This month, you shall be highly favoured in Jesus Name, Amen.
THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE EMERGENCE OF A FAVOURED DESTINY
TEXT: 1 Samuel 10:1-7
Introduction: Please note it and internalize it: glorious destinies are borne out of divine favor. Never ascribe to luck or mere dints of hard-work what only grace of God can procure. Excelling greatness and significant accomplishment can never be by labor, but by His favor: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zech.4:6).
In this highly competitive world, it is only the favor of God that can make a man to become relevant and successful in his journeys of life.In Romans 9:15-16, we hear, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
The subject of favor is one which every believer who nurses the bible dream of soaring and shining should open up to. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself was a special object of God’s favor (Lk.2:52).
· Inside favor is greatness and life (Job 10:12; Ps.30:5).
· Favor is the spring force of mercy (Is. 60:10).
· Favor is the womb of spiritual life (Ps. 30:5).
· Favor is God’s answer to all human afflictions, dilemma, problems or predicaments (Num.11:11).
· Favor with God always commends favor with men (1 Sam.2:26).
· Favor qualifies and propels us to our heritage in God (Ps.44:3).
· Favor strengthens our fighting force to win (Ps.89:17).
Whatever you are or will ever become in life, business, marriage or ministry is all by the favor of God. Paul said: ‘But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me’ (1Cor 15:10).
Indeed, a day of favor is much better and much more blissful than a thousand years of labor. And, the difference between you and your next door neighbor is in the levels of divine favor available to each of you. Favor is a must for every candidate of great accomplishment upon the earth. However, the most fascinating news here is that favor can be obtained by any individual (Gen.18:3, 30:27, Lk.1:30). How? This can be by a close affinity to the Holy Spirit.
ANOINTING FOR FAVOR
We read in Luke 4:18-19, 18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Real favor happens when God turns to us and He is pleased with us.
The words "acceptable year" in the passage above mean the ‘favorable year’ when many blessings of the covenant show up in our lives. Observe here that there is an anointing of God's Spirit that brings us into this acceptable year, a season of liberty and release. It comes on God’s people like Joseph's coat of many colors. Then everything in our lives becomes empowered to increase (Is.61:2).
THE ANOINTING IN THE DESTINY OF SAUL
How simple was the ancient ceremony of consecrating a king! A prophet poured oil upon his head, and kissed him; and said, ‘Thus the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance’. However, simple as it looked, it also signified the pouring forth of the gifts of God's spirit upon him, to fit him for his assignment. Today, this sacred anointing links us with the authority of the Great Messiah, the Anointed One, the King of kings, and the High-Priest of our profession, who was anointed with the oil of the spirit without measure, above all!
SIGN-POSTS ON THE PATH OF THE EXCELLING ANOINTING
Saul was anointed to be a captain, a commander. This speaks of honour, authority and power. The origin of this anointing was the Lord: “The Lord hath anointed thee”. And the anointing was over the Lord’s inheritance: to care for it, protect it, and to order all the affairs of it for the best, as a steward whom a great man sets over his estate. And in this assignment the Lord expected him to excel. For this He gave him signs.
1). The first place Samuel directs him to was a sepulcher. There he must read a lecture of his own mortality. Now that he had a crown in his eye, he must think of his grave where all his earthly honors would be laid in the dust at last! You cannot receive ultimate anointing unless you are ready to die to self! Thereafter he received information about his father's care for him (1Sam.10:2). That is favor. And, he went forward, i.e he made progress.
2). He should next meet with others going to Bethel, where there was a high place for religious worship (1Sam.10:3-4). Jacob’s altar was probably there still, Gen.28:19. It is a token for good to one that was designed for greatness to meet and keep company with people going to worship God. It is supposed that those kids and loaves, and the bottle of wine which the three men had with them, were designed for sacrifice. “And give thee two loaves of bread”. This was pretty much FAVOR, that they should give him two out of three, and leave but one for themselves. Bread is the staff of life. This was the first present that was brought to him. And, it was by such people as knew not what they did, nor why they did it. But God put it into their hearts, and they were able to discern the anointing of the Lord upon him.
3. The most remarkable sign of all came at the hill of God, where there was the garrison of the Philistines. Here was where he joined with a company of prophets that he met with,and he prophesied under the influence of a spirit of prophecy. This happened at the hill of God, where there was a garrison of the Philistines.
The allusion here is this: at the place where the Philistines, those severe oppressors of Israel, had set up military posts, the Spirit of God was to come upon Saul, and endow him with the divine power that was required for his regal office. At the point of pain is power! The hill of God refers to the place in which the ark of the Lord was, in the house of Abinadab (1Sam. 7:1). It was a high place dedicated to God. He met a company of prophets with music before them, prophesying. Music has always been a proper means to dispose the mind to receive the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. See Elisha's experience (2Kgs.3:15).
At this juncture, as he joined with this company of prophets, he was turned into another man from what he had been. The Spirit of God changes men. He wonderfully transforms them. “When these signs are come unto thee, as in Psa.45:16 and Est.4:4, do to thee what thy hand findeth. Act according to the circumstances (Jdg.9:33); for God will be with thee.” The occurrence of the signs mentioned was to assure him of the certainty that God would assist him in all that he undertook as king. The first opportunity for action was afforded him by the Ammonite Nahash, who besieged Jabesh-gilead (1Sam. 11:1-15).
THE CHANGE WAS CLEAR!
Of course, they would ask: is Saul also among the prophets? That is, in modern language, ‘Can this man pray or preach or prosper? He whose education has been the same as our own, employed in the same secular offices, and formerly companion with us? Can such a person be among the prophets?’ Yes, for God has given him a new heart! And the Spirit of God, whose inspiration alone can give sound understanding in sacred things, has come upon him for this very purpose! The Spirit of God also inspired him with wisdom, and prudence, and greatness of mind, and with every qualification necessary for a king. So that he appeared quite another man than he was before, in his outward behaviour, as well as in the endowments of his mind.
From thence, a rustic farmer's son, appeared with the air of a prince, and in the majesty of a king. This is because he had a royal mind or heart given him. And he was enabled at once to do things – compose songs etc - he had not been trained for in the school of the prophets. This made it more wonderful to those that knew him. He was suddenly endowed with another spirit. He was filled with skill of divine things, with courage, and wisdom, and magnanimity; and other qualifications befitting his dignity. And he was enabled to do as his circumstances and occasion required.
The Spirit of Jehovah came upon Saul to transform him entirely. This transformation affected the entire disposition of mind. And, by it Saul was lifted out of his former modes of thought and feeling, which were confined within a narrow earthly sphere, into the far higher sphere of his new royal calling. He was filled with kingly thoughts in relation to the service of God, and received “another heart” (1Sam.10:9).
Heart is used in the ordinary scriptural sense, as the centre of the whole mental and psychical life of will, desire, thought, perception, and feeling. Through this sign his anointing as king was to be inwardly sealed.
THIS WEEK’S CONFESSION OF FAITH
A wonderful change is on the way for me right now.
The remainder of my days shall never be with darkness and adversity.
Certainly, much more glorious days are ahead of me,
The light of prosperity shall definitely shine upon me,
And it shall exceed the light of the sun at noonday.
I shall shine forth like the rising sun bginning from now.
The light of prosperity and joy shall spring up,
And dark nights of sorrow and distress,
Shall become clear days of peace and comfort.
Even at my evening time it shall be light (Zech.14:7).
In the precious Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
