Honor the Anointing and the Anointed One

You see it at every wedding in Zirakpur. Oil is touched to the head, the family gathers, and a person is set apart for a new life. Nobody treats that moment casually. This message is about the anointing of God: why it costs so much, and how we honour it in our own lives and in the lives of others.

“You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (Hebrews 1:9)

The anointing is a sacred gift, God’s presence and power resting on a life set apart for Him. You cannot buy it, and you cannot fake it.

Loving Righteousness Brings an Increase in Anointing

The anointing does not grow on talent; it grows on a life that loves what God loves and hates what He hates. Hebrews 1:9 says this about Jesus. He loved righteousness. He hated wickedness. Therefore God anointed Him. Righteousness first, then the oil. Many of us want the oil without the righteousness. We want power on Sunday and our own way from Monday to Saturday.

Think of a young man who can sing and wants to lead worship. His voice is good, but his phone is full of things that have no place in a holy life. Gifting is not anointing. The anointing is given to those who live a holy and obedient life. It is not handed out lightly; it asks for dedication and faithfulness. So ask yourself: what do I love, and what do I hate?

The Cost of the Anointing

The anointing oil in the Bible was never cheap, and God has not put it on sale today. In Exodus 30:22-33 God gave Moses the recipe: myrrh, cinnamon, fragrant cane, cassia and olive oil, in exact measures. It was costly and holy. It could not be poured on just anyone, and nobody was allowed to copy it for perfume.

When God sets someone apart, we respect it rather than despising it. We do not make it a joke over chai after church. Disrespecting the anointing has spiritual consequences, and the Bible does not hide that.

The Era of the Holy Spirit

We are not waiting for the Spirit to arrive; He has come, and He rests on every believer today. In the Old Testament the oil came to priests, prophets and kings. Since Pentecost the Holy Spirit is poured out on all who belong to Jesus. 1 John 2:20 says, “You have an anointing from the Holy One.” That means you. The mother praying at 5 a.m. in a two-room flat carries the anointing. But the anointing is not for personal gain. It is for God’s glory. It makes you able to serve others and lift the weak.

Respecting the Anointed Ones

Respect for those God has set apart is not about their status; it is about God’s choice. No leader is a hero. Every leader is a servant who answers to God.

Biblical Examples of Respecting the Anointing

Look at David in the cave (1 Samuel 24:5). Saul was hunting him, jealous and dangerous. David’s men whispered, “This is your chance.” David crept up and cut a corner of Saul’s robe, and then his heart struck him. He would not lift his hand against the one God had anointed, even a failing king. He left the judgement to God.

Now look at Michal (2 Samuel 6:23). David danced before the Lord with all his strength as the ark came home. Michal watched from the window, despised him, and mocked him to his face. The Bible records that she had no child to the day of her death. Dishonour is not a small thing.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 tells us to respect those who labour among us and hold them in love because of their work. Not because of a title. So be careful how you speak about the people God has set apart, in the car park, in the family WhatsApp group, everywhere.

God Lifts Those Who Honor Him

God lifts the person who honours Him, and He does it in His own time, without any shortcut. David honoured Saul, and God made David king. The anointing is both a blessing and a responsibility. When you walk in righteousness, God increases what He has given you. When you dishonour, something dries up.

God Commands His Servants to Anoint

God chooses people for specific assignments, and He tells His servants whom to anoint. In 1 Kings 19:15 God spoke to Elijah, worn out under a broom tree, and sent him to anoint Hazael as king over Aram, Jehu as king over Israel, and Elisha as prophet in his place. God had names and assignments. When God sets someone apart for a task, in the church or in your home, honour it. Failing to honour what God has done has consequences that reach into families.

God Hears Everything We Say

Every word you say about another believer is heard in heaven before it is read on WhatsApp.

Biblical Warnings About Our Words

In 2 Kings 9:1-13 Jehu was anointed in a back room, and the officers outside asked why that madman had come to him. People talk, and God listens. Hebrews 4:14 calls us to hold firmly to the faith we profess, and what we profess includes how we speak about God’s people. Malachi 3:16 says that when those who feared the Lord talked with each other, the Lord listened, and a scroll of remembrance was written. Your words are recorded. Not to frighten you, but to make you careful. Guard your tongue.

Jesus, Our Humble High Priest

The most anointed One who ever lived is also the most humble, and He is ministering for you right now. Hebrews 8:2, 7-12 shows Jesus serving in the true sanctuary under a better covenant, where God writes His law on our hearts. If the King of kings serves humbly, who are we to be proud? A day is coming when everyone will acknowledge His name. Until then, walk in humility and honour His anointing on your life and on others.

The Hope We Have in Christ

Our hope is not a wish; it is an anchor, fixed behind the curtain where Jesus has gone ahead of us. Hebrews 6:19-20 calls it an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. The anointing draws you into a deeper relationship with God and makes you able to finish what He gave you to do. Love righteousness. Respect what God has anointed. Walk in obedience, and God will trust you with more.

This week

• Write down one thing you love that God hates, and bring it to Him in prayer before Sunday.
• Say one honouring thing, out loud, about a leader or a believer you have criticised.
• Read 1 Samuel 24 slowly and ask, “Where am I holding a knife in the cave?”

May the oil of joy rest on you and your home this week, and may God find righteousness in you when He looks. God bless you abundantly.