The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament – The Anointing Spirit – Lesson 4
We have already noticed in the Old Testament how the Spirit of God empowered leaders, in giving the law and in enabling people to preform the work of the Lord. Kings in Israel were suppose to embody all of these task and seek justice for their people. Like the Judges before them the king was to protect the weak, defend the poor and take care of the Widows and Orphans. We will now look at some text relating to the kings.
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“ When [the king] takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priest, who are Levities. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not to consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left.” (Deut. 17:18-20) |
And
again:
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“Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice...He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy...For he will deliver the needy who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.” (Ps.72:1, 4, 12-13). |
And again:
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“ It is not for kings, O Lemuel – not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their right...Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy”..(Prov.31: 4-5, 8-9) |
And again:
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“Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, you who sit on David's throne...Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.” (Jer. 22: 2-3)
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And again:
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“ When all Israel herd the verdict the king [Solomon] had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice. (1st Kings 3:28) |
And again:
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“ Praise be to the Lord your God who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord's eternal love for Israel, he has made you [Solomon] king to maintain justice and righteousness. (1st Kings 10:9) |
A. If we understand the above, then we see that the expectations for the king were high.
B. Since meeting those expectations were a task that required the king to have help.
C. So then, the king had the Spirit of God to help. This is what the “anointing” symbolized. Kings in Israel were anointed with oil, for this commission.
D. Anointing then was a sign of office. Not in the sense of status and privileged but is a sense of responsibility. To be anointed simply meant a person had been chosen by God for a particular task.
E. It also means that God will furnish his Spirit to help that person with His task.
F. See how Isaiah speaks of Cyrus ( a non-Jew). Cyrus the king of Persia.
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“ [He] says of Cyrus, “He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please: he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,' and of the Temple, “Let the foundations be laid.” This is what the Lord says to His anointed, to Cyrus whose right hand I take hold of.” (Is. 44:28-45:1) |
G. Notice, Cyrus was to do what the Lord wanted done and YHWH was to make sure Cyrus had the means (strength, power) to accomplish the task.
H. Of course, this entire concept of the 'anointing of the king' with the Spirit of God, culminates with Jesus Christ.
ANOINTING AND THE HISTORICAL KINGS!
Saul- was the 'first anointed king' of Israel. Yes, there was another king but not another anointed king. (Story in 1st Sam. 9-10)
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“ Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it out on Saul's head and kissed him, saying,' Has not the Lord anointed you leader over his inheritance?” “The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them: and you will be changed into a different person.” .....When they arrived at Gibeath, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying. (1st Sam. 10:1, 6, 1) |
A. The anointing was simple. A physical act.
B. But ---this physical act was then followed by a spiritual anointing.
C. For afterwards, the Spirit of YHWH takes hold.
II. David - Of course, Saul was a failure. But, even while grieving, Samuel was asked to 'anoint David.'
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" The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel1 Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king." (1st Sam.16:1 |
And Finally: Then the Lord said, Rise and anoint him; he is the one."
Once More:
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" So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David with power." (1st Sam. 16:12-13). |
III. David obeyed God and Saul did not.
A. Yes, David as we know was a man of great sin.
B. Yet, God calls him a man after His own heart (1st Sam. 13;14).
C. The term "heart" in Hebrew does not have the same meaning as we assign to it in modern English. David was a man after God's own thinking as related to the task at hand (caring for the nation of Israel/Judah.
D. Saul and David then were both anointed kings but as we know from their stories, the anointing does not mean success.
E. In Fact, the continuing failure of the 'anointed' kings of Israel/Judah will set the stage for the 'true' anointed king - the Messiah.
ANOINTING AND THE COMING SERVANT KING!
