Learning to Wait On God’s Will

June 5, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” ²So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ³And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. ⁴And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.

When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,” ⁵David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. ⁶Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. ⁷Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.” – 2 Samuel 2:1-7 ESV

David had waited a long time for this day. He had spent countless months waiting and endured sleepless nights wondering what God’s plan was for his life. The memory of his anointing by the prophet Samuel was distant but always on his mind. What had it meant? Why had God selected him and then allowed him to endure the pain of loss, the ignominy of exile, and a fugitive lifestyle for all those years? David had been hunted like an animal, betrayed by his own people, on two different occasions narrowly escaped death by his own father-in-law, and forced to seek refuge in caves and among the enemies of Israel. But God had not forsaken him or not abandoned His plans for him. While David may not have always understood what God was doing to him, he trusted that God had good things in store for him. His confidence in God can be seen in the psalms he wrote concerning God, many of which were written during the darkest days of his life.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid? – Psalm 27:1 ESV

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
    Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation! – Psalm 27:7-9 ESV

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices! – Psalm 37:5-7 ESV

David had committed his way to the lord. He had trusted in his God; not perfectly and not always peacefully. He had had his moments of doubt and made his fair share of decisions based on fear instead of faith but despite it all, he continued to place his fate in the hands of God. Now God was revealing to David the plans He had made for him so long ago. Long after his initial anointing by Samuel, David was anointed the next king of Judah.

David had arrived in Hebron, a city within the territory of Judah because he had sought God’s counsel. After having received the sad news of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, David didn’t jump to conclusions or rush into action. He didn’t assume that, with Saul’s death, he was now de facto king of Israel. Rather than rushing back into the land of Judah to claim his rightful place as king, David waited and turned to God for guidance. He asked, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?,” and when God said, “Go,” David responded, “To which shall I go up?”

David wanted specifics. He demanded details because he had learned that God’s will was not something you played around with. It was dangerous to attempt to do God’s will your own way and it usually didn’t end well. So, David didn’t take any chances. When he arrived in Hebron, a city in the southern portion of Israel near the border with the Philistines, he received a warm welcome from the people of Judah.

There wasn’t a lot of fanfare associated with David’s anointing as king by the people of Judah. There doesn’t appear to have been much pomp and circumstance. It simply says, “And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah” (2 Samuel 2:4 ESV). Much like his initial anointing by Samuel, there is a certain sense of anonymity associated with this event. At this point, only the most southern tribe of Judah, his own tribe, recognized him as king. The rest of the country knew nothing about it. This is reminiscent of what happened after David was anointed by Samuel; he simply returned to the pasture and his job as a shepherd. No one knew anything about it. Now, after being anointed as king by the people of Judah, nothing much seemed to change. He had the backing of one tribe and the other eleven tribes remained unaware that David was even alive.

It’s interesting to note that, as his first official duty as king, David sought to recognize the efforts of the men of Jabesh-gilead for the retrieval and burial of the bodies of Saul and his sons. In a further show of his deep love and respect for Saul, David blessed the men of Jabesh-gilead for their efforts and assured them of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. The citizens of Jabesh-gilead had a special affection for Saul. Not long after his anointing as king of Israel, he had rescued them from the Ammonites who had captured their city. Forty years later, when Saul‘s decapitated body hung on the wall of Beth-shan, the men of Jabesh-gilead undertook a very dangerous journey to retrieve it. David was grateful for what they had done and wanted them to know it. He also wanted to inform them that he had been anointed king of Judah. Jabesh-gilead was on the other side of the Jordan and in the territory belonging to the tribe of Gad. In contacting them and blessing them for what they had done, David was employing diplomacy to unify the nation after their defeat by the Philistines and the fall of their king.

David knew the days ahead would be difficult and long. He would not going to be able to waltz into the land and expect everyone to greet him as their king. Their acceptance of his kingship would need to come in stages. In fact, as the next verses of this chapter will reveal, David’s God-ordained kingship over all of Israel would face an immediate challenge. His work was cut out for him because long-held hostilities between the northern and southern tribes of Israel were going to erupt and men with ulterior motives and alternative plans would make David’s ascension to the throne of Israel difficult and drawn out. Yet, David seemed assured that God’s will would be done, so he was content to do God’s will God’s way, no matter how long it took.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

You Call This a Plan?

April 25, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁴Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. ¹⁵And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” ¹⁷So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.” ¹⁸One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.” ¹⁹Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” ²⁰And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. ²¹And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. ²²And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” ²³And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him. – 1 Samuel 16:14-23 ESV

David, the youngest son of Jesse, was eventually brought before the prophet, Samuel. While the passage describes David as being ruddy in color, with beautiful eyes and a handsome exterior, those outer characteristics had nothing to do with his selection by Samuel. Regarding Eliab’s king-like exterior, God told Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 ESV).

But while David’s outer appearance had nothing to do with his selection by God, it’s interesting to note that he is described as “ruddy.” The Hebrew word is ‘admoniy and it can refer to someone who is red-headed or who has a reddish complexion. It is the same word used to describe Esau at his birth (Genesis 25:25).

David was a young, handsome, redheaded Hebrew boy who also served as a shepherd over his family’s flocks. When he walked into the presence of Samuel, Jesse, and his seven brothers that day, he would have stood out like a sore thumb. There was Eliab, who by Samuel’s own admission, had the look of a king, but David would have impressed no one with his adolescent physique and ruddy complexion.

Each of his brothers had heard the prophet say of them, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one” (1 Samuel 16:8 ESV). Now they were forced to stand and watch as Samuel took the oil and poured it over David’s head. There is no indication that anyone but Samuel knew the significance of his actions. Samuel had not told Jesse why he had come to Bethlehem or indicated the reason for wanting to meet each of his sons. Even when David arrived, Samuel was the only one to whom God said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he” (1 Samuel 16:12 ESV).

What is missing in this scene are any signs of celebration or trepidation. Had they realized that David had just been anointed the next king of Israel, you would have thought that Jesse and his sons would have reacted with either joy or fear. Joy, because it was not every day that one of your own family members was anointed to be the king of Israel. Fear, because they would have realized that King Saul was probably not going to take the news all that well.

Had they recognized the significance of what had just happened, it seems they would have displayed a more pronounced reaction. But all that we’re told is that the Spirit of God rushed upon David. Even this somewhat dramatic-sounding event is treated rather flippantly with no details provided to explain what this experience was like for David. Did his father and brothers even notice what had happened? Did David display any visible signs of this divine anointing?

The text simply states that after the anointing ceremony, Samuel abruptly left and, according to verse 19, David simply returned to tending sheep. No party was thrown and David received no celebratory pats on the back. But while it may appear that everything remained the same, one thing was radically different.

God had placed His Spirit upon this young shepherd boy, radically altering the trajectory of his life. But this experience was not unique to David; God had done the same thing with Saul. After his anointing by Samuel, Saul was given specific instructions to follow.

“…this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be prince over his heritage.” – 1 Samuel 10:1 ESV

The prophet sent Saul on what can best be described as a scavenger hunt, where he would encounter a variety of people along the way and receive various clues that would eventually lead him to the city of Gibeath-elohim.

“And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.” – 1 Samuel 10:5-6 ESV

Saul had received the Spirit of God as well but with David’s anointing as his replacement, Saul had the Spirit of God removed from him.

Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. – 1 Samuel 16:14 ESV

Saul retained the crown, the symbol of his reign, but He lost the power and authority to rule as God’s chosen servant. With the removal of the Spirit of God, he “turned into another man” again, but this time, not for the better. Without the presence and power of God’s Spirit, Saul was left to his own fleshly, sinful self, and exposed to the influence of Satan. We’re not told the nature or source of the “harmful spirit” that tormented Saul, but it is clear that God, in His sovereign plan, allowed this spirit to come upon Saul.

“Saul’s evil bent was by the permission and plan of God. We must realize that in the last analysis, all penal consequences come from God, as the Author of the moral law and the one who always does what is right.” – Gleason L. Archer Jr., Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, p. 180.

It was the presence of this evil spirit that set up David’s transition from the pasture to the palace. In time, he would go from shepherding sheep to serving as the king’s personal servant. David, the young shepherd boy would find him serving in the palace of the very man he was destined to replace. Tormented by an evil spirit, Saul would experience fits of uncontrolled rage. These periodic episodes frightened Saul’s servants and caused them to seek a remedy. Providentially, their search led them to David, the young shepherd boy who also happened to be proficient with the lyre. David began his employment as a court musician but eventually was promoted to be the king’s armor-bearer.

The text states that King Saul loved David. What an ironic scene. Here was David, the newly anointed king of Israel, serving as the personal valet to the man whose job he was supposed to fill. At this point, Saul had no clue as to what happened in Bethlehem. He was unaware of David’s anointing by Samuel, and David seemed to be ignorant of the fact that he might be in any kind of danger. This might suggest that David had no clue that Samuel’s anointing had been to make him the next king of Israel. At no point in the anointing ceremony did Samuel explain his actions to Jesse or David.

But David’s awareness of what God was doing would grow over time. He would gradually put the pieces together and recognize that he had been chosen by God to be the next king. But in the meantime, he appears to be an unknowing passenger on a life-transformative journey that will all the thrills and chills of a roller-coaster ride. Little did David know that his life would never be the same again.

During his short tenure on Saul’s staff, David and the king develop a love-hate relationship. There would be moments of genuine affection coupled with inexplicable periods of unbridled and life-threatening anger. Saul’s temperament would be all over the map. As David’s popularity and fame increased, Saul’s psychological condition grew progressively worse. Yet all of this was part of God’s plan for David’s life.

God could have simply removed Saul and replaced him with David. He could have made this an immediate and hassle-free transition plan but, instead, He chose to forestall David’s coronation. This inexperienced young man was going to discover that his road to the throne would be a rocky one. His anointing by God, whether he understood the full import of it or not, did not guarantee him an easy or trouble-free life. Had the prophet sat down with David and given him a full description of what the next years of his life would entail, he might have decided to return to the sheep for good.

God’s calling of a man never comes with the guarantee of the “good life.” Abraham’s calling by God was accompanied by years of disappointment, countless setbacks, and the constant requirement to live by faith, not sight. Moses was called by God but faced constant danger, rejection, doubt, and questions about his leadership ability. Jesus called the 12 disciples but He also told them, “Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles” (Matthew 10:17-18 ESV). Jesus went on to tell them, “…you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22 ESV).

David was in for a wild ride. He had the anointing of God, but now he was to receive the equipping of God. He had the Spirit of God, but the Spirit was out to have all of him. He was a man after God’s own heart, but God was out to give David a heart like His own.

An Inauspicious Beginning

April 12, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁷Now Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah. ¹⁸And he said to the people of Israel, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ ¹⁹But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.”

²⁰Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. ²¹He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot; and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. ²²So they inquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” ²³Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. ²⁴And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

²⁵Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. ²⁶Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. ²⁷But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace. – 1 Samuel 10:17-27 ESV

While Saul remained secluded with his family, Samuel sent out an order commanding the entire nation of Israel to gather at Mizpah, where he had inaugurated his ministry as the judge of Israel (1 Samuel 7:3-6). The Israelites had just lost a demoralizing series of battles against the Philistines and had seen their beloved ark captured by the enemy. God has graciously and miraculously returned the ark to Israel, and Samuel used that occasion to call the people to repentance, demanding they give up their love affair with foreign gods and return to Yahweh.

“If you want to return to the Lord with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone.” – 1 Samuel 7:3 NLT

Now, years later, the elderly Samuel called for another holy convocation at Mizpah so that he might address the people. God had a major announcement to make and Samuel would serve as His mediator and mouthpiece. This gathering likely consisted of adult males and not women and children. It could have been restricted to the key leaders of the tribes and clans of Israel. But whoever stood before Samuel that day at Mizpah heard a stern opening address.

“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has declared: I brought you from Egypt and rescued you from the Egyptians and from all of the nations that were oppressing you. But though I have rescued you from your misery and distress, you have rejected your God today and have said, ‘No, we want a king instead!’ Now, therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by tribes and clans.” – 1 Samuel 10:18-19 NLT

God spoke and He was not happy. Their demand for Samuel to give them a king had been a not-so-subtle rejection of God’s leadership, and He was not pleased. Whether they realized it or not, they had shown disdain and disregard for the One who had delivered them from their captivity in Egypt and delivered them to the land of Canaan. He had provided them with a fruitful land as their inheritance and had orchestrated their victories over the land’s inhabitants. God had led, fed, and fought for them. For generations, He had graciously provided for all their needs. But they had repeatedly responded with unfaithfulness and forgetfulness.

The Israelites had grown tired of their roller-coaster existence in Canaan, where their daily existence was marked by the constant threat of enemies and a steady stream of judges whose job it was to rescue them out of their most recent predicament. From the people’s perspective, the system was flawed and in need of correction. God’s way was not working. So, they demanded a king and now God was about to fulfill their wish.

This entire scene is meant to convey God’s sovereignty and providence. While Samuel served as God’s proxy and spokesman, he was not the one calling the shots. God made His presence known and wanted the people to understand that He did not take their request lightly. The selection process would be divinely orchestrated and controlled by God. At this point, only a few individuals knew of Saul’s anointing. That inner circle was limited to Samuel, Saul, his servant, and his uncle. No one else in Israel had any idea that God had already handpicked their future king.

So, to demonstrate His sovereignty over the selection process, God ordered the use of lots to reveal His preselected choice. Little is known about the practice of casting lots, but it was used throughout the history of Israel. In a sense, casting lots was like rolling dice, but God repeatedly used this strange process to reveal His will in a matter. In fact, lots had been used to determine the tribal land allotments in Canaan.

In this case, God would use lots to reveal and confirm His selection of Saul. When the process was complete, there would be no doubt that Saul had been chosen by God and not Samuel. If the people proved unhappy with their new king, they would have to take their complaint to God.

We’re not told how the lots were utilized but as the selection process unfolded, the field was slowly narrowed down. First, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen from among the 12 tribes of Israel. Then, from among all the clans of Benjamin, the family of the Matrites was selected.

…finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. – 1 Samuel 10:21 NLT

But when Saul’s name was revealed, he was nowhere to be found. This led the people to wonder whether the lots had been wrong. So, they asked for a recast.

“Is there a man still to come?” – 1 Samuel 10:22 ESV

They seemed to be treating God’s use of lots as if it was some kind of raffle that required the ticket holder to be present to win. In their minds, if Saul was a no-show, it was time to pick another ticket. But God revealed that the “winner” wasn’t missing, he was simply hiding.

“Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” – 1 Samuel 10:22 ESV

No explanation is given for Saul’s absence or his decision to play hide-and-seek. Was this an act of humility or fear? Was Saul merely exhibiting the characteristics of an introvert or revealing his reluctance to take on this sobering responsibility? It is impossible to know what motivated Saul’s actions, but while he could hide, he couldn’t escape God’s call on his life. The story of Jonah reveals another occasion when God’s chosen servant decided to hide from God’s call. Ordered by God to go to Nineveh, Jonah boarded a ship to Tarshish instead. But Jonah couldn’t escape God’s grasp or avoid God’s call. Neither could Saul.

The reluctant Saul was removed from his hiding place and before the people. This must have been a terrifying moment for this young man, and when he heard the words of Samuel, his heart must have skipped a beat.

“This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!” – 1 Samuel 10:24 NLT

This rousing endorsement should not be taken as a statement of Saul’s stellar integrity or spiritual superiority. The text seems to emphasize his physical height over any spiritual stature he may have had. Evidently, Saul was a giant of a man who stood, “taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward” (1 Samuel 10:23 ESV). He was larger than life and had all the physical attributes of a leader. He looked like a king. Not only that, he had been hand-selected by God, so there was no one else in Israel who could compare with him. He was God’s choice.

And the people eagerly confirmed God’s choice by shouting, “Long live the king!” (1 Samuel 10:24 ESV). They were ready for a change and this tall, good-looking young man seemed to fit the bill. So, they expressed their enthusiastic approval of the unproven Saul to be their king.

But God had Samuel remind the people what He had stated earlier.

“The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. Some will be generals and captains in his army,^[a] some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. ¹⁵He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants. He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves.” – 1 Samuel 8:11-17 NLT

These were some of “the rights and duties of the kingship” (1 Samuel 10:25 ESV) that Samuel recorded in a scroll. When the people heard these warnings the first time, they gave their heartfelt approval. Despite the negative nature of these “rights and duties,” they were onboard. But what they failed to realize was that God was giving them a king of their own choosing. While Saul had been chosen by God, He was not really God’s choice.

“. . . it remains very clear that God did not choose this king for Himself, but rather for the people. In other words, though God actually appointed Saul, Saul did not in the final analysis represent God’s choice, but the people’s choice.” – G. Coleman Luck, “The First Glimpse of the First King of Israel,” Bibliotheca Sacra 123:489 (January-March 1966):51.

They had demanded a king like all the other nations, and God had obliged. Saul would prove to be a man after their own heart. But, as the story unfolds, we will see that God was ultimately interested in choosing a man who reflect His heart.

As Saul walked away that day, he must have been filled with a mixture of emotions. His life had been radically and inalterably changed. His former life was in the rear-view mirror and what tomorrow held was little more than a mystery. But the closing verses of the chapter foreshadow a less-than-ideal future for Israel’s new king.

When Saul returned to his home at Gibeah, a group of men whose hearts God had touched went with him. But there were some scoundrels who complained, “How can this man save us?” And they scorned him and refused to bring him gifts. But Saul ignored them. – 1 Samuel 10:26-27 NLT

All According to Plan

April 11, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

⁹When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day. ¹⁰When they came to Gibeah, behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. ¹¹And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, “What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” ¹²And a man of the place answered, “And who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” ¹³When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

¹⁴Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.” ¹⁵And Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.” ¹⁶And Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything. – 1 Samuel 10:9-16 ESV

It’s difficult to discern exactly what is meant by the phrase, “God gave him another heart”(1 Samuel 10:9 ESV). Over the centuries, there has been a lot of speculation and debate about what happened to Saul in that moment. Some have tied his heart change to the filling of the Spirit of God. But it seems that his inner transformation, whatever it may have been, took place the moment “he turned his back to leave Samuel” (1 Samuel 10:9 ESV).

From the overall context, it would appear that Saul walked away with a new perspective. His attitude had been transformed by his encounter with Samuel and the news that God had anointed him to be Israel’s king. When Saul first met Samuel, the prophet told him, “I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes” (1 Samuel 9:20 NLT). But this cryptic message left Saul uncomfortable and confused, prompting him to respond, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?” (1 Samuel 9:21 NLT).

Saul had no idea what Samuel was talking about and as the rest of the day unfolded, he became even more unsettled and uncertain. Things were happening so fast and it was almost impossible for him to take it all in. But the moment when Samuel anointed Saul with oil proved to be a game changer. That experience, coupled with the prophetic words spoken by the prophet, left Saul a different man. God transformed his reluctance into belief, empowering Saul to step out in faith and do what Samuel had told him to do. He obeyed the will of God and, as a result, “all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day” (1 Samuel 10:9 NLT). Had Saul refused to believe and act on Samuel’s words, the story would have ended there; none of Samuel’s predictions would have come to fruition. But the all-powerful, invisible God of Israel was operating behind the scenes, softening Saul’s heart and prompting his obedience.

As Saul and his servant entered the town of Gibeah, they encountered a group of prophets, just as Samuel had predicted. What happened next must have caught Saul by surprise and left his unwitting servant in disbelief.

Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy. – 1 Samuel 10:10 NLT

Samuel had told Saul that this would happen (1 Samuel 10:6) but experiencing it was another matter altogether. In a matter of seconds, Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy. The inference is that Saul came under the power of the Holy Spirit and was no longer in control of his actions. He became an instrument in the hands of God. There is no explanation given as to how or what Saul prophesied. When Samuel predicted this encounter, he provided an important detail: “…you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying” (1 Samuel 10:5 NLT). These men were musicians who may have been connected to the Tabernacle and assisted in the worship of Yahweh. If this is true, they would have been Levites. Their presence in Gibeah is unexplained and the exact nature of their prophesying is unclear. But it seems that they were singing God’s praises under the Holy Spirit’s influence. And before he could take it all in, Saul joined in. This young man from the tribe of Benjamin suddenly broke out in song and joined the procession of prophets as they proclaimed the glories of God.

This strange scene didn’t go unnoticed. The bystanders who took it all in began to question what they were seeing. Here was Saul, the son of Kish, dancing and singing along with the prophets of God. This unexpected and unprecedented behavior by this young man caused them to ask, “Can anyone become a prophet, no matter who his father is?” (1 Samuel 10:12 NLT). It reminds me of the lyrics from an old Sesame Street song.

One of these sounds is not like the others
One of these sounds doesn’t belong
Can you tell which sound is not like the other
By the time I finish my song?

Saul didn’t belong in the band of prophets. As a member of the tribe of Benjamin, he had no right to take part in their God-appointed duties. But there he was, big as life, and clearly exhibiting the evidence of being Spirit-empowered, which left the people asking, “How did the son of Kish become a prophet?” (1 Samuel 10:11 NLT).

But Saul’s moment in the spotlight came to an end and he went on his way. When his uncle demanded to know where he had been, Saul chose to present a truncated and sanitized version of his experience.

“We were looking for the donkeys,” Saul replied, “but we couldn’t find them. So we went to Samuel to ask him where they were.” – 1 Samuel 10:14 NLT

This wasn’t a lie but it wasn’t exactly the truth either. For whatever reason, Saul decided to withhold some of the pertinent information regarding his encounter with Samuel. He fails to mention the banquet, his anointing with oil, or Samuel’s prophesy concerning his call to be Israel’s king. Perhaps Saul was concerned about how his family would receive this news and he wanted to be the one to tell his father and mother all that had happened. Had he told his uncle the full story, the news could have spread quickly, creating an even greater uproar than his short-term role as a prophet had caused. So, “Saul didn’t tell his uncle what Samuel said about the kingdom” (1 Samuel 10:16 NLT).

