A NOINTING WAS A COMMON PRACTICE in biblical times. It was an act of applying oil to a person or thing. There were three kinds of anointing in the Bible:
■ Ordinary anointing with scented oils was hygienic. In the Old Testament, Ruth washed and anointed herself and put on her best dress to go visit Boaz. (Ruth 3:3) Guests were anointed with oil as a mark of respect. Jesus criticized his host for not anointing his head with oil while the sinful woman anointed his feet. (Luke 7:46) The dead were prepared for burial by anointing. The women came to the tomb on Easter morning to anoint the body of Jesus. (Mark 16:1)
We might oil a baseball glove. We put oil in our cars. We put oil on our salads.
■ Medical anointing was customary for the sick and wounded. The disciples, sent out in pairs of two, cast out demons, and anointed many sick people with oil. Some people anoint the sick with oil.
■ Sacred anointing. Pouring oil over an object or someone’s head to dedicate that thing or that person to God. Jacob anointed the stone he had used as a pillow at Bethel. (Genesis 28:18) The wilderness tabernacle, the sacred, holy tent with the Ark of the Covenant, and the furniture therein were anointed. (Exodus 30:22–29)
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MOSES POURED SOME of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him chief priest” (Leviticus.8:12). Anointing was not just placing a dab of oil on the forehead. A psalm describes it this way:
“… precious oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard,
Coming down upon the edge of his robes.”
(New American Standard Bible, Psalm 133:2)
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THE LORD COMMANDED the prophet Samuel to take oil and anoint David to be king in the place of Saul. “And from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power” (1 Samuel 16:13). That’s the category in our reading today.
Sacred anointing is to set someone apart by God for their calling.
“Anointing in the Hebrew-Christian tradition means the blessing of the Lord, the healing of the Lord, the appointment of the Lord, and the joy of the Lord. To be anointed by Him is to have Him place His loving hand upon us and fill us with His Spirit.”
— Lloyd Ogilvie, former chaplain of the U.S. Senate (1995–2003)
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GOD PROMISED the ancient Israelites that a Messiah would come to deliver them from sin. Messiah means anointed one. The idea of the Messiah carries over into the New Testament with the Greek word Christ. So, when the New Testament speaks of Jesus Christ, it is saying “Jesus the Messiah,” which literally means, “Jesus the Anointed One.”
Jesus is the anointed one sent from God. Anointed in his birth. Anointed at his baptism. Anointed during the Transfiguration. During the Palm Sunday parade, the people proclaim Jesus as the anointed king come to deliver them.
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OUR HEADS are also anointed. When we are baptized in Christ, followers of Christ, part of the body of Christ we are anointed, chosen, called. God anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts. (2 Corinthians1:21,22). We are consecrated to God’s service; anointed by the Holy Spirit.
If we understand what this means it will result in cups overflowing — an overflowing of grace, love, value and purpose in our lives. God has given us what we need in order to fulfill our calling. He anoints us and equips us by his Spirit to represent the King of Kings to the world by our witness.
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OUR ANOINTING AS CHRISTIANS does not mean that we will always be able to live up to our calling.
■ Aaron failed but he still served the Lord to the end of his life and passed on his priesthood to his sons
to succeed him.
■ Moses failed but he persevered in his leadership.
■ David failed — but he still affirmed his calling in this Psalm and fulfilled his vocation.
Even when the going is tough in our lives and we feel that we have failed, we can still rely upon the anointing of the Holy Spirit and his overflowing through us. God can use us despite our failures.
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WHATEVER HAPPENS TO US in life, we have the inward anointing of the Holy Spirit. Our cup overflows with the grace and love of God, who gives us value and purpose.
— Keith Cardwell
