1 The Anointing Set Apart 11/13/2011
1Jn 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all
things.
We must depend on God. Zechariah 4:6 – “It’s not by might, nor by
power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.” We must minister in the power of
God - under this "anointing" of the Holy Spirit. But let me ask you, what is
"the anointing". We talk about it all the time. We desire it. We pray for it.
But what is it exactly?
The most simple understanding of the anointing is to think of it as a
"setting apart". When God anoints something He sets it apart - it’s "holy"
- separated for His use.
When a new king was anointed in Israel the prophet would take a horn
full of oil and pour it over his head, and it would run right down his
clothes. They would do the same thing when there was a new High Priest.
The symbolism was that this person was "set apart" - to be God’s man;
God’s instrument.
When we say someone "preached under a real anointing", or "that was
an anointed song", or "an anointed moment" - it means it was set apart.
God had His hand on the preacher or the song or the place and was
moving.
In the Old Testament the Tabernacle, and all the furniture and utensils
used for worship in the Tabernacle, had to be anointed before they could
be used. They didn’t anoint with just any old oil - they had special oil for
this anointing, made from a recipe that God gave them ... We read about
it in:
READ: Exodus 30:22-30
You see God prescribed the ingredients that were to be used, and how it
was to be made. And in fact it was a capital offence in Israel to make this
oil and use it for any other purpose - punishable by death!
The recipe for this oil gives a picture of what we need in our lives to know
God’s anointing. So look with me for a few minutes at the special
ingredients mentioned here in Exodus 30.
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The first ingredient was …
1. Liquid Myrrh. Myrrh was used to prepare bodies for burial. To get its
beautiful sweetness you had to crush it.
Myrrh speaks of death. There is no anointing without death. If we want
to know God’s anointing we have to die to ourselves. Die to the old
person that we once were. Die to our own agenda - our own desires and
dreams, not born of God. If we’re going to depend on God we have to
die to our own abilities and resources. DEATH!
And if we don’t come to this place of dying to ourselves on our own, then
God may have to bring "crushing" circumstances into our lives to bring us
to the place where we will die to ourselves.
Don’t despise those crushings God allows into your life. Sometimes we’re
really quick to say it’s the devil’s work - it may just be the Lord dealing
with us because He wants to bring us to a place of anointing so we can be
used by Him.
There’s that beautiful picture in Matthew 26 of the woman who brought
an alabaster box of precious, expensive perfume and anointed the feet
and head of Jesus. And the fragrance filled the room. The kind of box you
wouldn’t want to break – the box itself seemed so precious. But unless
the outer box is broken, there can be no fragrance. The perfume is locked
up to itself, never to fulfill it’s purpose.
Unless there is a breaking in our lives, the fragrance of Christ in us will
never be released. Sometimes we hold our lives, and control of lives, as
so precious to us. We treasure it more than anything. But those things
need to be broken. We are not called to be Ming vases, but clay pots. 1
Corinthians says that we hold this treasure (the glory of Christ) is
earthenware vessels – clay pots. That all the glory may be His not ours.
We need to come to the place of brokenness.
The second ingredient was …
2. Sweet Cinnamon. Cinnamon was used for flavouring, and it gave off a
very pleasant smell. Its fragrance was beautiful in the Tabernacle because
it counteracted the stench of the animal sacrifices.
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Cinnamon speaks of sweetness. If you want God to take you up and
anoint you to use you, there has to be a sweetness about your life.
This is what the fruit of the Spirit is all about. Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The third ingredient was …
3. Sweet-smelling Cane (or calamus).
The Calamus plant grows in miry soil. To get this plant to smell you had to
beat it. The more you beat it the better it smells.
Again, God’s anointing is able to increase in your life the more you pass
through the school of hard knocks, and God is able to fashion your
character.
Anybody been through some hard knocks? Some are harder than others
aren’t they. But they are working in you character – as long as you
respond to them as God wants you to. He’s fashioning you for anointing.