Saul’s reticence to divulge the full story was in keeping with the words of Samuel. The prophet had given him clear instructions.

“…go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.” – 1 Samuel 10:8 NLT

Saul had not been told to make the news of his anointing known to anyone, including his own family. He was instructed to go to Gilgal and wait for the prophet, and that is what he did.

This entire plan had a God-ordained schedule associated with it. Everything had to happen according to God’s well-timed and predetermined schedule. The seminal event in Israel’s storied history was not going to happen by chance or according to the whims or wishes of men. God was implementing His divine plan and nothing could stand in His way.

God’s Calling Confirmed

April 10, 2024April 10, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²⁵And when they came down from the high place into the city, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep. ²⁶Then at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Up, that I may send you on your way.” So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.

²⁷As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to pass on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.”

¹ Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be prince over his heritage. ²When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’ ³Then you shall go on from there farther and come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. ⁴And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand. ⁵After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim, where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. ⁶Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. ⁷Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you. ⁸Then go down before me to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do.” – 1 Samuel 9:25-10:8 ESV

At this point in the story, Saul still seems completely unaware of what is happening. His search for the missing donkeys has taken a strange twist, complete with a religious feast where he finds himself as the guest of honor. Before he can gather his wits about him, Saul has a leg of lamb placed before him and is told by the seer, “Eat, because it was kept for you until the hour appointed, that you might eat with the guests” (1 Samuel 9:24 ESV). One can only imagine the thoughts racing through this young man’s mind as he scans the hall. The room is filled with anonymous dignitaries and honored guests but Saul is left trying to figure out why he has been placed at the head of the table like some kind of celebrity.

There is no record of any further conversations between Samuel and his young guest as the feast continued, but it must have lasted well into the night. When it finally ended, Samuel escorted Saul to a house in the city and provided him a place to spend the night. The next morning, Saul received an early wake-up call from Samuel and was told it was time for him to go home. As they left the city, Samuel instructed Saul to send his servant ahead so they could talk privately.

After the servant was gone, Samuel said, “Stay here, for I have received a special message for you from God.” – 1 Samuel 9:27 NLT

The time had come for Saul to learn his fate, and what happened next would change his life forever. As he stood anxiously waiting to hear what Samuel had to say, he must have been shocked as the elderly judge took out a flask of oil and emptied its contents on his head. As the oil flowed down Saul’s face, Samuel kissed him and whispered in his ear, saying, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession” (1 Samuel 10:1 NLT).

It is so easy to read this story and miss the weight of what is happening. This young man is having his entire life turned upside down in a bizarre ordination ceremony conducted in the middle of the street by a strange, elderly prophet. Saul’s mind must have reeled as he considered the epic truth bomb that Samuel dropped. But throughout the brief and bewildering encounter, Saul remained speechless; he was at a complete loss for words.

But Samuel had much to say to Saul. With the prophet’s words still ringing in his ears, Saul received further instructions that, when followed, would validate all that happened. This entire sequence of events was the work of Yahweh, from the disappearance of the donkeys to the encounter with the prophet of God. As Saul made his way home, he would receive additional evidence that the sovereign God of the universe was behind his call and orchestrating everything taking place around him. None of this could be written off as a coincidence or good luck.

Samuel prophesied that Saul would encounter two men who would inform him that the lost donkeys had been found and his father had grown worried about his welfare. Further along on his journey, Saul would meet three shepherds leading their goats and bearing three loaves of bread and a flask of wine. As if on cue, these strangers will offer Saul two loaves of bread, which he is instructed to accept. Finally, Samuel informs Saul that when he and his servant arrive at Gibeath-elohim, they will run into “a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying” (1 Samuel 10:5 ESV).

Each of these encounters is intended to confirm the veracity of Samuel’s original message to Saul. The call of God on Saul’s life would be confirmed by the fulfillment of each of these prophecies. If they failed to happen, the words of the prophet would be invalidated. But if they took place just as Samuel said, they would serve as confirmation of God’s divine calling on Saul’s life.

The final prediction was the most important one because it involved the Holy Spirit. Saul is told that he will meet a group of prophets prophesying. This does not infer that these men will be predicting the future as Samuel has just done. Instead, they will be speaking under the influence of the Holy Spirit. In other words, they will be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led, and Samuel informs Saul that he will join them.

“At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person.” – 1 Samuel 10:6 NLT

While some believe this event will usher in an inner transformation of Saul’s heart, the ultimate outcome of his life would seem to contradict that assumption. Saul’s change will be temporary because it will last only as long as the Spirit’s power remains upon him. Each of these events is intended to teach Saul something about God. First, God is in complete control of all things and able to direct the lives of men, including the two strangers who will tell Saul about the fate of the missing donkeys. As king, Saul would need to know that God is always in control.

Secondly, God’s sovereignty allowed Him to use anyone and everything to aid His chosen leader. The three shepherds who provided Saul with bread would serve as an illustration of God’s providential power to provide for all of Saul’s future needs. Finally, Saul’s anointing by the Holy Spirit would remind him that his rule and reign would only prove successful if he relied upon the supernatural power that only God could provide.

These three events were meant to teach Saul that, from this point forward, God was in control of his life. Saul was no longer the master of his fate and the captain of his soul. He belonged to God now and his life was no longer his own.

Samuel assured Saul that each of these signs would take place just as predicted. When they did, Saul was told to “do what must be done, for God is with you” (1 Samuel 10:7 NLT). It seems that with each encounter, God would provide Saul with further instructions to follow. Saul was to remain hyper-vigilant and obedient, following God’s will to the letter. There was to be no variation or unscheduled detour from God’s prescribed directions, and the final piece of God’s divine plan would prove to be the most important. Samuel provided Saul with very clear instructions to follow. The specificity of his words and Saul’s ability to obey them will prove crucial to the rest of the story.

“Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.” – 1 Samuel 10:8 NLT

Their God Is Their Appetite

January 7, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁶Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. ¹⁷And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. ¹⁸And say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was better for us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. ¹⁹You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, ²⁰but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”’” ²¹But Moses said, “The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!’ ²²Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?” ²³And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.”

²⁴So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. ²⁵Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.

²⁶Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. ²⁷And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” ²⁸And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” ²⁹But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” ³⁰And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp. – Numbers 11:16-30 ESV

Moses was feeling a bit overwhelmed by his responsibilities as the leader of Israel. From the very first moment he had introduced himself to them as their God-appointed deliverer, he had run into opposition. Even when he had successfully led them out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, they proved to be far from compliant and quick to complain. He had been forced to deal with their rebellion at Mount Sinai, when they had begun to worship the golden calves while he was on the mountaintop receiving the Ten Commandments from God.

They were incessantly complaining about everything, from the quality of the food to the scarcity of water. Some questioned Moses’ leadership skills and tried to displace him. Others tried to mount an insurrection and orchestrate an immediate return to Egypt. Hardly a day went by when Moses didn’t have to deal with a disgruntled Israelite or face another round of searing criticism. Having reached the limits of his patience andin a state of frustration and self-pity, he decided to turn in his resignation to God.

