"The Anointing"?

                                          
Question:

I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "It's the anointing that destroys the yoke" and many sermons and teachings referring to the anointing of God; people also saying that there is an anointing on someones life.Today we will answer the question: What does the bible really say about "the anointing"?

Misunderstandings: 

One of the greatest misunderstandings that people have on this subject is that they have not studied to show themselves approved; rightly dividing the word of truth. The bible uses the word "anointing" many times in both the old and new testaments; but like most translated words, there are several Hebrew and Greek words with different meanings for every one English word that is used. There are also those that believe that you have to go through some form of suffering to obtain "the anointing". Lets see what the word has to say about this topic.

Truth:

Lets start in Exodus 25:6, where the word first appears. In these chapters we see the Lord giving all the commandments of the law to Moses for the children of Israel. In this particular verse God is telling Moses what the people shall give as an offering to Him; and spices for the anointing oil is one of them. The Hebrew word used in verse 6 is: mishchah (mesh-ka).This word simply means ointment or consecrated portion; it's used to describe the use of the olive oil. The olive oil (along with the mixture of spices prescribed in Exodus 30:23) was applied with ones hand or poured on a person or object to set it apart and make it holy or sanctified. This process is called "anointing". So, anointing relates to the applying of oil. Mishchah is the only word for anointing used throughout the entire old testament with the exception of one scripture: Isaiah 10:27.

This is the scripture that is often misquoted and misunderstood; maybe because its mistranslated in the King James Version. Isaiah 10:27 reads, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that this burden shall be taken away off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing". The Hebrew word used in this scripture is not mishchah; it's shemen (Sheh-men) and it means fat or fatness. So, the verse should really say: "and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the fatness". This is a metaphor taken from a bull that is so fat, it breaks the yoke from its neck and the yoke can no longer fit. This was the prophecy of Israel being freed from the captivity of the Syrians; who's destruction was prophesied earlier in chapter 10. So this verse basically says that because of the abundant blessing of God towards Israel, they will be freed from the bondage of Syria for good. This scripture is not talking about supernatural power freeing a person from spiritual bondage. Hosea 4:16 says, "For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place". This is literally talking about the nation of Israel being physically freed from captivity and Gods unmerrited favor returning to His disobedient children.

Shemen is translated in every other scripture as fat, fatness or oil. There are two other variations of the word shemen: shaman and shamen. The first means to become fat or grow fat (Deut 32:15);  the latter meaning fat, rich or robust (Hab 1:16). Not sure why the "KJV" translators chose to use the word anointing instead of fatness or olive oil; maybe it was for poetical value.

Another old testament scripture that's often misunderstood is 2 Kings 2:9, when Elijah asked Elisha what shall he do for him before he is taken (in a whirlwind to heaven by a chariot and horses of fire). Elisha asks that he let a double portion of his spirit be upon him. I've heard many preachers and others say that he asked for a double portion of his anointing; this is incorrect. The Hebrew translation of spirit is ruwach (ru-akh) and it means wind, breath or mind. Basically spirit means an invisible force. Think about it, you can hear and feel wind; it can even destroy whole countries by hurricane force winds. In this particular scripture spirit can be referring to gifts, mind, courage or patience; which can all be considered an invisible force. So Elisha could have received a double portion of Elijahs gifts, mind, courage or patience.

Then we have the word meshiyach (me-she-akh), which means: anointed or anointed one. This is also where we get the word messiah from. Jesus Christ, Christos (in Greek) or Jesus the messiah, Yeshua Ha Mashiyach (in Hebrew) all mean: Jesus the "anointed one". Remember we have established the fact that anointing means to consecrate or make holy. So Jesus is the Holy One, the Consecrated One, set apart for God purpose. We'll get back to that in the new testament. There are more scriptures like Zechariah 4:14, as well as others that use the word anointed and are different words in Hebrew but all mean the same thing: smeared with "oil". Lets wrap this up in the NT.

In the new testament we have one mention of "the anointing" in 1 John 2:27; it reads: "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". Wow, a very powerful scripture right? But what is this anointing that John is talking about? Back to that in a second. there are two other words for anointed/anointing" in the NT; the first is aleipho (a-la-fo), which means to anoint with oil. Aleipho is used in John 11:2, when Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive oil. James uses the word when instructing elders of the church to anoint the sick with oil. The last word for anointed is what we've been waiting for. In Acts 10:38, the word chrio (khreo) is used when talking about Christ: "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". Chrio (to anoint) means: "furnishing with nessessary power and/or the gifts of the Holy Spirit". Back to 1 John 2:27. "The anointing" translates to Chrisma (khresma), which means: unction, anything smeared on, or ointment which is symbolic of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Lets try replacing the word anointing with Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit abides in you and teaches you of all things and is the Spirit of thuth. According to these scriptures: God had anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power; God has anointed us through Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power. So lets piece this together.

