WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
SEPTEMBER 08, 2024
TOPIC: HOW TO RELATE TO THE LORD’S ANOINTED (1)
BY T. O. BANSO
“Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, ‘Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!’ So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths” (2 Kings 2:23-24 New King James Version).
To anoint means consecrating or setting apart a person or thing for holy use or service. An anointed person is set aside for a sacred purpose. In the Old Testament, priests and kings were anointed (Exodus 29:29; Leviticus 4:3, 5, 16; 6:20; 1 Samuel 10:1, 1 Kings 19:16a; 1 Chronicles 16:22). Things are also anointed for God’s use (Exodus 29:2; 30:26; Leviticus 2:4; 7:12; 8:10-11). People and things were anointed with oil in the Old Testament.
God commanded the Prophet Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor (1 Kings 19:16b). But the Bible does not say anywhere that he anointed him with oil. Rather, he cast his mantle on Elisha who understood the meaning (1 Kings 19:19-21). Nevertheless, prophets, referring to the patriarchs, are called the anointed in Psalm 105:15. God refers to Abraham as a prophet in Genesis 20:7.
David referred to King Saul as the Lord’s anointed (1 Samuel 24:6, 10; 26:9, 11, 16, 23; 2 Samuel 1:14, 16). Also, Abishai son of Zeruiah referred to King David as the Lord’s anointed (2 Samuel 19:21). King Solomon, in his prayer to God, called himself “your anointed one” (2 Chronicles 6:42). Some Bible translations present this as referring to David. The Prophet Isaiah also referred to Cyrus, King of Persia, as “His anointed” (Isaiah 45:1). “His anointed” means the Lord’s anointed.
Also, Isaiah, in his prophecy about the ministry of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, said, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified” (Isaiah 61:1-3 New King James Version). Christ means the “anointed one.”
In the New Testament, including the present dispensation, all believers in Christ are anointed by the Holy Spirit. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (New King James Version).
But I’m restricting my usage of the Lord’s anointed in this message to the servants of God, ministers of the gospel who are serving God in the five-fold offices. Ephesians 4:11-13 says, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [a]edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (New King James Version).
Two ways to relate to the Lord’s anointed
There are two ways you can relate to the Lord’s anointed. You can relate in a way that the anointing upon their lives will bless you or will work against you.
In 2 Kings 2, forty-two young men died prematurely because they mocked a servant of God. “Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, ‘Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!’ So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths” (2 Kings 2:23-24 New King James Version).
Bethel, where this incident happened, means the “House of God” but these youths didn’t know how to conduct themselves properly, especially towards a servant of God. We don’t know the number of the youths who engaged in this reckless behaviour, but after the Prophet Elisha cursed them, two female bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of them to pieces. The rest were fortunate.
These youths showed a lack of home training. Leviticus 19:32 says, “Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord” (New Living Translation). They were either not taught respect for elders and regard for the Lord’s anointed or they were rebellious. Unfortunately, they got an unexpected result for their foolish behaviour.
Your attitude toward the Lord’s anointed determines whether you’ll be blessed or cursed. These youths received a curse. Parents need to cultivate the right behaviour towards the Lord’s anointed and teach their children also. No youth should misbehave towards a servant of God. Children must be taught the right manners in the house of God and how to relate well to servants of God and not behave like these youths who were mocking Elisha. Adults, too, must not become so wise in their eyes that they disrespect the Lord’s anointed.
How to relate to the Lord’s anointed
1. Honour the Lord’s anointed. Jesus said, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family” (Matthew 13:5b New Living Translation). Mark 6:4 and John 4:44 say a similar thing. Don’t disrespect the Lord’s anointed even if he is your family member. Don’t relate to him as an ordinary person.
Honour the Lord’s anointed. Show respect to any anointed person you interact with. In the parable of the wicked vinedressers Jesus, talking about His impending crucifixion, said, “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him’” (Luke 20:13 New King James Version). Matthew 21:37 and Mark 12:6 say a similar thing.
The Landowner (God) expected the vinedressers to respect or honour His beloved Son (Jesus). Unfortunately, they didn’t; they killed him. The Lord’s anointed deserve honour but the wicked will seek to kill them.
The Bible says that Samuel was held in honour. “And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is a man that is held in honor; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we go” (1 Samuel 9:6 American Standard Version).
In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul told them, “And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 New King James Version). Note the phrase “esteem them very highly.” The New Living Translation renders the verse thus: “Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 New Living Translation). Note the expression “honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work.”
Also, in his letter to the Philippians, Paul said of Epaphroditus, the brother they sent to him, “Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away” (Philippians 2:29-30 New Living Translation). Note the phrase “give him the honor that people like him deserve.”
If you don’t honour the Lord’s anointed, the anointing he carries may not be able to bless you. Honouring the Lord’s anointed includes the way you communicate with them. Greet them and talk to them respectfully. 1 Samuel 25:23 says, “And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and alighted from her ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground” (American Standard Version). David had not become king then but Samuel had already anointed him as king. When Abigail began to talk with David, she spoke in a way that the anger of David disappeared, and he aborted his revenge mission.
Honour the Lord’s anointed but don’t worship them or any human being. When Peter came to the house of Cornelius in Acts 10, Cornelius fell to the floor before him in worship. “But Peter pulled him up and said, ‘Stand up! I’m a human being just like you!’” (Acts 10:26 New Living Translation). Peter didn’t accept Cornelius’ worship. Worship only God. Cornelius got up, and they talked together and went inside where the others had assembled for Peter’s ministration.
Peter didn’t feel superior to Cornelius who was even a Gentile and was not yet saved. “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7 New King James Version).
The Bible records another instance in Acts 14. After Paul had healed a man crippled from his mother’s womb in Lystra, the people declared, “These men are gods in human form!” (verse 11 New Living Translation). The people were amazed, believing that only the gods could have done that. Therefore, they named Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus brought oxen and garlands to the gates to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas – the gods! Paul and Barnabas tore their clothing in dismay and ran out to stop them telling them they were men like them preaching to them the word of God. They didn’t say they were gods.
Honour the Lord’s anointed but don’t worship them. Don’t let them die prematurely like Herod who allowed himself to be flattered! “So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’ Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died” (Acts 12:21-23 New King James Version).
I will stop here today and share with you tomorrow more ways to relate to the Lord’s anointed. Ensure you relate to the Lord’s anointed properly and enjoy the blessings of doing so.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. Take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me to relate properly to the Lord’s anointed. Let me not relate to them as ordinary people but as servants of God.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
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Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
