THE ANOINTING
[p. 274] THE ANOINTING
1 Samuel 16: 11 - 13; 1 Chronicles 11: 1 - 3; 1 Kings 19: 15 - 21
(Summary of Reading)
The subject of the anointing, is presented in a three-fold way in the Old Testament, namely, in connection with priest, king and prophet. We dwelt mostly on that side of it which is seen in the priest, so we might now consider the features of the anointing as seen in the king and prophet.
It was said of Judah that he “prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler” 2 Chronicles 5: 2, and I think we see the same principle in David, who was anointed in the midst of his brethren. Later, as we read in Chronicles, he was anointed in Hebron by the elders of Israel. “All Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh”. 1 Chronicles 11:1. They recognised the relationship, so that it can be said he was anointed there by his brethren. They say further: “And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel”. 1 Chronicles 11:2. David was anointed of God by Samuel before his ability as king was known, but he was anointed by his brethren after they had discovered his ability as leader. God knew His beloved Son before He anointed Him. He could say to Him before He commenced His path of service “In thee I have found my delight”. Mark 1:11. The word ‘found’ would show what had come out in His life here in seclusion under the eye of God.
We recognise how suitable it was that Christ should be anointed after we have proved His worth. Romans shows what He has effected for us. He prevails in our hearts so that we not only recognise Him as the Lord but as our Lord. In Romans 7:24,25 the believer cries out “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” The answer is: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord”. In principle that is like 1 Chronicles 11. We see in the first five chapters of Romans how God has wrought through Christ to meet the need of our souls: “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord”, Romans 5: 21. It is not now only a question of making God’s thoughts known, but of the power that is needed to work out our salvation. God’s power has been demonstrated in the resurrection of Christ, so that the gospel in Romans is the gospel of God concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. In order that we may understand the lordship of Christ we must see that He has prevailed among His brethren. He has secured all things for God, but I am afraid the difficulty with us is that He has not fully prevailed in our hearts. David had prevailed in the hearts of those who became his mighty men and they anointed him king in their hearts. Romans 16 gives us the names of some in whose hearts God had prevailed.
Psalm 24 shows us how Christ has prevailed in heaven. He has gone into heaven not only because of who He is, but on the ground of His exploits. “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah”. Psalm 24: 7 - 10. How heaven recognises the exploits of Christ! “The Lord mighty in battle”. The question for us is then, Is He recognised in our hearts in this way? When David brought the head of the giant he had the evidence in his hand of [p. 276] his kingly power. He prevailed in the heart of Jonathan. “The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul”, 1 Samuel 18: 1. We read further, “And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle” 1 Samuel 18: 4.
We see thus how David captivated the heart of Jonathan; and we read further that women came out of all cities of Israel celebrating David’s exploits. They said: “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” 1 Samuel 18:7.
In Revelation 5: 5,6 the Lord Jesus is seen in the midst of the throne as a Lamb that had been slain. He was “the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David”, who had prevailed to open the book, but He prevails over our hearts now through His suffering love. In Acts 19: 17 we read: “The name of the Lord Jesus was magnified”. The testimony prevailed through His name and dispelled the moral darkness at Ephesus. “Thus with might the word of the Lord increased and prevailed” Acts 19: 20.
All Israel recognised their relationship with David, and that he had already been their leader. They anointed him themselves, thereby proving they had accepted God’s choice. I wonder if the Lord has prevailed in our hearts in this way. It would show itself in a practical manner in the degree we have yielded ourselves to Him. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved”, Romans 10: 9.
It is a great moment in our soul’s history when we anoint Him, acknowledging Him as the One who has led us out and brought us in. In 1 Chronicles 11 David is recognised as king by his brethren, Moses also was acknowledged as such in the affections of the people. “He was king in Jeshurun when the heads [p. 277] of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together”. Deuteronomy 33:5. All this has reference to Christ. Jeshurun signifies “upright”, and Romans brings about uprightness in our hearts. Every upright person will afford Christ His place as Lord in their hearts.
In the anointing of the king there is dignity according to God. All true Christians say that Christ alone is worthy to rule. The woman in Simon the leper’s house anointed Him as King. The wise men from the East came to the house where the young child was. They were governed by the light they had received from the star. They had no personal knowledge of Him, but recognised, nevertheless, that He was the King of the Jews. They worshipped the Child, and presented unto Him gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. They had been moved by light from heaven.
The woman in Simon’s house had proved His worth by what He had done, and she virtually said by her action that God’s choice was her choice. She would acknowledge no other king but Jesus; He was supreme in her heart. How full the Scriptures are of Christ! The position of every true-hearted Christian is that he has given himself to Christ as the only King. Alas! the Jews said they had no king but Caesar.
His full royal rights will be seen at His public appearing. “And the armies in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords”, Revelation 19: 14 - 16. Here we see Him coming out as supreme in a day to come. The truth of the anointing will then be demonstrated to the universe.
[p. 278] We come now to 1 Kings 19, where we have the anointing of a prophet. This has particular reference to a period, in which those in responsibility have failed. Elijah, wonderful servant as he was, is seen as having failed and God would emphasise at this juncture that He had abundance in reserve. God is in no sense reduced because of limitations on our side. He shows what resources He has at His disposal. He tells Elijah to anoint three persons (verse 15, 16). If Elijah was now about to give up his position God would carry on His service according to His original thought. Hence He instructs Elijah to anoint three. What I want to emphasise is that God pursues His testimony according to the original dignity and power of the anointing. We need to apprehend this in our day, for we live in a time of failure. In anointing these three God would show His servants His principle, that if one fails He will take up another. We have an example of this in Saul and David; Saul is set aside and David is taken up.