Conclusion:

What does the bible really say about "the anointing"? In the OT the anointing refers to the putting on of oil to consecrate, make holy or set apart; basically a formula of spices and oil applied to a person or a thing that God identifies with. In 1 Samuel 16:13, when King David was anointed by Samuel, the spirit of the Lord was upon him from that day forward. Kings, captains, prophets ect. were anointed as a sign of being chosen. Jesus was spoken of prophetically in the OT as the Anointed One or the "Holy One of God". We could also refer to Him as the " Chosen One". In the NT, we see anointing in a like manner with the applying of oil. Only when reffering to Jesus or in 1 John 2:27, the reference to oil or ointment that is smeared or applied is symbolic of the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit. So in conclusion: "the anointing" is the Holy Spirit that we are marked with and sealed by; that makes us holy vessels and sets us apart for Gods use. No suffering required. We need only to believe on Christ, ask the Father to fill us with His Spirit and remain in right standing with the Lord. If you are filled with the Holy Spirit; you are Gods anointed and you have been chosen for a purpose in the kingdom of God. Join me next time for the Spiritual Myth Buster. May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you all.

   

Keeping the sabbath?

    

  Praise God and welcome to the Spiritual Myth Buster. There are many myths, fables, misconceptions and old wives tales about the Holy Bible. This is where we put them to rest. I'll use the wisdom and understanding of the Holy Spirit, knowledge of the scriptures and historic theology to defeat all falsehoods that are of a spiritual nature. I'll deal with each topic in four parts: the Question, Misunderstandings, the Truth, and the Conclusion. I'll be clear and straight to the point. Welcome again to the Spiritual Myth Buster.

                                      

Question:

Among the laundry list of highly debated topics in the old covenant versus new covenant conversation, this one probably ranks in the top 5. The question that we will answer today is: Do we have to keep the sabbath under the new covenant?

Misunderstandings:

Many people ask this question but aren't sure what "remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy" really consists of. Going to Sabbath (Saturday) worship service is not the same as keeping or observing the Sabbath according to the commandment of YHWH (the LORD) in the book of Exodus. Lets look at the facts...

Truth:

First, lets deal with what it means to "remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy". According to Strongs concordance the word sabbath in Hebrew is translated as "Shabbat" and it simply means the seventh day but it also refers to the day of atonement and a sabbath year. Lets make it clear that the word sabbath is not the same word for the numerical value of seventh or in the Hebrew tongue "shĕbiy`iy". God created the world in six days and He rested on the seventh according to Genesis 2:2. Exodus 20:11 says God blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8 clearly gives the commandment that was written on a stone tablet by the "finger of God": "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy". In Exodus 16:29, God initially commanded Moses and the Israelites to gather twice as much food on the sixth day because they were forbidden to work or to even "leave their place" on the sabbath day. In fact their servants were not allowed to work or leave their place as well. The sabbath was given by God to be a day of rest for His people. In Exodus 31 YHWH (the LORD) told Moses to tell the children of Israel that His Sabbaths were a sign between He and them throughout their generations. God goes on to say that they shall keep the sabbath because it is holy and anyone that defiles it by doing any work on that day would be put to death and his soul cut off from his people. In Numbers 15:32-36, while in the wilderness the children of Israel found a man gathering sticks on the sabbath and they took to him Moses and Aaron; the man was detained and eventually stoned to death at the command of God Himself. God was serious in teaching obedience and holiness to His people. So what I've gathered from these scriptures is that keeping the sabbath holy means obeying the laws of the sabbath e.i. no one in your household, servants or livestock working or traveling on that day. This was a day to be "refreshed". This day was a sign of a perpetual or long standing covenant with Israel.

Lets look a bit at the evolution of the sabbath as Gods people progressed into the time of kings and captivity. In 2 Chronicles 23 and also 2 Kings 11, the Levites and all of Judah followed the command of Jehoiada the priest; to stand guard with weapons in shifts on the sabbath to protect the child heir to the kingdoms throne. A covenant was made between the LORD and Judah concerning this situation. In Nehemiah 13:15-21, he speaks of the inhabitants of Jerusalem traveling through the gates with goods of all kinds, and dealing with merchants from other lands on the sabbath days. Nehemiah contended with the nobles and testified against them all for profaning the sabbath. He eventually started closing the gates at dusk before the sabbath began; he told the Levites to cleanse themselves and then set them at watch at the gates and said nothing else should come through them; they were shut until after each sabbath. In verse 21, Nehemiah physically threatens the merchants that waited outside the gates until they eventually stopped coming on the sabbath. The priests during these times also labored in the temple or house of God on the sabbath and they were counted blameless. It's very important that we understand that during this time all Gods people were under the Mosaic law. Lets now move on to the New Testament.