“I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!” – Numbers 11:14-15 NLT

But God wasn’t going to let Moses off the hook quite so easily; He had more for His servant to do. God was aware that the Israelites were stubborn people who could be disobedient, disrespectful, and ungrateful. Even on a good day, they were difficult to manage. But when things didn’t go the way they expected or desired, they could be virtually ungovernable and intolerable to deal with.

So, God instructed Moses to choose 70 men from among the elders and leaders of Israel. These hand-picked individuals would serve as Moses’ assistants and provide him with much-needed help in managing the day-to-day affairs of the nation. To ensure their capacity for godly leadership, God promised to anoint them with His Spirit. And to prove to the people that these men had been appointed by God, they would receive the gift of prophecy.

“Prophesying here does not refer to prediction or even to proclamation but to giving (in song or speech) praise and similar expressions without prior training (see the comparable experience of Saul in 1 Sam. 10:9-11)” – Eugene H. Merrill, “Numbers.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, pp. 215-58.

Their ability to prophesy would testify to their status as God’s chosen messengers. These men were already recognized as leaders among their people, but now they would be seen as God’s messengers and Moses’ co-administrators.

“They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone.” – Numbers 11:17 NLT

Having dealt with Moses’ complaint about feeling overworked and overwhelmed, God turned His attention to the people’s criticism of the cuisine. They had expressed great displeasure with God’s culinary skills, citing their distaste and disgust for the manna He had provided. They were sick of it and demanded a change in diet.

“Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!” – Numbers 11:4-6 NLT

Despite their complaining and their rather obvious case of selective memory, God had Moses inform the Israelites that He was going to give in to their demand.

“Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you will have meat to eat. You were whining, and the Lord heard you when you cried, ‘Oh, for some meat! We were better off in Egypt!’ Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. And it won’t be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it.” – Numbers 11:18-20 NLT

The old adage, “Be careful what you wish for” applies here. In demanding that God give them meat to eat, the people were rejecting His providence and provision. He is the one who had graciously and miraculously given them the manna to eat, but they had grown tired of His bland and monotonous diet plan. Driven by their physical appetites and controlled by their fleshly desires, they dared to question God’s goodness and demanded that He meet their needs according to their own criteria. In essence, they were telling God that knew what was best for them. The apostle Paul provides an apt description of these kinds of people.

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. – Philippians 3:19 ESV

Yet God promised to fulfill their wish – in abundance. For a solid month, they would consume nothing but meat, and their chosen diet would soon become repugnant to them. Eventually, they would long for the manna of God but meat would remain their only choice on the menu. This novel 30-day diet plan was God’s way of punishing them for their rejection of Him. This wasn’t about food choices but about their unwillingness to submit to God’s will for them. At the heart of their demand for meat was their rejection of God’s entire redemptive plan for them.

“For you have rejected the Lord, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’” – Numbers 11:20 NLT

God was attempting to move them forward – toward Canaan – but they were constantly looking backward to Egypt. They were living in the past and refusing to trust God’s future plan for them. They disliked His chosen path for their lives and wanted to return to the “good old days” of Egypt. But their memories were clouded and their faith had been contaminated by a fear of the unknown and a resistance to anything they considered unpleasant. Their journey to the promised land had not turned out to be a walk in the park.

It had been a year since they left Egypt and the promised land was nowhere in sight. Each morning they woke up in the wilderness and waited to see what God would do. Would they stay encamped where they were or would the cloud of God’s presence move from above the Tabernacle and lead them to their next destination? There was no clear end in sight. But the blessings of God required obedience. If they wanted to enjoy His presence, power, and provision, they would have to trust Him and submit to His will. But for the next 30 days, they would be forced to eat their own words and endure a one-dimensional diet of nothing but meat.

When Moses heard what God planned to do, he immediately questioned the logic and logistics of it all. He couldn’t fathom how God intended to provide enough meat to feed so many people. Even if they slaughtered all their livestock and emptied the rivers and streams of every fish, they wouldn’t have enough meat to feed the people of Israel for a month, and they would end up depleting their herds and flocks. So, Moses informed God that His plan was impossible. But God reminded His doubting deliverer that He was fully capable of carrying out His plan.

“Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!” – Numbers 11:23 NLT

God didn’t tell Moses how He was going to accomplish His meat miracle. He simply instructed Moses to select 70 men and bring them to the Tabernacle for their anointing by the Spirit. Moses obeyed and God fulfilled His promise by pouring out His Spirit and empowering these men to prophesy. For some reason, two of the men never made it to the Tabernacle. Yet, even though they had remained in the camp, the Spirit of God descended upon them, and they too received the gift of prophecy. When Joshua heard about these two outliers, he demanded that Moses put a stop to what he believed to be an unauthorized display of divine power. Yet, Moses refused to do so, instead expressing his desire that every single Israelite would receive the same anointing of God.

“Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!” – Numbers 11:29 NLT

For whatever reason, Eldad and Medad had remained behind in the camp. Yet they had been chosen by Moses and were therefore anointed by God. Their proximity to the Tabernacle was not essential to their calling and their distance from the other 68 men had no impact on their anointing by God. Much to their surprise, the Spirit came upon them and they prophesied in the camp. This display of divine power caught Joshua by surprise and he viewed their prophesying as an attempt to displace Moses as God’s appointed leader.

But rather than seeing Eldad and Medad as competition, Moses expressed his desire that all the people of Israel could experience that same degree of divine endorsement and empowerment. Little did he know that his wish would one day be fulfilled. The prophet Ezekiel speaks of a day when God will pour out His Spirit on all His people.

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: …I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” – Ezekiel 36:22, 26-27 ESV

While the people would not receive the anointing of the Spirit, they would have a different kind of blessing poured out upon them. God was going to fulfill His promise of meat on a grand scale, and Moses and the rest of the Israelites would learn that God’s arm had not lost its power to provide. But they would also learn the sad lesson that God’s arm had not lost its power to punish.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Mixed Messages

December 15, 2020 / kdmiller55 / 1 Comment

¹It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, ²for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”

³And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. ⁴There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? ⁵For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. ⁶But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. ⁸She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. ⁹And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” – Mark 14:1-9 ESV

It is Wednesday and, as Mark indicates, the celebration of Passover is just two days away. The events surrounding Jesus’ earthly ministry are quickly coming to a climax. Whether His disciples fully comprehend it or not, their Master’s days are running out. Mark makes special mention of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This particular feast, which accompanied Passover, was an important part of the annual celebration. It was to act as an additional reminder of the miraculous deliverance God had provided for the people of Israel.

And you shall offer the Passover sacrifice to the Lord your God, from the flock or the herd, at the place that the Lord will choose, to make his name dwell there. You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. No leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory for seven days… – Deuteronomy 16:2-4 ESV

Leaven represents sin. It has an invasive quality to it, that left unchecked, permeates and spreads, influencing everything with which it comes into contact. For seven days, the Israelites were to remove all leaven from their homes and eat bread made without leaven. While the original Passover provided the Israelites with divine deliverance from the bondage of slavery in Egypt, it foreshadowed an even greater deliverance to come. Jesus, by being sacrificed during the Feast of Passover, was offering Himself as the Bread of Life. He was the sinless Savior who was willing to lay down His life for the sheep.

