The Anointing

The Anointing
Words of Faith 2-16-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 29
[19] "Take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. [20] Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then sprinkle blood against the altar on all sides. [21] And take some of the blood on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.

There was a second ram present at the consecration of Aaron and his sons. This ram may have thought he was a "spare" and was off the hook, but a third act of sacrifice is still to come. This second ram served a particular purpose for anointing and was ultimately part of the priests' communion meal.
Once again, Aaron and his sons would lay their hands on this ram before it was slaughtered. The blood was applied in a very specific and peculiar way. Some of the blood was placed on the lobes of the right ears of each of them. Some blood was applied to the thumb of the right hand. Blood was also applied to the big toe on the right foot. Finally, some of the blood was mixed with oil and sprinkled on the priests' clothing to consecrate these garments. What was this all about?
The blood on the ear may have been a symbol of dedication to hear God's Word. Certainly, it is critical that one who ministers in acts of worship is hearing clearly from God. The blood applied to the right thumb may have represented the work of his hands. It was a cleansing for doing the work of God. The blood applied to the right toe most likely represented what we would call a "godly walk."
It is a powerful image to realize that the blood of Jesus is available to cleanse all that we hear, all that we do in our work, and everything about our walk in life. Wow.
In some circles, a leader will be anointed with oil similarly. The anointing of the earlobe calls upon God to speak clearly and that a leader will hear only the direction of God. Pastors, teachers, leaders, and evangelists all contend amid the people's voices and the world's opinions. As a preacher and teacher of God's Word, I must constantly remind myself that I have an audience of One. My job is not to entertain, impress, or placate expectations. My job is to say what God wants me to say. Yes, that may include humor. (God has a really good sense of humor if we listen carefully.)
The anointing of the thumb reminds us that our work is to be pure but also dependent upon the anointing of the Lord. We are not to labor in our own strength but in the power of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul the church at Corinth, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
The anointing of the toe reminds us that we must walk carefully with God. Though we serve God alone, we constantly represent Christ in this world. The Bible refers to this as our "walk." We must guard our walk and be careful in how we talk. The Prophet Micah said it so well: "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).
The garments that were sprinkled with blood as a consecration, were the very specific robes of the priests. For us, it serves as a reminder that what we wear is important. We should pray over the things that we wear in worship and even daily life. How does this represent you, Jesus? Are you honored by what I am wearing?
So, what are you listening to? Are you hearing from God? Are you setting apart your ears to hear from Him? Sometimes we need to screen what we are allowing in. What about the work of your hands? Is the work and energy of your life glorifying God, serving His Kingdom, and sharing the Good News? What about your life and lifestyle? Is your walk anointed by the presence of the Lord? Does your clothing and style of life point people to Jesus?

Lord God, I want to be a part of Your priesthood of believers. Sanctify me by the blood of Your Son Jesus. Anoint my ears to hear You. Anoint my heart to trust You. Anoint my energy and work to honor You. Anoint my walk to display the joy of Life in You. In Jesus' Name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.