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" A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth, He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist." (Is. 11: 1-5) " Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands put their hope." "This is what the God the Lord says - he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:" " I , the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from the prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness (Is. 42:1-7) " The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken heated, to proclaim freedom to the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." ( Is. 61:1-3) |
A. Notice the things the above verses have in common?
a. All speak of the coming one - (i.e. son of David) sometimes as ruler and other times as servant.
b. All speak of the sole of the Spirit of YHWH in relation to the task to be carried out.
c. All speak of God achieving His own mission through the servant-king who is to come.
d. He then, the one to come will be the 'anointed one' par excellence. Like the historical kings, He will be anointed.
e. Like the Historical Kings, His anointing will symbolize the power and presence of God's Spirit.
f. So then, like the historical kings, the 'anointing' was the delegating of this servant-king to carry out God's mission!
THE MISSION OF GOD
I. God is a God with a purpose or mission.
A. He created the heavens, earth and universe - for what?
B. He created humans in His image - for what?
a. Humans like God are to exercise rule and care over creation
b. Kingship through servant hood is the very nature or pattern.
C. Man rebelled against God and His commands.
a. The earth and all on it are not plunged into sin, violence and evil.
b. The entire opening sections of the Bible tell us nothing except sin and sin's consequences.
D. But- God decides to rescue his creation and so he calls a man by the name of Abram (Abraham).
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" Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you." (Gen. 12:13). |
A. God Promises Three things to Abraham!
a. That he was to have descendants and become a great people.
b. That God would bless this people in a special relationship which is later called a covenant.
c. That God would give them a land to live in.
B. God in fact did fulfill those promises
a. The bottom line of the covenant with Abraham is that it widens the scope of the covenant far beyond the Israel.
b. "In you all nations of the earth will be blessed."
1) This vision is universal!
2) It is the answer to the problems of Genesis 3-11 and sin.
3) In Genesis 11, the nations are scattered by sin but now in Genesis 12, God tells us that earth and humanity will be blessed once again as to restore things as in creation (Justification by faith).
4) So, Abraham is actually a fresh start to a new world.
5) The apostle Paul said that the Gospel of Jesus Christ starts in the book of Genesis.
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" Consider Abraham: " He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Understand then that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: " All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Gal.3:6-9) |
C. The Mission of God then is to "Bless all nations of the earth!
a. But how? A different kind of people is needed. Not like those of Sodom and Gomorrah.
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" Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him. (Gen. 18:18-19) |
A. Now notice the Mission of God
a. At the beginning of Gen. 18:18 and at the end of 18:19, God reminds us of the mission (blessing all nations).
b. But in the middle, there is a choice "I have chosen."
c. Then, the reason is ethical - "to keep the way of the Lord."
d. God called Abraham then so that Abraham might teach his descendants how to live!
e. So now we are clear that the Mission of God not only includes God's people but also God's standards.
THE MISSION OF ISRAEL
A. Israel had an identity and mission from the very beginning!
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" You yourselves have seen what I did in Egypt and how I carried you on eagles wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully, and keep my covenant2 then out of the nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Ex.19:4-6) |
B. There are two sections in the passage that define the Mission of Israel.
a. One, they were to be a priestly people
1) The priest stood between man and God. It was the mission of Israel to serve that function between man and God with the rest of the world.
b. Two, they were to be a holy nation.
1) To be holy as I am holy (Lev. 19:2).
2) Read the context of Lev. 19 and we see that Holiness is a behavior. God makes that statement and immediately defines
holiness by telling Israel what they cannot do.
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"Observe [these laws] carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?" (Deut. 4: 6-8) |
C. Since it all started off so good, what went wrong?
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"Everything the Lord says, we will do, chorused the Israelites, twice over (Ex. 24:3, 7; Deut. 5:27). |
D. The Israelites finally did everything except what the Lord told them to do.
E. So, the history of Israel ran into God's judgment.
a. The Northern Kingdom was destroyed in 721 B.C.
b. The Southern Kingdom was carried into captivity starting in 587 B.C.
F. The great prophecies of Isaiah were written to a people in Exile and notice the hope in these words.
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" But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, "You are my servant" I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand. (Is. 41:8-10) |
G. It is in these prophecies that we learn that Israel still has a mission to fulfill. But how, Israel is in Exile? They were in rebellion and disqualified by their sin! But listen to this!