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” – John 6:51 ESV

With the sacrifice of His life, Jesus would offer a way for sinful men and women to be delivered from their bondage to sin and death. But Mark’s mention of the Feast of Unleavened Bread had another purpose. It juxtaposes the actions of the religious leaders who were feverishly plotting the death of Jesus. During the seven days in which they were to remove all leaven (sin) from their homes, these men were devising a strategy to end the life of the Son of God.

And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” – Mark 14:1-2 ESV

They didn’t view their actions as being sinful and, therefore, they saw no need to purge their lives of greed, anger, malice, jealousy, or hypocrisy. In their twisted minds, they were in the right and fully justified in their hatred for Jesus. They truly thought they were doing God and the nation a favor.

But with the image of the heavily “leavened” religious leaders fixed in our minds, Mark refocuses our attention on Jesus, the bread from heaven. He has joined His followers for a dinner hosted by Simon the leper. The location is Bethany, located just east of Jerusalem, the same town where Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. In the middle of the meal, an unidentified woman walks into the room, opens a flask containing expensive and aromatic oil, and begins to anoint the head of Jesus. While similar to the story recorded by John, this appears to be a different scene altogether. John’s story takes place six days before Passover and the woman involved is Mary, the sister of Lazarus.

Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. – John 12:1-3 ESV

We are looking at two different anointings, one that took place on Saturday, at the beginning of the week, and the other on Wednesday. And because both Matthew and Mark leave the second woman unnamed, it is unlikely that it is Mary. In this case, an unidentified woman makes her way into the room and anoints the head of Jesus with a costly and highly aromatic oil. As soon as she broke the flask, the scent of the oil must have permeated the room, attracting the attention of all the guests, including the disciples of Jesus. And they immediately expressed their disapproval.

“Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” – Mark 14:4-5 ESV

Without realizing it, these men had responded after the manner of the Pharisees. In doing so, they exposed their own obsession with earthly rather than spiritual things. Appalled by what they believed to be a wanton display of wastefulness, they rebuked the woman. They were incapable of seeing the rich symbolism behind her actions. But Jesus reprimanded them, saying, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me” (Mark 14:6 ESV).

Just a few days earlier, when Mary had anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them dry with her own hair, Judas had expressed a similar disdain for her excessive waste of resources. But Jesus had told him, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial” (John 12:7 ESV).

In both cases, these women were anointing the one who was about to offer His life as a sacrificial offering for the sins of mankind. While they were unaware of the import of their own actions, both Mary and the unidentified woman were preparing the body of Jesus for burial. And Jesus makes this quite clear.

“She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial.” – Mark 14:8 ESV

The religious leaders were obsessed with putting Jesus to death. The disciples were preoccupied with temporal concerns. But this unnamed woman was focused on the Savior. Her love for Him was displayed by her willingness to make a tremendous sacrifice on His behalf. He meant far more to her than money or possessions did. And Jesus tried to help His disciples understand the vital lesson behind her actions.

“For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me.” – Mark 14:7 ESV

Time was running out. In just a matter of days, they would witness the crucifixion and death of their friend and Master. And not a single one of them had done anything to show their gratitude or appreciation for all that He had done for them over the last three-and-a-half years. They were hours away from eating their final Passover meal with Jesus. And at that event, He will take on the role of a slave and wash their feet. The Savior will sacrifice His glory for their good. He will humble Himself so that they might be made clean. The Son of God will offer His life as a ransom for many.

The Pharisees plotted His death. This woman anointed His head. The disciples questioned her actions. But in the midst of it all, Jesus remained committed to His calling and fully prepared to fulfill His Father’s will.

Anointed and Appointed to Die

September 7, 2020November 17, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ²So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. ³Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ⁵“Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” ⁶He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. ⁷Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

⁹When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, ¹¹because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. – John 12:1-11 ESV

The public ministry of Jesus has come to a spectacular close, culminating with the raising of Lazarus from the dead. And while John indicates that many who witnessed this miracle ended up believing in Jesus, their conversions only intensified the hatred of the Sanhedrin for Jesus. These men had threatened any who expressed belief in Jesus as the Messiah (John 9:22) with ex-communication from the synagogue and yet, Jesus’ popularity continued to spread.

Jesus would perform no more miracles or deliver any more messages. His focus had shifted from demonstrating His divine power and authority to accomplishing His God-given mission. John reveals that it is only six days until the Passover celebration begins and Jesus, knowing that the day of His sacrificial death is drawing closer, has the end in mind. Luke records that as “the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51 ESV). Jesus was resolute and determined to carry out the will of His Heavenly Father. Nothing would distract or deter Him. And everything that John records in his gospel from this point forward is intended to prepare his readers for the final phase of Jesus’ life: His death, burial, and resurrection.

Just days before His own death, Jesus returned to the scene of His greatest miracle: the town of Bethany where He had restored Lazarus to life. This was a risky move on Jesus’ part because “the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him” (John 11:57 ESV). But Jesus was walking in perfect obedience to His Father’s will and there was nothing the Sanhedrin could do to prevent God’s redemptive plan from unfolding just as He had sovereignly ordained it.

According to Matthew’s gospel, Jesus was invited as the guest of honor at dinner hosted by a man named, Simon, whom John describes as a leper. The New Living Translation describes Simon as “a man who had previously had leprosy” because it would have been unlikely that any guests would have shown up to a party in his home if his disease was still active. He would have been considered ceremonially unclean and unapproachable. We know nothing about this man, but it seems likely that Jesus must have healed from his leprosy and the party was his way of expressing his gratitude.

Among the guests are Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. By this time, Lazarus had become somewhat of a celebrity. The news of his death-to-life transformation had spread rapidly and it likely that his home and former grave had become local tourist attractions. No doubt, some enterprising entrepreneur had begun giving tours of the very spot where Lazarus had walked out of the tomb – alive.

It is no coincidence that Lazarus, the man who was formerly dead but was now alive, was reclining at the same table with Jesus, the man who was alive but would soon be dead. The very one who had restored Lazarus to life was preparing to experience death so that others might live.

The entire tone of this party, hosted by Simon as an expression of gratitude to Jesus and intended as a time of celebration, was about to change. As Jesus and the other guests reclined at Simon’s table, Mary, one of the sisters of Lazarus, took the opportunity to express her sincere gratitude to Jesus for what He had done for her brother. In a premeditated display of humble and costly devotion to Jesus, Mary “took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair” (John 12:3 ESV).

John, having been an eyewitness to this event, recalls how the smell of the nard immediately permeated the room. As soon as Mary opened the jar containing the aromatic oil and began pouring it on Jesus’ head and feet, everyone’s attention was riveted on this unexpected and somewhat unorthodox scene. And when Mary began to dry Jesus’ feet with her own hair, everyone in the room would have been shocked and filled with indignation. In fact, in his gospel account, Matthew records that even Jesus’ disciples were surprised by Mary’s actions.

…when the disciples saw it, they were indignant. – Matthew 26:8 ESV

Matthew even indicates that the disciples were appalled by what they considered to be Mary’s overly extravagant and wasteful use expensive perfume to anoint Jesus.

“Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” – Matthew 26:8-9 ESV

But John reveals the true source of this seemingly frugal-minded outburst from the disciples. It had been Judas who expressed righteous indignation at Mary’s wastefulness.

