Rite’s of the Anointed
Dissecting:
And he said unto his men...
“The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.”
I. What we see in David: the patteren of the anointed
In this moment, we watch David refuse to take into his own hands what belongs to the Lord. We see a covenant instinct in him: we do not take authority into our own hands, we honor what God establishes, and we refuse to violate what God has consecrated. David is not merely sparing Saul; he is guarding the very rite and meaning of being the Lord’s anointed.
This becomes a pattern for us. We treat God’s anointing as holy, even when the person is flawed, difficult, or failing. We do not seize rights that God has not given, and we do not abandon duties that God has given. Our posture toward the anointed is a reflection of our posture toward the Lord who anoints.
II. Duties of the anointed — what we owe God
David’s words show us that anointing places duties upon us before it grants rights. To be anointed is first to be bound to God in reverence, restraint, and obedience.
1. Duty of reverence
We honor what God consecrates. This is the heart of David’s statement: “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing.” We learn to see people, callings, and ordinances that God has anointed as holy things, not common things.
The priests and holy things of Israel were anointed and consecrated:
- Exodus 28:41 — Aaron and his sons are anointed and consecrated to minister.
- Leviticus 8:10 — Moses anoints the tabernacle and all that is in it.
- Leviticus 21:12 — The high priest bears the “crown of the anointing oil.”
These witnesses teach us that anointing marks out holy space, holy service, and holy identity. Our duty is to treat that anointing with deep reverence.
2. Duty of restraint
We do not act outside our stewardship. David refuses to stretch forth his hand against Saul, even though Saul is unjust toward him. We learn that we do not grasp authority prematurely or take judgment into our own hands when God has not authorized it.
- 1 Samuel 9:16 — Saul is anointed to be captain over God’s people.
- 1 Samuel 15:1 — The Lord sends Samuel to anoint Saul to be king.
Anointing is God’s appointment, not our ambition. Our duty is to stay within the bounds of the stewardship God has given us and to let Him govern His own anointed.
3. Duty of obedience
We obey the One who anoints us. Anointing is not a badge for display; it is a burden of obedience. The anointed are set apart to do what God commands, not to use their position for self.
- Isaiah 61:1 — “The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings.”
The anointed Messiah stands as the perfect example: anointed to preach, heal, and liberate according to the Father’s will. If we are anointed in any measure, our duty is to walk in that same obedient pattern.
III. Rights of the anointed — what God grants us
David refuses to seize a right that only God can give. From this we learn that rights flow from God’s anointing, not from our effort or our timing. We wait for God to establish what He has promised.
1. The right to God’s appointment
We do not need to force our calling or our place. God Himself is the One who appoints and establishes His anointed.
- 2 Samuel 12:7 — The Lord says, “I anointed thee king over Israel.”
- 2 Corinthians 1:21 — “He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us.”
Our right is not to take the throne; our right is to wait faithfully until God seats us where He wills. Anointing assures us that God knows our place and will establish it in His time.
2. The right to divine empowerment
Anointing brings the enabling power of the Holy Ghost. We are not left to fulfill our duties in our own strength.
- Acts 10:38 — Jesus of Nazareth is anointed “with the Holy Ghost and with power.”
- 1 John 2:27 — “The same anointing teacheth you of all things.”
As we walk in our anointing, the Spirit teaches, strengthens, and guides us. The power to fulfill our calling is part of the right that comes with being anointed of the Lord.
3. The right to sacred protection
David’s refusal to harm Saul reveals that God Himself defends His anointed. To lift our hand against the anointed is to contend with the Lord who chose them.
- 2 Samuel 1:14 — “How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”
- Doctrine and Covenants 121:16 — Cursed are those who lift up the heel against the Lord’s anointed.
The anointed do not need to fight for their own legitimacy. The Lord Himself becomes their defender, and He will deal with those who rise up against His anointed ones.
IV. The rite of the anointed — what sets us apart
The “rite” of anointing is the holy act by which God marks us for His work. It is not empty ceremony; it is a covenant sign that we belong to Him and are set apart for His purposes.
1. The rite consecrates us
Through anointing, we are set apart from common use to sacred service.
- Exodus 30:25 — The holy anointing oil is prepared.
- Doctrine and Covenants 124:39 — Anointings are among the ordinances ordained of God.
Our lives, our bodies, and our service become consecrated to the Lord. We are no longer our own.
2. The rite identifies us
Anointing becomes a visible and spiritual mark that we belong to the Lord.
- Psalm 23:5 — “Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 124:57 — The Lord says, “Anointing have I put upon his head.”
The Lord knows His anointed, and He publicly owns them. Our identity is tied to His mark upon us.
3. The rite commissions us
Anointing is also a sending. We are commissioned to act in the Lord’s name and minister in His power.
- Mark 6:13 — The disciples anoint many that are sick with oil and heal them.
- James 5:14 — The elders are to pray over the sick, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.
The rite is functional: it empowers us to bless, heal, and serve. Our anointing is not for display; it is for ministry.
V. Principle: anointing creates a covenant of duty before it grants a right
In 1 Samuel 24:6, we learn the order of the anointed life. First comes duty: we honor God’s order, we restrain ourselves from overreaching, and we walk in obedience. Then, in God’s time, come the rights: He appoints, He empowers, and He protects His anointed.
We do not crown ourselves, we do not defend ourselves, and we do not advance ourselves by our own hand. Instead, we wait, we serve, and we obey. As we do, the Lord Himself lifts, appoints, and sustains us as His anointed.
Anointed of the Lord — selected witnesses from the Topical Guide “Anointing, Anoint”:
Duty of reverence
- Exodus 28:41 — anoint them, and consecrate
- Leviticus 8:10 — anointed the tabernacle and all
- Leviticus 21:12 — crown of the anointing oil
- 1 Samuel 9:16 — thou shalt anoint him to be captain
- 1 Samuel 15:1 — Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king
- Isaiah 61:1 — Lord hath anointed me to preach
- 2 Samuel 12:7 — I anointed thee king
- 2 Corinthians 1:21 — he which stablisheth us … and hath anointed us
- Acts 10:38 — anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost
- 1 John 2:27 — same anointing teacheth you
- 2 Samuel 1:14 — stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed
- Doctrine and Covenants 121:16 — Cursed … all those that shall lift up the heel against mine anointed
- Exodus 30:25 — shall be an holy anointing oil
- Doctrine and Covenants 124:39 — anointings … ordained by the ordinance
- Psalm 23:5 — anointest my head with oil
- Doctrine and Covenants 124:57 — anointing have I put upon his head
- Mark 6:13 — anointed with oil many that were sick
- James 5:14 — pray over him, anointing him with oil
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