Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. 1 Samuel 16:13
This is a good thing, right? In the previous verses we see Saul rejected by God as king and then here we see a young David anointed as king over Israel. The problem, as we know, is that Saul will remain in power for many, many more years to come.
Why?
I submit to you that God’s reasons are innumerable, but that this event pictures Christ Jesus and His earthly reign to come. Jesus has been anointed as our King and although the faithful see Him as such, He has not yet been entirely received by the world—one day He will be so received. Odd as it may seem, satan, the prince of this world still usurps his power on earth. We have our peace in knowing that our Father allows him to do so because true love requires true choice—satan is merely an ignorant tool in the Masters hand.
Back to David
The fact of the matter is that David is anointed three times: first here by the Lord in the midst of his brethren, then later on by his tribesmen (2 Samuel 2:4), then finally by the entire nation (2 Samuel 5:3). As David waits on the Lord for his earthly throne we get to see his awesome witness and testimony as he faithfully loves the man (Saul) who continually attempts to kill him.
Those in our Anointed Path
Have you been anointed by the Lord for a specific role in the kingdom? Then you should glean from the triple anointing process David underwent. David was set aside by the Lord for a special work in the midst of some friends, but it was a while before he was accepted by the entire tribe. And only then after proving himself was he then accepted by the entire nation. If this is the process Jesus is submitted to, then it should be an acceptable process for us to endure as we patiently wait for our spiritual positioning to materialize.
Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on theLord! Psalms 27:14