I mentioned the Levitical priests that labored in the temple of God on the sabbath and how they were counted blameless. Matthew 12:1-14 also gives us an example of Gods elect; Yeshua (Jesus), breaking the sabbath by necessity in the midst of righteous works. He and the disciples had been preaching, healing, performing miracles, traveling long hours and they became hungry. Jesus and the twelve stopped in the corn fields to eat on the sabbath and are approached by Pharisees seeking to accuse and kill Jesus. Jesus to His defense uses the story of a hungry King David and his men eating the temples showbread which was only lawful for the priest that served in the temple to eat. Jesus goes on to heal a man on the sabbath also to the disapproval of the religious leaders of the Jews and proclaims that He is greater than the sabbath and that He is the Lord of the sabbath. In Matthew 11:29 He says, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me" "and ye shall find rest". Jesus is further showing us that all things that were written in the law and the prophets were a foreshadow of Himself; the messiah that was to come. The sabbath was a foreshadow of the "rest" that we would eventually come to experience in the Spirit of Christ. So we see Jesus constantly breaking the sabbath by committing acts of righteousness in the will of God in Luke 14, and John 5. In Mark 2:27 He says "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath". In Mark 7:7-9 Jesus says "Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" "For laying aside the commandment of God ye hold the tradition of men" "Full well ye reject the commandments of God, that ye may keep your own tradition". To make it plain; they kept the sabbath by appearance but were so far away from being in Gods will and doing His works. Now, we're almost where we need to be to get to the bottom of this.

Somewhere along the way it became a custom for the Jews to go to the temples or synagogues on the sabbath to worship, pray and also to learn. There were no bibles in every home back then; only the priest had the scriptures and they taught in the synagogues on the sabbath. This is where we found Jesus going to teach as well as Paul and the other 1st century church apostles. In Acts 18:4 the author Luke says that Paul, "reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath and persuaded the Jews and Greeks". Paul and the other apostles "reasoned" or debated with the other Jewish teachers of the law to prove that this Jesus they preach of, was the messiah prophesied about in their holy scriptures. So going to the synagogues on the sabbath was not only a custom of the disciples that were of the Jews; it was a way to preach the gospel to their people and also convert them to believers in Christ Jesus. Ok, now where getting close.

So we've established what the sabbath is, what it means to keep it and what some of the traditions are that have been associated with it throughout the bible. We have also established that keeping the sabbath day was given under the law. So lets briefly discuss the law under the new covenant. John 1:17 says, " For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ". The law was given by Moses under the old covenant and grace was given by Christ in the new covenant. Lets go straight to the scriptures. Paul tells us in Romans 3:28 that, "we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law". He goes on to say in verse 31, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law". We establish the very principles of the law by obedience to the Holy Spirit and faith in Christ Jesus. Hebrews 10:16 says, "I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them". Galatians 5:18 says, "But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law". Galatians 3:24-25 says, the law was our "schoolmaster" or instructor to bring us to Christ; but after faith came, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. Saints, I could go on for days with these scriptures. In the new covenant, we are not held to keep the written letter of the law, but if we have faith in Christ and are led by the Spirit we will fulfill the law in all that we do. Once more, we are not held to the rituals of the law, but the principles of the law still apply under grace.

So we've now established the fact that we are not under the law.

 So what does the new testament specifically say about keeping the Sabbath? Lets start in Acts 15:19-20. In this passage of scripture we find the apostles discussing what doctrine to pass along to the non-Jewish people that have accepted Christ; we're talking about a people that know nothing about the law but know only the gospel of Jesus Christ that was preached to them. Peter first said in verse 10, "why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"; he's speaking of the law. The apostle James declares in verse 20, "write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood". Notice that they did not give instruction to observe holy days or follow after their fathers tradition; but he speaks of holding to the holy principles established by the law. In verse 21, James makes a statement that basically says Moses has been preached for generations in every synagogue on every Sabbath; we are preaching Christ, not Moses. In verses 23-24 they then wrote letters to several of the churches saying that they have heard that some of the brethren have troubled them by teaching that they need to be circumcised and keep the law; the apostles wrote, "to whom we gave no such commandment". In Colossians 2:16-17 Paul says, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days" "which are a shadow of things to come". He goes on in this chapter talking about not letting people mislead you into things they no nothing about. I think verses 16 and 17 say it all; but I have one last scripture to give you, Romans 14:5. It says, "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind". Paul basically tells us that whatever we do; let it make sense to us. He explains in verse 6 that whether you regard a certain day or not, whether you eat or abstain from eating; honor God and give thanks in whatever you decide to do. So lets answer the question.

Conclusion:

Do we have to keep the sabbath under the new covenant? The answer is No, we do not; but if we choose to do so, we are not in err. Observing the Sabbath as well as other holy days and feast can only bring saints closer to our Jewish roots and in turn bring us into a deeper understanding of our Father and our brothers and sisters from all over the world. I encourage everyone that reads this column to study the old covenant traditions and let God lead you into what's important for your spiritual growth, but don't feel judged or condemned if you choose not to go that route. The important thing is that we live a holy lifestyle that glorifies God everyday. When you choose to worship or have service is up to you. One of the principles of the Sabbath is that even God took a day to rest; what makes us think that we don't need one? Thank you for venturing into the holy scriptures with me. Join me next time for The Spiritual Myth Buster. God bless you.

Minister Gary Lee