now
we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which
is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us
of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's
wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing
spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:
neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
- I Corinthians 2:12-14
3. Yielding
to The Spirit For His Anointing.
A Christian being
called to do work for God should yield himself and surrender his will
and present himself for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Get alone
with God, plead with Him to equip you and anoint you for the task to
which God has called you. This anointing will not take the place of
the fullness of the Spirit. After the king, priest, or prophet was
anointed by God, he still from time to time was filled with the Holy
Spirit, but we who are have accepted Christ are filled with the Holy
Spirit at all times, but it is up to us to yield to the Holy Spirit
and let Him know that we acknowledge Him and that is "being
filled" with the Spirit.
4. God
Giving His Mind to The Task.
Being anointed by the
Holy Spirit is a private inauguration, letting you know that no
matter what God calls you to do He is with you and inspiring you to
do the task.
Are you weary of laboring in the energy of the
flesh? Are you tired of going through the motions of serving God
without having been anointed for the task that is yours? Tiptoe into
the woods somewhere. Drive away from civilization for awhile. Spend
some time with God. Tell Him that the task is bigger than you and the
responsibility is too great for the flesh. Ask Him to anoint you, to
sanctify you, to equip you, to inaugurate you for the job ahead. Ask
Him for His mind as you serve. Ask Him to tell you what you need to
do to get things done.
Remember that the anointing of
the priest took place at the beginning of his ministry, the anointing
of the king took place at the beginning of his reign and the
anointing of the prophet took place at the beginning of his work.
Perhaps no human bands will place olive oil on your brow (though this
is certainly not out of order), but at such a time of surrender the
hand of God could take His Holy Spirit and equip you for a task for
which by nature you are not equipped.