But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” – John 12:4-5 ESV

And with this insight, John sets the stage for what is to come. Judas is going to play a major role in the unfolding drama surrounding Jesus’ last days on this earth. And his comments provide a stark contrast to the selfless, humble, and sacrificial actions of Mary. Judas had no real love for Jesus. He had entered into his relationship with Jesus solely for what he could get out of it. It was not that Judas was totally unbelieving. He likely considered Jesus to be the Messiah, but his expectations were selfish in nature. Judas probably harbored strong hopes that Jesus would prove to be the next King of Israel and, as one of His disciples, he would stand to benefit. Judas was an opportunist. And, as John makes clear, Judas had taken advantage of his role as treasurer to line his own pockets.

…he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. – John 12:6 ESV

Judas had no sense of what was really going on. All he saw was a missed opportunity to make a profit without any cost to himself. But Mary had sacrificed greatly, having spent what was the equivalent of an entire year’s wages to purchase the nard that she poured on the head and feet of Jesus. But to her, it had all been worth it. What price could she put on the life of her brother? He had been dead but was now alive. She had lost him but, thanks to Jesus, had received him back.

And Jesus reveals that there was more to Mary’s actions than even she was able to grasp. Her anointing had a far greater significance than she had originally intended. Matthew provides us with Jesus’ response to His indignant and ignorant disciples.

“Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial.” – Matthew 26:10-12 ESV

Unbeknownst to Mary, she had actually prepared the body of Jesus for His coming burial. And Jesus warns the disciples to allow her to keep whatever nard remained so that she might keep it for the day of HIs death. But all of this escaped their understanding. He was headed to Jerusalem in order to sacrifice His life on their behalf, but they had been overwhelmed by the smell of perfume and the apparent waste of resources. Little did they know that their Master was about to pour out His life for them. In just a matter of days, His costly blood would pour from the wounds on His back, brow, hands, feet, and sides. Later on, in the upper room, Jesus would use a cup of wine as a symbol, stating “my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you” (Luke 22:20 NLT).

Jesus was headed to the cross. But the disciples’ minds were elsewhere. And years later, as John penned the words of his gospel, he must have wondered how they could have been so blind. It all made sense this side of the crucifixion, but at the time, they had been oblivious to all the signs that pointed to His coming death.

And John brings the sobering reality of the circumstances back into focus as he reveals the crowds gathering outside Simon’s home, anxious for a glimpse of Jesus and Lazarus. And these crowds will play a vital role in all that happens in the days ahead. But there is another group of individuals who will play an even more significant and sinister part in Jesus’ last days: The religious leaders of Israel. When they discover that Lazarus’ so-called resurrection has made him a virtual calling card for Jesus, they decide to put him to death as well. While Caiaphas had originally said that “it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish” (John 11:50 ESV), he was now willing to up the ante. If Jesus and Lazarus had to die to save the nation of Israel, so be it.

Gratitude At Great Cost

January 18, 2020 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, ²“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

³Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, ⁴and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. ⁵But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

⁶Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. ⁸And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” ¹⁰But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. ¹²In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. ¹³Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” – Matthew 26:1-13 ESV

Jesus ended His discussion regarding the Kingdom of Heaven with a jarring reminder to His disciples of His upcoming crucifixion. Not only was the inauguration of His Kingdom going to be delayed, but He was also going to die. And while Jesus had made it clear that the coming of His Kingdom would not happen for some time, His death would take place in just a matter of days.

What a rude wakeup call for the disciples. And what an unpleasant reminder that things were not as they had hoped or supposed. Their king had come, but not as they had expected. His Kingdom was not of this earth. And, as they would soon discover, the crown He was destined to wear would be made of thorns, not gold. He would hang on a cross, not sit on a throne. And yet, it was all part of God’s sovereign plan.

And so was the plotting and planning of the religious leaders. Their role in the entire affair was not in opposition to God’s will, but an essential part of it. They were nothing more than instruments in His hands, unknowingly accomplishing His will even through their disobedience and rejection of His Son. What they did, they did in secret. They plotted behind the scenes. They hid their intentions from the people, because of Jesus’ popularity. But God was fully aware of their every move. And He was in total control of the entire timeline of events. From the clandestine collusion of the religious leaders to the self-serving plans of Judas to betray Jesus, nothing escaped God’s divine attention or threatened the outcome of His redemptive plan.

And this includes the anointing of Jesus by Mary. This has always been a fascinating story to me. It is full of interesting twists and turns and raises more than just a few questions. One of the most intriguing things about this passage is a statement made by Jesus. It is one that I overlooked for years.

After having been anointed by Mary and hearing the protests of Judas about the wastefulness of this action, Jesus responded by saying, “I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed” (Mark 14:9 NLT).

I can’t help but read that statement and ask, “Was He right?” Have the actions of this woman been remembered and discussed wherever the Good News has been preached? There is no doubt that this passage and the events contained in it have been preached, but have Mary’s deeds been discussed throughout the world? I am not saying that Jesus was wrong, but I am suggesting that we may be missing the significance of the moment as Jesus saw it.

His statement suggests that the actions of Mary were not to be overlooked or misunderstood. The disciples, especially Judas, saw what she did as wasteful and unnecessary. It seemed extravagant and a tad over-zealous on Mary’s part. But Jesus said that what she did should be remembered and discussed among all believers everywhere and for all time. But why?

I think there are several things going on here. First of all, it is just days before Jesus’ trials, crucifixion, and death. He had told His disciples what was going to happen in Jerusalem, but they had refused to believe it. Jesus had His attention focused on the task at hand – His sacrificial death for the sins of all mankind. The disciples were focused on something altogether different: Jesus becoming the King of Israel. They were still anticipating that He was going to establish His earthly Kingdom, where they would rule and reign at His side. They had no room in their plans for a suffering Savior or a martyred Messiah.

Yet, Jesus was fully aware of all that was about to happen to Him. He knew about Judas’ plans to betray Him. He was painfully aware that Peter was going to deny Him. He knew that every one of the disciples would eventually desert Him. So, when He walked into the home of Simon the leper in order to attend a special dinner held in His honor, His mind was on the events that faced Him in the days ahead.

But this dinner was meant to be a celebration. Simon, the host of the event, had been healed by Jesus from leprosy. In attendance was Lazarus, who Jesus had miraculously raised from the dead just days earlier. Along with him were his sisters, Mary and Martha. This was a joyous occasion, and all in attendance were celebrating the life, health, and wholeness of these two men: Simon and Lazarus. And Jesus was the center of attention because He had made it all possible.

It was a feast, complete with fine food and good wine. And then, in the middle of it all, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, stood up and took a bottle of costly perfume and poured it on Jesus’ head and feet. This would have been a stop-down moment. The smell would have been overwhelming, as the pungent aroma of nard filled the room. All eyes would have been riveted on Mary as she knelt at Jesus’ feet, weeping and wiping up the excess perfume with her own hair. Jaws would have dropped. Whispers would have been passed back and forth. Mark tells us that some at the table were indignant at what they saw. Judas, the acting treasurer for the disciples, spoke up and commented on the wastefulness of it all. “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor” (John 12:5 NLT).

But what was Mary’s motivation? Jesus seemed to indicate that Mary knew what she was doing. He said, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial” (John 12:7 NLT).

But I don’t think that was Mary’s intent. I don’t believe she anointed Jesus, aware that He was going to be dead in just a few days. Her action was purely out of gratitude for what He had done for her brother. He had raised Lazarus from the dead, and she was overwhelmed with appreciation. So, she took the best that she had and gave it to the Lord. She blessed Him for having been a blessing to her. Unknowingly, she was anointing Jesus for burial – while He was still alive.

