Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. (1 Chronicles 16:22)
Who are God's anointed? You might think of David and King Saul and how David would not harm King Saul even though Saul was trying to kill him. David would not "touch God's anointed". Saul was anointed as King over Israel. Saul wasn't doing a very good job as King but he was King nonetheless. David realized that God had anointed Saul for the kingship and only God could remove him.
Kings weren't the only ones who were God's anointed. In Exodus, God gave instructions to anoint and consecrate Aaron and his sons as priests of Israel before the altar and ark of God. These too then were God's anointed. What was the process for the priests to be anointed and consecrated? There was the water, the blood, and the oil.
In Exodus chapter 29 verses 4, 7, and 20, we see the steps of anointing and consecration.
The Water: Aaron and his sons are instructed to come to the tent of meeting and there at the entrance to wash with water.
The Oil: next Moses was to anoint them with oil. This wasn't just any oil, it was the holy anointing oil. A special blend to be used for nothing other than consecrating everything used for worship before the Lord.
The Blood: lastly, they were anointed with the blood sacrifice. The blood was to be placed on their ear, their thumb, and their big toe. Lastly, blood and oil was sprinkled on them and their garments. Thus they were consecrated for service.
Who are God's anointed today? Does God still have anointed ones today? Well, to answer the second question first, yes, God still has anointed ones today. Christ, of course, is THE Anointed One. But, there are other anointed ones serving God on earth today. As for the first question, the answer is -- every blood covered, water washed, oil anointed Christian!
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called
you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)
The day, nah, the moment you asked God for forgiveness and made Christ your Lord and Savior, you were blood covered. His blood covers you. It purifies you. It consecrates you.
The moment you were water baptized, you were ritualistically washed and cleansed.
Noticed that I listed the blood first and then the washing with water. This is the reverse of the old covenant process. Water being sprinkled on an infant is meaningless. The infant is not making a confession of sin and acknowledging it's need of cleansing. The infant is born under original sin, but is as yet not accountable because it has no knowledge of it's sinful nature. Water Baptism cleans us when we understand that we are in need of cleansing. So, first we go to Christ and receive the blood covering and then we are baptized to symbolize our cleansing.
Okay, so what about the oil anointing? Do we have to have a horn of oil dumped on our heads like was done to the priests in the Old Testament? Nope. According the the Apostle John we are anointed by the Holy Spirit. "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth." (1 John 2:20) Every believer receives the Holy Spirit within them. Thus, they are anointed by the Holy Spirit.
Believers are purified and sanctified by the water, the blood, and the oil. We are God's anointed ones. We are His holy nation. His royal priesthood. What is the work of the priesthood? To declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness and into His wonderful light!
