A Devotion By Nicky Gumbel
READ: 2 Chronicles 29:1-31:1
In the Old Testament, three groups of people were anointed: kings, priests and prophets. Through the work of the Holy Spirit in us, we are all now anointed with a kingly anointing, a priestly anointing and a prophetic anointing. What does this mean in practice?
1) Kingly Anointing
You have a kingly anointing for the battle against temptation, sin and evil.
Hezekiah was the anointed king. The king was to lead the people in all their struggles and battles. Hezekiah ‘was a good king’ (29:2, MSG). He ‘went to work. He got all the leaders of the city together’ (v.20, MSG). They restored the temple and celebrated the Passover and got rid of all the false idols (31:1).
Hezekiah invited them, ‘Don’t repeat the sins of your ancestors who turned their backs on God… Clasp God’s outstretched hand. Come to his Temple of holy worship… Your God is gracious and kind and won’t snub you – come back and he’ll welcome you with open arms’ (30:7–10, MSG).
Fr Raniero Cantalamessa writes that kingly anointing means that the Holy Spirit ‘urges Jesus and the Church on in [its] struggle against Satan’. All of us have this kingly anointing. The Holy Spirit urges each of us on in our battle against temptation, sin and evil. You can call upon the Holy Spirit to help you when you are tempted, knowing that he will come alongside you and give you strength to overcome.
2) Priestly Anointing
You have a priestly anointing to pray and worship.
The priests in the Old Testament, and in this passage in particular, were anointed to be the mediators between God and human beings. We see here that they made sacrifices of bulls, lambs, goats, and so on (29:20 onwards). They sprinkled the blood of the bulls and lambs on the altar. They laid their hands on the goats and sacrificed them. These were offerings to atone for sin.
‘The Levites and priests praised God day after day, filling the air with praise sounds of percussion and brass. Hezekiah commended the Levites for the superb way in which they had led the people in the worship of God’ (30:22, MSG).
Jesus fulfilled this priestly anointing by dying as the lamb of God whose blood was shed to take away our sins. This was a unique and final sacrifice for sin.
There is another sense in which the priestly anointing comes on us, the church. We share in Jesus’ priestly anointing: ‘You are a… royal priesthood’ (1 Peter 2:9). The Spirit urges Jesus and the church to pray. In your prayers, you have a priestly ministry as an intercessor for the people before God.
3) Prophetic Anointing
You have a prophetic anointing to speak the good news about Jesus.
The chronicler refers to ‘Nathan the prophet’ (2 Chronicles 29:25) and says, ‘This was God’s command conveyed by his prophets’ (v.26, MSG). The prophets in the Old Testament were anointed to speak the word of the Lord. The Spirit anointed Jesus at his baptism to preach good news to the poor. This same Holy Spirit anoints you to speak his words today. You have this prophetic anointing.
The church is God’s agent to bring the good news of Jesus to the world. Each time you tell a friend about Jesus, invite them on Alpha, for example, or speak into their lives in some way, you are acting out this calling.
PRAYER
“Lord, help us to share your hope and love. We want to be a church that makes a difference. Help me in my anointing to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives and, to those in mourning and despair, bring the oil of gladness that comes from the Holy Spirit.”
Join us tomorrow morning at 6:30 am for prayer and on Friday at 7pm at Austin Cathedral for an all-church worship night.