God is more interested in anointed character than great abilities.
The fourth ingredient was …
4. Cassia. This spice grows only at elevations above 8000 feet. You’ve got
to get up on the mountain to get it.
If you desire God’s anointing - you’ve got to reach up to the heights. Get
on the mountain with God. There’s no shortcut to the anointing - we’ve
got to PRAY. Jesus lived in the anointing of the Spirit - and for that He
maintained a close walk with the Father in prayer at all times.
This is why is ps 149:6 it is written that the high praises of god be in our
mouths
Because high praises from us, gods people make him bigger and transport
us from this hum drum everyday life into the realm of gods super nature.
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4. All the ingredients were mixed with olive oil. And it was the mixture
that was called "holy".
Over and over again in the Bible, oil symbolizes the Holy ghost. In so
many ways, in so many types and pictures, oil represents the Holy Spirit.
Now look at the picture we have here. All these ingredients mingled
together with a hin of oil produced the anointing compound that was
called “holy”. Watch now … the Lord will combine all the good and
difficult things in your life with the oil of His Holy Spirit. A sweet anointing
will form in you, and He’ll be able to use you in incredible ways.
Exodus 30:31-33 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying,
This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other
like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.
Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon
a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
· 1 John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye
know all things.
· The word “unction” actually means, “ointment that is rubbed in.”
New Testament anointing was much different than Old Testament
anointing. In the Old Testament, the anointing was poured out; in the
New Testament, the anointing was rubbed in. Your effectiveness will
never be determined by what is poured out in a single moment. It will be
determined by how long you linger and soak in God’s glory.
· The anointing is always given for a specific purpose – not just to
make us feel good. There are three anointings available to us:
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THE LEPER’S ANOINTING (SELF)
o Leviticus 14:29 And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he
shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an
atonement for him before the LORD.
o The anointing was reserved only to anoint a priest or a king, except
for the cleansing of a leper!
o Atonement carries its own anointing! The new birth experience is an
anointing that every believer possesses!
· THE PRIEST’S ANOINTING (GOD)
o Exodus 40:13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and
anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s
office.
o The priestly anointing was the anointing of relationship, given so a
man could minister to the Lord.
o We must internalize our desire to serve the Lord, and not depend on
external stimuli to motivate us!
· THE KING’S ANOINTING (OTHERS)
o 1 Samuel 10:1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his
head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed
thee to be captain over his inheritance?
o Samuel is asking Saul, “What is your anointing really for? What are
you going to do with it?” He leaves Saul to answer the question for
himself!
o This anointing is for others!
· ANOINTING, LIKE MANY PRINCIPLES IN SCRIPTURE, IS A
PROGRESSIVE EXPERIENCE. ONE GOOD EXAMPLE IS THE LIFE OF DAVID,
WHO HAD THREE SEPARATE ANOINTINGS:
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1. David was anointed in the midst of his brethren, when only God
could see his potential.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his
countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him:
for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
· God opens the anointing to any man “after his own heart (will)” - 1
Samuel 13:14
2. David was anointed King over Judah, after years of unjust suffering
as a fugitive.
2 Samuel 2:4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David
king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men
of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.
· David learned (by Saul’s persecution) what NOT to do before he
learned what to do!
3. David was anointed King over all Israel, after years of consistently
growing strong in war.
2 Samuel 3:1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the
house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of
Saul waxed weaker and weaker.
2 Samuel 5:3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and
king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and
they anointed David king over Israel.
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· Many things in the Spirit come only through consistency, and NOT
GIVING UP!
· The only instance in Scripture when Jesus danced was when His
disciples began to use their authority to take their cities back for God!
Luke 10:17-21 17And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord,
even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18And he said
unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19Behold, I give
unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the
power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto
you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. 21In
that hour Jesus rejoiced (TO LEAP OR JUMP FOR JOY) in spirit, and said, I
thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these
things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes:
even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
