Anointing of the Holy Spirit

2024-07-01

More thoughts while reading Ridout.

Here is the anointing of the priest, king, and prophet:

Priest: “Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him” (Exodus 29:7).

King: “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” (1 Samuel 16:13).

Prophet: “Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room” (1 Kings 19:16).

All these uses of “anoint” are the from the same root as “Messiah.” In these cases, Aaron, David, and Elisha, were all set apart for a specific duty and office. Our Lord fulfilled all three of these offices of Priest, Prophet, and King; He was set apart for these.

Jesus was anointed thus: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:38). Those others were anointed with oil, a foreshadowing of the Holy Spirit; the Lord was anointed with the Spirit. His anointing caused His adversaries to rise up against Him. “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together” (Acts 4:27).

Because of His righteousness was He anointed: “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Hebrews 1:9). Compare this with David, who was anointed “in the midst of his brethren.”

Jesus was anointed to preach the Gospel: “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, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19).

We believers were also anointed: “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God” (2 Corinthians 1:21).

Our anointing gives us understanding in spiritual matters: “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” (1 John 2:20). And again, “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him” (1 John 2:27). Our anointing is also by the Holy Spirit.

Our anointing would have us derive some of the same things of the Lord’s anointing, including preaching the Gospel, serving the downtrodden, and resistance from adversaries.