“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.” 1 Samuel 16:13
There is no other explanation for the extraordinary life of David, than the Spirit of the Lord coming upon him at the time of anointing him with oil. From a human standpoint, God had given to David great capacities and gifts. But that which was of the greatest concern was David’s heart, his attitude towards God, family, and his nation. But even these natural, normal capacities, were not enough for David to become not only the “sweet psalmist of Israel,” but the nation’s greatest king. Very few people have left such an imprint on history as did David. His writings, in particular the Psalms, are not only timeless, but profound treasures wherein are hidden great truths concerning God, His character, and his ways. They reveal how one can truly know Him, worship, and serve Him. They reveal something of the communion that man can have with God, the nearness, sufficiency, and greatness of God.
When David was anointed by Samuel to become the king of Israel, he most certainly had very little idea of what that meant. After his great victory over Goliath, it seems that a good part of his formative years to become king before the people, were spent in fleeing Saul, and staying alive. In such a context, with enormous and varied trials, he writes something of his soul’s thirsts, sorrow, and yet, victory. Eventually, he is crowned the king of both Israel and Judah. That which has equipped and trained him for this moment, is the Spirit of God upon him, working in and through him. Being in the will of God, according to the calling of God, with the promised Spirit’s enabling, David establishes his kingdom, renews and inspires the true worship of God among the people, and provides for the building of the temple in Jerusalem, which his son, Solomon will be commissioned to accomplish. From the moment when David took his sling and smooth stone, hurling it towards the forehead of Goliath, till the day he committed, and conferred the kingdom to his son, Solomon, it was the Spirit of God that made him what he was described to be as a young man: “…skilful in playing (a musical instrument), a mighty valiant man, a man of war, and prudent in matters, and an agreeable person, and the Lord was with him.” (1 Sam. 16:18) He was this and far more. Above all, he was a lover of God, a servant of God. The key to his life, works, and ministry, and primarily, his worship and service to Christ, was the anointing of the Spirit, the Lord being with him.
In the case of King Cyrus, mentioned in Isaiah, chapter 45, we read: “Thus saith the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden…” Here too was a man who was chosen by God to be His shepherd, and to perform all His pleasure, especially with regard to the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The anointing of Cyrus resulted in the subjugation of nations, the conquering of kingdoms, and the establishment of his own. The purpose was simple: That the nations of the earth, “…may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.” (Is. 45:6) The promise of God concerning this anointed one was: “‘…I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; he shall build My city…” (v.13)
The greatest anointing of all was that of Christ. Luke writes of the Lord’s declaration of this: “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…”(Luke 4:18) The impossible became possible by the anointing of the Spirit.
Dear Father, Grant that Thine anointing upon each of us will have its full effect for Thy glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.