February 9 - The Anointed One
In the Old Testament, three types of people had to be anointed for their respective offices. They were the offices of the priest, prophet and king. The word “Messiah” literally means “the Anointed One”. In Jesus, the offices of the priest, prophet and king are all merged together. He is our great High Priest interceding for us in the heavenly tabernacle, He is also the prophet, the Word of God coming in the flesh and He is the coming King of the Kingdom of God.
Believers of Jesus are called Christians, or Christ Juniors, bearing the name of Christ, the Anointed One or Messiah. Whatever the Lord does, we also must do. Other than ministering as priests, we are also serving in the areas of the prophetic and the kingly. The ministries of Aaron the priest, Moses the prophet of God and David the King are our models.
Like Aaron, we are to bear on our shoulders and our hearts the burden of God’s people, to go before the Lord and intercede on their behalf, to offer sacrifices and ask the Lord to forgive their sins. The priests were to tend the fire on the altar, both the altar for incense and the altar for burnt offerings. The major role of the priest is to minister to the Lord, to go into the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies to meet with God. The priests were to be cleansed, set apart, anointed for the ministry.
Moses was the prophet. He listened to the Lord as the Lord met him in the tabernacle. Above the Mercy Seat, the Lord spoke to Moses. On Mount Sinai, He spoke to him concerning the Law and Moses related God’s Words to the people. The role of the prophet is to forth-tell the Word of God to the people. Moses later prophesized concerning a greater prophet to come and he asked the people to listen to him. The Great Prophet is Jesus Christ who came as the Word from heaven to earth. He made known the Word of God to the people.
David was a king after God’s heart. Under his reign, Israel rose to prominence among the neighboring nations. Psalm 22 clearly states the glory of God’s Kingdom to incorporate all peoples and nations. God’s Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and an ever-expanding Kingdom. God is to rule over all and we, as little kings, are to have a part in Kingdom expansion. We are to rule and extend God’s rule over others so that more may be saved and become part of the Kingdom of God.
Are you a true priest, prophet and king? You are called and anointed for such ministries the day that you became His child. Are you ministering to the Lord on behalf of His people? Are you relating prophetic words to others to edify and strengthen them? Are you bringing the gospel of the Kingdom to the unsaved?
Ps 22:19-31 Exo 29:1-30:10 Matt 26:14-46 Prov 8:14-26