Containing the anointing
Containing the anointing
1Sa_16:1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
Containing the anointing is a very important subject for all those who are walking with the Holy Spirit. In the light of all that is going on in the body of Christ today, we need discernment about the anointing like never before. In trying to understand the anointing and its relationship to mere human beings, we need to look into the life of King Saul. There is something of the King Saul spirit that is manifesting today amongst the people of God more than ever before. King Saul is an example to us of a human spirit chosen by God that could not contain the anointing or the calling and especially the mantle that was placed on him. The primary basis of the anointing that is given to us is the ability to contain what is given. When someone cannot contain the anointing, they manifest as a person who will not fully give themselves to God. This apparently is a matter of choice even with the anointing upon us. In not submitting to God fully, people open up themselves to a demon spirit. 1Sa 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. Note that the demon came from God and take note of the exchange of spirits that took place. The Spirit of God (the anointing) departed from Saul and an evil spirit FROM THE LORD entered him. As a result, King Saul died a miserable death. Many people are like that today in Christianity.
When God calls a person to His kingdom and to Himself, God expects that the person will handle the responsibilities of the call and learn to depend entirely on God for direction and purpose. God also expects that the person who is chosen by Him will remain within their calling and mantle as required by God. If we examine the subject further, we will discover that God regretted choosing Saul. God went on to choose another man who was named David. In doing so, God asked the prophet Samuel to fill his horn with oil (anointing) and anoint David as king in the place of King Saul. This of course was no mean task as King Saul was still alive and king. Prophet Samuel became very scared and queried God as to how he may do this because he feared for his life. God gave him the strategy and Samuel fulfilled the instructions.
What is noteworthy is the horn of oil. The horn was a container that held the anointing oil in it. It was a sacred container that would carry the power and purpose of God in holy anointing oil. When a human being becomes anointed of God, he or she becomes the horn of oil. They become holy vessels with power and purpose to accomplish the call of God on their lives. Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Those who understand this, will never deviate from the call of God on their lives and will fulfil it at all costs. One such man was John the Baptist, another was Apostle Paul but the greatest example for us is Jesus. There were also many others who understood the nature of God’s call and purposes for their lives who came after Jesus and exemplified Him by becoming willing vessels of holiness. They carried the oil of anointing around the world in the same manner as Jesus. Act_4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
The horn speaks of strength as it is that part of the animal that represents the strength of the animal. The horn also speaks of knowing and understanding the power one carries in their strength. That the strength is not used or abused in anyway that is displeasing to God. One such person was Samson who failed God through his own fleshly desires. This is happening a lot today in the church after so many have received of God what is holy oil (the Baptism of the Holy Spirit). When spiritual strength fades and the flesh becomes dominating, we can see the flies that have fallen into the oil and cause it to stink. Exo_30:25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. Ecc_10:1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.
It may start with a little indiscretion here or a flirtation there that leads to more. It may go further in a spiritual context and one may become jealous of another’s anointing or even be offered alternative power by the devil and fall for it just like Adam & Eve did. Duplicate anointing is a very big danger in the last days. 2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. There are many such examples of deviation from the truth that do not sit well with God. He then proceeds to bring about correction which can lead to judgement.
However, the true anointing always achieves God’s purpose if it is used correctly. The Lord wants all of us to reverence what He gives us in the anointing and not use it for our own gain or for any other reason other than what its intended purpose is. One lady Minister in her desperation to walk in the anointing and keep it, went from leaking oil out of her hands and bearing the stigmata on her hands and head to slipping feathers out of her sleeve. All this was of course the work of satan and she fell for it. When she started dropping feathers from her sleeve, she had reached levels of desperation to keep her large audiences believing in her. Many so called Christians and strong leaders were fooled by her. In the same manner, many today are doing the same in a very subtle way and in a very overt way and still fooling the masses. Then there are those in church who are using the gifts of the Holy Sprit in tongues, interpretation of tongues and prophecy in an erroneous manner. They are even faking miracles. This is called merchandising the anointing. In the greed for power, money and fame they are making things happen like King Saul did and they are falling for the Saul spirit.
The Saul spirit is the human spirit which is given into the witchcraft of rebellion and the stubbornness of idolatry; that is to lift oneself up through disobedience. 1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. God had asked Saul to destroy all his enemies and their livestock after their capture but Saul disobeyed and lost his kingdom. He listened to the people rather than God and became a people pleaser. He even went one further and took on the mantle of the Prophet which was not his to take. He did this by offering animal sacrifices that was not his right to do. This was when Samuel had said to Saul; “obedience is better than sacrifice”.
When are we going to understand that we can do nothing without God? Carrying out of God’s instructions require great courage but it also requires the anointing. Without the anointing we have no chance of doing what God asks. Elijah followed the instruction of God on Mt Carmel and challenged the people publicly to follow God wholly. When the prophets of baal could not get their evil god to consume their sacrifices, God on the other hand consumed the by fire the sacrifices that were offered by Elijah. Elijah’s mantle allowed him the right to sacrifice. Elijah was operating within the boundaries of his calling and anointing. Nothing in life is accomplished by might or strength but by the Spirit of God. So, let us come to that place in our thinking that we do not have to manufacture the anointing because the anointing cannot be manufactured. God told Moses to make the anointing oil out of five ingredients and the oil was not to be used for any other purpose than anointing the Priests of God. If it was used otherwise, one would die.
Today, many ministers and lay people are falling from the grace of God because they are using His grace to manufacture the anointing to suit their own lifestyles. This is increasingly evident in the body of Christ by the evident tragedies that are happening to people and the sorrow and shame that is following them at every turn. Even loss of life is evident in many cases where Ministers who have failed God are experiencing death. When are we as a people going to realise that God is serious and will not tolerate any abuse of His holiness? I am really fearful for many who have failed by virtue of not understanding what containment is all about. The Bible very clearly states “grieve not the Holy Spirit”. Should we then be wise to realise that God is serious and fear Him with reverential fear of what He has given us; which is His Spirit.
On the positive side, we see that the anointing can be contained by mere human beings as it is given to the human vessel. 2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
The day of the anointing being released in an unprecedented manner will shake many off their pedestals whilst bringing many up from the dust. This is God’s way. Luk 1:51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. Luk 1:52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. Luk 1:53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
Lots of love
Pastor Noble
09/09/2018