Elijah had had great opportunities of seeing God’s resources. In the house of the widow he and she and her son had been fed a full year, and the barrel of meal did not waste, neither did the cruse of oil fail. He had there daily proved God’s resources during a whole year of three hundred and sixty-five days. In partaking of food thus provided, every day there was a continuous evidence of God’s resources. Surely Elijah should never have concluded that all was hopeless. In Luke 4 Jesus refers to this incident, and God would remind us in it that the Holy Spirit is here. God would give us to prove the reality of the presence of the Spirit and He expects us to rely on the Spirit. If we do we shall not leave the land, like Elijah, and go to Horeb. What made his action more serious was that he left his servant at Beer-sheba. He went away from the place of testimony. Beersheba speaks of the faithfulness of God. He left his servant there and went a day’s journey into the wilderness. Beer-sheba belonged to Judah, the one who prevailed above his brethren. It should have belonged to Simeon (Joshua 19: 2), but it had passed into the possession of Judah. It was after Isaac had been offered up and received back again that the promises were confirmed to Abraham, and we read in the same chapter (Genesis 22) that he went and dwelt at Beer-sheba. That is to say, he lived in the light of the faithfulness of God. Elijah left his servant there, fleeing for his life. He did experience mercy in the wilderness, for God had His eye on His servant and fed him, but it is well to note there was no oil there. The oil is not available as one flees for one’s life. Oil is for the anointing of priest, king and prophet. We are to stand for God in the dignity of the anointing. To flee for one’s life is to despise the anointing; by acting thus we deny the truth as to the presence of the Spirit.
What comes to light at this juncture is that God carries on His thought, and Elijah is instructed to anoint three. God’s resources come to light in a day of breakdown and failure, for He is determined to carry on His own work in power. We see in Elijah’s movements that he, instead of endeavouring to prolong his own forfeited service, goes and finds Elisha first. He is not said to have anointed the other two; he casts his mantle on Elisha, thereby relinquishing his own position and recognising God’s choice. Elijah had failed in not finding the seven thousand in Israel, all those who had not bowed to Baal, but Elisha was to be found amongst his brethren. The sons of the prophets sought enlargement, and he went with them to Jordan; 2 Kings 6.
Elisha makes much of oil. He told the widow of the prophet (2 Kings 4) how to use it and prove God’s resources. She was to pay her debt and live, she and her children, of the rest. His ministry brings [p. 280] in the truth of the Spirit, and enlarges on it. Instead of being in bondage, as many of God’s dear people are, we are enabled by the Spirit to discharge all our moral obligations. We read thereafter of a “great woman” who built a dwelling-place for the prophet. The thought is that God’s people become great by recognising the oil, for it is thereby that room is made for Christ. Elisha represents the ministry of the Spirit. He had observed how Elijah did things and he saw him go up into heaven. Thus he had the testimony of the ascension. He received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit because he saw him go up, and his ministry stands in relation to the ascended one. He rent his own clothes in two pieces and took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him. He smote the waters of Jordan and said: “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” 2 Kings 2:14. Elisha had received his education by following Elijah. He was led by the older prophet and they went together to the different places where Israel had failed. He took his mantle, and although as yet too big for him, as we may say, he would in taking it up keep before him the way his master had carried out his service.
It is well for a young servant, in taking up the work, that he should recognise the way God has wrought by those who have gone before. Paul says to Timothy: “Thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me” 2 Timothy 3: 10,11. He also speaks to him of his cloke; 2 Timothy 4:13.
We should take account of those whom God has used in His service. Elisha did not assume to be a rival of Elijah. We read that he poured water on the hands of Elijah, indicating that he identified himself with him. The exhortation in Hebrews 13:7,8 is to “[p. 281] Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever”. Onesiphorus had sought the apostle out very diligently and found him. How Paul valued a man in such sympathy with him, but let us consider the other side, how many Paul had sought and found! What must it have been to him to be forsaken by so many of the saints! Still, there were those who thought of him, and he delights in mentioning them in writing to Timothy. Our sympathy with the Lord in His testimony is shown by the measure in which we sympathise with those whom He takes up in His service. Elisha was an apt learner, and did not occupy himself with the failure of his brother Elijah, but cherished what was spiritual. These two were like Paul and Timothy. Elisha says, “My father, my father”, 2 Kings 2:12. There are not many fathers, and we should esteem such very highly in love for their work’s sake. Paul speaks of Onesimus as his son begotten in his bonds.
Elisha is a fine model for young servants, he wished to be great before God, and valued that which was spiritual, his desire being for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. He did not ask for greatness in connection with this world.
I would recommend all to read 1 Kings 19, 2 Kings 2: 1 - 14 and 1 Chronicles 11, comparing these scriptures with 2 Timothy. The apostle urges on Timothy that “God has not given us a spirit of cowardice but of power, and of love, and of wise discretion”, 2 Timothy 1:7 also that the entrusted deposit was to be kept “by the Holy Spirit which dwells in us”. 2 Timothy 1:14. Thus we see that in a day of general failure the testimony is to be carried on in the power of the anointing, as at the beginning.