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" Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see! Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like a messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the Lord? You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing. It please the Lord for the sake of righteousness to make His law great and glorious. But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prison. They have become plunder with no one to rescue them; with no one to say, "Send them back." ( Is. 42: 18-22) |
THE MISSION OF GOD'S SERVANT
A. It is in the context of Israel as God's failed servant that God announces a new beginning. A person will embody the mission of Israel by taking that mission on himself. He will be announced as "My servant" and His mission is to restore Israel again to God. This was a task that only a unique servant might fulfill.
B. So now we are called to look much closer at the servant figure in Isaiah 42:1-7. There are Four dimensions of the SPIRIT FILLED MISSION of the servant that require attention.
a. JUSTICE - Is. 42: 1,3,4
Used three times in this passage. To do justice in OT speak is to put things right. It means putting an end to exploitation of the poor and those who are abused and suffering. But---most of all it is putting things right with God.
b. COMPASSION - Is. 42: 2-3
Isaiah 42 is in stark contrast to Cyrus the great. Cyrus would put and end to all of those who got in his way. (Is. 41). The Spirit will be equally as effective but without the violence. His method (the Spirit) will not solve the problem of the weak and the poor by eliminating them but by bring about justice.
c. ENLIGHTENMENT (Is. 42:7). The Servant will bring light and sight to those who are in darkness. This was hope for Israel. Sin is darkness but Jesus brings light.
d. LIBERATION (Is. 42:7). Isaiah is not speaking about the Babylonian exile but something much broader. Liberation to all humans from the punishment of sin. This will be the blessings on all nations.
e. So, in Isaiah 49:1-6, the Servant speaks to the nations in his own right. Listen, God has given him a mission with two clear parts.
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" Listen to me you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from by birth he has made mention of my name....He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor." But I said," I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand, and my reward is with my God." And now the Lord says - he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength - he says; "it is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." (Is. 49: 1,3-6). |
f. Notice the transition that takes place between Isaiah 49:5 and Isaiah 49:6. The Servant's mission is to restore Israel but
that is not all. The long rang plan is to bring salvation to the ends the earth. So the Servant had a mission to Israel and at the same time He was to take over Israel's mission.
C. The Cost of that Mission!
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a. "He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted...but he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep have gone astray; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all....After the suffering of his soul he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. (Is. 52:13; 53:5-6, 11) |
b. And finally, in Isaiah 61:1-2,
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"Here I am" he says. This is what I came to do." This is what the Spirit of the Lord anointed me to do." "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor, He sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn." (Is. 61: 1-2) |
c. Once more we have the Spirit of God involved and the multitasking of the mission.
In conclusion before we move centuries ahead; we know that Israel had a mission on earth and we also know that they failed in their mission. Thar mission was then taken over by the suffering Servant. He was the "anointed one."
THE ANOINTING AND MISSION OF JESUS THE CHRIST
A. It is now that we must move forward many years to the book
of Luke and another anointing.
B. In Luke chapter four, we find Jesus entering a synagogue and reading from Isaiah 61: 1-2.
C. Jesus then makes the statement, The Spirit of the Lord is on me; the Lord has anointed me! (Luke 4: 18-19).
D. Since Jesus was anointed by the Spirit of God, what are the components to His ministry. Notice, we have already covered them.
a. Justice - Jesus announced in that synagogue that He was there t bring justice to the world. Look at Mt. 5:6; 6:33. Jesus makes this very claim. Justice means, putting things right with God.
b. Compassion - Jesus was a friend to the sinners. He called the Gentiles. Notice, the sick and those who from birth were harmed.
c. Enlightenment - Teaching, teaching, and more teaching. It ought to be obvious as to how Jesus brought about enlightenment.
d. Liberation. - Liberation is the sense that if we so chose, we now can be "free" from sin. That is the greatest liberty of all.
AND when we come back to this, we will pick up on the Anointing and the Church for the final Lesson, Lane
by Lane
Saul fell from Grace