Saul anointed. 1 Sam. 9:27, 10:1.
THE anointing of Saul had been kept a secret between the Lord and Samuel until now, at the proper moment, when Samuel showed Saul the word of God, and took a vial of oil and poured it upon his head and kissed him. And by this act of anointing, he showed Saul the word of God by obeying it. It is when we keep the word of God that we really show to others what it is, for the Lord does not give it to us simply that we may know it, but that we may walk in it and thus be His living witnesses in the world.
Is it not true, dear children, that the most of us know more of God’s will from His word than we really walk in, or that we are faithful to? But He desires that it should dwell in our hearts, and then it is sure to guide our feet in His ways and to His glory.
But how real and authoritative the action of Samuel in anointing Saul was, for it was according to the word spoken by the Lord. And Samuel was acting on the authority of that word, and in obedience to it. Saul, on the other hand, was merely receiving what God had before appointed for him. So we see that while one was acting, the other was receiving, and we may look at ourselves, also, in these two positions. If we think of the manifold blessings and privileges we have received, we know that they have all come to us through the word of God; or, if we think of ourselves as being God’s children here on earth to act in a way pleasing to Him, then surely we must have that same blessed word for our counsel and authority.
Do we enter into the deep importance of this, dear children?
The one question of greatest moment is, Have we believed His word? Thousands upon thousands hear it, receive it in one ear and let it slip away out of the other; but where it is really believed, it settles in the heart, takes root there and bears fruit.
It declares one great and precious secret which was not made known until Jesus came and declared it—that God is love, and that He loved the world so much that He gave His own dear Son for it. And all He asks in return from us for such a gift is that we believe Him, believe His Son, and believe His word. Then, if we do believe, we are positively assured that forgiveness of sins, peace with God, acceptance with Him as dear children, an inheritance laid up for us in heaven, and, in fact, all blessings are made ours through Christ. And the more we search His word, the more fully do we find how great and how many our blessings really are. The Lord wants us to learn the greatness of our inheritance through His word, for we may know but very little about it at the time we take Jesus as our Saviour and own Him as our Lord. It may be our life-long study, and yet we shall not learn all its blessedness for us. But while we remain here in the world, let us desire as, new-born babes, the pure milk of the word that we may grow thereby. (1 Pet. 2:22As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (1 Peter 2:2).)
But there is something more for us to consider here which is of very great importance. After we believe the truth, the gospel of our salvation, and have received Christ as God’s gift to us, He then bestows upon us another gift, which is the Holy Ghost.
Here in the scripture we are considering, we see that Saul was anointed to be captain over Israel, and the oil was poured out upon his head; but when God anoints us, He pours out His Spirit upon us and sends Him into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. “Now He which ... ..hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and GIVEN the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” 2 Cor. 1:21,2221Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. (2 Corinthians 1:21‑22).
This is the Comforter, who comes into our hearts, and dwells with us, to lead us, strengthen us, and show us the word of God. This anointing teaches us all things and we need not that any MAN should teach us. Oh, what love, what unbounded love, for God to thus give us His blessed Son and Spirit.
But we must be subject to His word and Spirit, and be most careful not to use our own wills, for, if we do, we shall become disobedient children, and thus displease our Father. Disobedience and in subjection to God’s word and will were the cause of Saul’s ruin and rejection by God as king over His people. Let us rather seek to do as Samuel did—walk with God and have our hearts inclined to receive and obey His word. Then we shall have the Lord’s authority for whatever we do, and by obeying His word, have the sweet assurance that we are acting in union with Him, just as Samuel could say, when he took the oil and poured it upon Saul, “Is it not because the LORD HATH ANOINTED thee to be captain over His inheritance?”
‘“Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His word,
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, ‘Thus saith the Lord.’”
ML 12/28/1902