Rev. Johnson V.
3rd October 2010

The first instance where the word ‘anointing’ appears in the Bible, is in the Book of Exodus. God gives Moses detailed instructions on how to build the Tabernacle and also how to consecrate the articles used in the Tabernacle and also Aaron as the high priest for service unto God. The anointing serves a specific purpose in Christ’s kingdom and it is important that we understand the purpose of the anointing in our lives.

What is the meaning of the term ‘anointing’? According to the Bible, anything or anyone that was separated, set apart, to do God’s work, was anointed. The anointing signifies a divine consecration for the work and purpose of God. In physical terms, being anointed meant that oil was poured over the object or person and massaged, so that the object or person became saturated with the fragrance of the oil. The oil was not applied like a beauty lotion, but it was massaged like a balm, with the intention of getting under the skin, of healing, of saturating the body.

What purpose does it serve? Is the anointing only meant to make us feel good? To give us a supernatural experience? In Isaiah 10:27, God tells us the purpose that the anointing serves, which is to ‘destroy the yoke.’

What is a yoke and is it relevant today? Yokes are generally used in agricultural areas by farmers who use oxen to plough their fields. The farmer places a yoke on the neck of the oxen in order to control or to drive it. A yoke allows someone else to exercise control over us. Our yokes are not physically placed on us, but it could be emotional or related to sickness, addictions, fears, guilt, misunderstandings, wrong relationships, inadequacies, financial bondage, habits, etc. 

None of us want to be under the yoke, but sometimes we struggle under the weight of the yoke and we can’t seem to shrug it off ourselves. And that’s why Christ pours His oil over us and massages His Presence into our lives, so that we can destroy the yokes that plague us. He made us ‘overcomers’. That’s why the Bible says “Whom the Son sets free, is free indeed.” The anointing destroys the yoke completely, and it does not merely remove it temporarily. The yokes in our lives will never make an appearance again, once it is destroyed by the anointing. Hallelujah!

Another passage in the Bible, beautifully illustrates the concept of the anointing, Esther 2:12-18.
King Xerxes was on the lookout for a new wife. All the beautiful young virgins lined up. Amongst them was a beautiful Jewish girl called Esther. Esther was given beauty treatments for a period of 12 months before she met the king. During this time, she was massaged and bathed in fragrant oils and perfumes. At the end of that period, everywhere Esther went, she emanated the scent of the perfumed oils that she had bathed in for so long. Esther gained the favour of the king and became his bride.

We are the bride of Christ and we must carry the presence of God everywhere we go. Our bondages will not fall away just because we tell it to, but rather because our lives are so saturated with our Father’s glorious presence. The anointing prepares us to be the bride of Christ.