The fragrance of that perfume would have been with Jesus even as He hung on the cross. The oil from the essence of nard would have mixed with His blood as He was scourged by the Roman guards. It would have mingled with His sweat as He hung on the cross, enduring the physical pain and the verbal abuse of the religious leaders. And as Jesus breathed His last breath, the smell of that perfume would have filled His nostrils.

This selfless, sacrificial gift would last much longer than the meal or the accolades of the guests. Even the shouts of “Hosanna” that had accompanied Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem that previous Sunday would die away and change into screams of “Crucify Him!”

The people at that dinner were there because they had seen or heard about Jesus’ miraculous raising of Lazarus from the dead. Jesus was a celebrity. He was a rock star. But none of them went out of their way to sacrificially thank Him for all that He had done. Except for one individual. Mary took the time and sacrificed her resources, to express gratitude to Jesus for His ministry in her life. And her thankful actions were seen by Jesus as a preparation for His coming death.

Jesus was on His way to die – on their behalf. The disciples were busy planning for the Kingdom, even debating who would have the highest positions in Jesus’ new administration. The people were thinking that things were looking up. The Messiah had arrived and, once He claimed His rightful throne, He was going to get rid of the Romans once and for all. But Mary could think of doing nothing else but expressing thanks for what Jesus had already done in her life. She showed Him her gratitude.

Jesus made a point of saying that what Mary had done for Him would be remembered and discussed among believers everywhere and for all time. Why? Because she alone expressed the proper response to Him. She was not asking for more. She was not demanding that He set up His Kingdom. She was not wanting Him to perform more miracles or prove Himself in any other way. He had already done more than enough for Mary and she showed Him just how grateful she was. And in doing so, she helped prepare His living body for His coming death. Her action of gratitude would have more impact than even she intended. She did what she could. She gave what she had. She showed how she felt. And she should be remembered and serve as a model for us all.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message

Sanctified by the Spirit

May 26, 2019 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ²according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you. – 1 Peter 1:1-2 ESV

¹¹ And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. – 1 Corinthians 6:11 ESV

The believer’s sanctification might be called a family affair, involving each member of the Trinity: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. First, it is God the Father who decreed from eternity past to set apart a people for Himself.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. – Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT

God did not have to extend the gift of holiness to anyone. Yet He did. Because He is omniscient and operates outside the bounds of time and space, God knew in advance that mankind was going to sin. And from the very beginning He had a plan in place to provide a means of restoring holiness to those who had inherited the sin and condemnation brought upon them by Adam’s transgression.

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. – Romans 5:12 NLT

But Jesus had a solution in place before the first sin was committed. He had already planned to send His Son into the world as the sacrifice for the sins of mankind. And Jesus, in taking on human flesh and living in perfect obedience to God’s law and in total submission to God’s will, gave His life as an atonement for the sins of man. In doing so, He satisfied the just demands of God and provided His righteousness for those who had no righteousness of their own.

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. – Romans 3:21-24 NLT

I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. – Philippians 3:9 NLT

It was God who set us apart for a life of holiness. It was His Son who gave His life so that we might have the righteousness necessary to enter into God’s presence. But it is the Spirit of God who secures our sanctification. Without the Spirit’s indwelling presence, there is no sanctification. Paul put it rather bluntly when he wrote: “You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)” (Romans 8:9 NLT).

In essence, there is a three-part strategy to our sanctification. In the Old Testament, a person or thing was set apart or sanctified for divine use. The people of Israel were consecrated by God as His chosen people. They were no better than anyone else. They had no inherent value that qualified them for their unique relationship with God. He sovereignly deemed them to be His own and set them apart for His use and glory. But what God sets apart for His use must be cleansed and purified before it can perform its divinely ordained responsibility. So, God provided a means by which the people of Israel could receive cleansing from their sins. He gave them the sacrificial system and commanded that they use it to purify themselves from the inevitable sins they would commit. Even the priests had to be cleansed from their impurities before they could serve as mediators for the people of God. And it’s interesting to note how much emphasis God put on the adornment of those things He set apart for His use. The decorations of the tabernacle and temple were rich and luxurient, reflecting the glory of God. The priestly garments were made of the finest fabric and adorned with priceless jewels, signifying the invaluable role these men were to play in leading the people of God in their worship of Him.

So, we see the biblical model of sanctification as including the setting apart, the cleansing, and the adorning of those things belonging to God. And the same is true in the sanctification of His saints. We have been set apart by God, cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and adorned with the Spirit of God. And it is the Spirit that makes it possible for us to produce the fruit of righteousness (Philippians 1:11) or, as Paul refers to it in Galatians, the fruit of the Spirit.

In a sense, when God places His Spirit within the life of the believer, He adorns them with the divine capacity to produce, for the first time in their lives, the fruit of righteousness. Before the Spirit’s arrival into the life of the believer, they were incapable of producing anything remotely righteous because, as Isaiah declared, all their “righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6 ESV). Their sanctification had been preordained by God and their justification or right standing before God had been made possible by the blood of Christ. But it was the regenerating work of the Spirit of God that provided the capacity to recognize and receive the free gift of salvation offered to us by God through Christ.

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. – Titus 3:4-7 NLT

Jesus Himself said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all” (John 6:63 ESV). And He told the Pharisee, Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5-6 ESV).

And Paul reminded the believers living in Rome that they had received a new capacity to live righteous and godly lives because of the presence of the Spirit within them.

But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. – Romans 7:6 NLT

As believers, we have been adorned by God with His Spirit. There is a picture of this adorning or anointing foreshadowed in the Old Testament when God prescribed for Moses the necessary steps in preparing the tabernacle and the priests for His service. He commanded Moses:

“Like a skilled incense maker, blend these ingredients to make a holy anointing oil. Use this sacred oil to anoint the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its accessories, the incense altar, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the washbasin with its stand. Consecrate them to make them absolutely holy. After this, whatever touches them will also become holy.

“Anoint Aaron and his sons also, consecrating them to serve me as priests. And say to the people of Israel, ‘This holy anointing oil is reserved for me from generation to generation. It must never be used to anoint anyone else, and you must never make any blend like it for yourselves. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. Anyone who makes a blend like it or anoints someone other than a priest will be cut off from the community.’” – Exodus 30:25-33 NLT

The anointing oil, which was considered holy by God, having been set apart for a specific use, was poured on the various elements found in the temple. It was also poured over the heads of Aaron and his fellow priests. And in one of his psalms, David describes this anointing oil as being “poured over Aaron’s head” and being of such quantity that it “ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe” (Psalm 133:2 NLT). Aaron was absolutely saturated by the oil, as it touched every part of his person and covered him with its aromatic fragrance. Aaron’s anointing was visible and undeniable. And so is ours.

The presence of God’s Spirit within us sanctifies us and sets us apart as His own. But His presence is noticeable and transformative. Because of the Spirit’s presence within us, our lives are able to display the fruit of righteousness through us. And Paul reminds us that “Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God” (2 Corinthians 2:15 NLT). But our Spirit-adorned lives impact others as well. Paul goes on to say, “To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume” (2 Corinthians 2:16 NLT). All because of the sanctifying presence of the Spirit of God.

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anointing